Girls and Mathcamp

The first Mathcamp in 1993 had only two students: one girl and one boy. Since then, Mathcamp has always encouraged girls to apply, and has done its best to enable them to attend the program. For example, girls are our highest priorty for awarding financial aid and scholarships.

Traditionally, women have been in the minority in mathematics. At Mathcamp, we know it doesn't have to be that way! Every year, some of our best, most dedicated and inspiring students, mentors, and lecturers have been female.

Girls do form a sizeable minority among the campers--this gender imbalance reflects the gender imbalance among applicants to the camp. Yet the girls who do come to Mathcamp almost invariably have a wonderful time, learning mathematics and making friends. But why take our word for it? Let's hear what the girls themselves have to say!

(All student quotations are taken from our annual end-of-camp surveys.)

"The best summer of my life so far..."

"I come from a relatively small town, and there aren't many opportunities or programs that allow development of math skills at all. There are a few competitions in a year, but basically all exposure you get to math comes from school. This summer, getting to go to Mathcamp, I had I think the best summer of my life so far. It was so much fun. I was exposed to so many different aspects of math that I didn't know existed."

"As an international female, I had some doubts in the beginning whether or not I should come, because I had heard that there were few girls in the camp. But as soon as I went, I realized that there was no need to have doubts. It was my best summer I ever lived; so much fun and so much math at the same time sounded impossible at the beginning. But it was possible...."

"It made me want to know more..."

"One thing that this summer did for me was show me that I truly did have an interest in math... I was able to discover that math was more than an ability for me; it was something that I enjoyed."

"While it was disturbing at first, not being the smartest person in the class, it turned out to be a great experience. Being surrounded by so many people who knew more than me, made me want to know more..."

"You don't need to be a genius..."

"The people at the camp were great. The mentors were really helpful, willing to explain to me background information that I didn't get taught here. They were extremely nice, and I always felt that if I ever needed to, I could speak to them."

"The set up of the camp allowed me to go to everything I wanted to, and it didn't make me feel that I couldn't go to certain other classes because I wasn't smart enough or something."

"I thought most of the class topics were really cool, things I've never heard or seen before... You don't need to be a genius to enjoy them."

"I made awesome friendships"

"The best thing about Mathcamp was meeting many new, nice, encouraging, interesting, and weird people. I got to see a whole new world of people that I wouldn't have encountered around here or at school..."

"I made a bunch of friends that I still keep in touch with, and that means a lot to me. I was able to go places and do things to have fun all throughout my visit... There was always stuff to do."

"It turned out to be like a home to me. People were wonderful, and to see such a variety of people is great. I made awesome friendships, and learned a lot of math without even realizing it."

"I think it was easier for me to relate to the girls at first, and I was glad that there were as many as there were."

"There were a lot more boys, but I don't feel that this negatively impacted the experience... everyone was really sociable so there weren't any barriers."

"I got to find a little more about guys and how they handle things when they're away from home... I usually don't hang out with guys... but I found out that they're not so much different from us."

"I wouldn't change anything..."

"I would definitely recommend any female who likes math and wants to taste something totally different to go to Mathcamp at least once.... It made me gain a lot, both intellectually and personally."

"Even if I had the chance to change one thing about Mathcamp, I wouldn't change anything... it was unforgettable."