More Comments from past Mathcampers

• From Mathcamp 2004
• From Mathcamp 2003
• From Mathcamp 2001
• From Mathcamp 1999
• From earlier years (anonymous)

From Mathcamp 2004

"Mathcamp has provided me with one of the most amazing experiences I will ever have the opportunity to partake in. For the mathematically intrigued or interested, MC fulfills your every desire for abstract education, personal interaction, and overall enjoyment. Not a second was not spent in a state of math related bliss or, in general, joy for having people just like you all around."

"Everyone should go to Mathcamp. [...] Interesting people. Math people. People both serious and silly. Mathcamp is the most amazing summer paradise for five weeks. Certainly it's been great for me. It changes the world. Just go."

"Mathcamp is definitely more than you're ever going to expect. I can't even begin to describe the wonderful mentors, counselors, and campers that make Mathcamp the absolute best way to spend a summer."

"Mathcamp was an unforgettable experience for me. I did stuff that I'd never thought I would ever do, such as juggling. The people are amazing because they not only know math very well but also have incredible talents!"

"Thanks for an amazing summer! I learned more math than in [the] previous 5 years combined."

Mathcamp is magical!"

"Mathcamp was truly unforgettable. These five weeks have really helped me to grow as a person and as a thinking human being. Thanks so much for showing me how math is truly the most beautiful form of art."

"...these were the best 5 weeks of my life. I made lifelong friends learned awesome stuff, and had a blast. Thanks so much. Wow. It's been amazing."

"Mathcamp was the best thing I've spent my summer doing."

"Mathcamp is awesome!"

"The classes, the environment, and the people are all exceptional."

"When the best mathematical minds are put in the crockpot of Mathcamp, an unspeakable magic occurs, producing a stew of rich culture and pure brilliance."

"Mathcamp was perfect - thank you all so much!"

"Mathcamp is an incredible place. It's one of those things where the mere fact that it exists makes me happy, and it's even better to be able to be a part of it."

"This is my first Mathcamp, and I really had no idea that Mathcamp was so cool. The math aside, the camp as a whole (providing a medium where students with a similar interest can meet eache other is invaluable) and the people here, also the field trips had made Mathcamp one of my best summers. The JC's and the Mentors are caring and supportive, unlike some "schoolteachers" whose job is just to lecture and then go home. This was an awesome experience to me. Thank you Mathcamp for opening my eyes to new mathematical horizons."

From Mathcamp 2003

"MC is a place where students live and not simply exist." "I have lived inside the greatest dreams filled with the most amazing people."

"It's the best decision you'll ever make."
"Both academic and social aspects of mathcamp helped me grow as a person."

"If you can come, then come."
"I learned a lot of interesting math and most important of all, I met amazing people. I gained both knwoledge and friendships."

"It is a wonderful experience, a place of Math, fun, and freedom. Math camp is my favorite place in the world."

"Mathcamp is great. There are always interesting classes, and fun activities. I was almost never bored or without something I wanted to do. It's the best way to spend five weeks of summer."

"Don't come to Mathcamp unless you want to meet a lot of cool people and do a lot of great things. Really. I mean it. You'll be miserable otherwise."

"Whatever you think Mathcamp is, you will be surprise in the best possible way."

"It is one of the best experiences I have ever had. If you come expecting the best, you'll get better."

"Mathcamp was the best way I ever spent five weeks!"

"Mathcamp is like the universe before the Big Bang"
"Mathcamp for me was like spring time for a flower"

"Imagine a place where you can discuss a perfect world that exists only in the mind and where you can play and have fun all day, even make up your own rules, and where everyone you meet loves playing in and learning about this world. That's Mathcamp."

"Mathcamp has opened my mind up to many areas of mathematics, some of which I had never heard of before. I learned that there are people just like me who have always loved math but never gotten a chance to experience it before this summer."

"In terms of cool math, amazing people, and tons of creative ideas, there is no place better than mathcamp."
"Mathcamp has made me realize that being myself and following my passions are the keys to success. Through all the math I've done here, I've realized that it may not be easy, but it will always be worth it."

From Mathcamp 2001

"Mathcamp is paradise for anyone who's seriously interested in mathematics."
"The 5 weeks may seem like a long time, but it flies by too quickly."

"It's got tons of fun, randomness, not just math, music, games, great teachers, new ideas, have adults listen to your ideas..."

"Mathcamp (for those of you who like math) is seriously a paradise. You have great people to meet, games to play, places to go, and things to do. When 100 campers all come back saying they just had the best summer of their life, you know there's got to be something special about this place."

"An amazing chance to feel comfortable sitting around and doing math."

"I've never really enjoyed math, but after coming here I want to teach myself all that there is to know."

"Mathcamp is the best place to spend the summer. The freedom we're given is just spectacular. Its entirely up to you how much time you spend learning and doing other stuff, so its always going to turn out to suit you best."

"The best place a student who loves math could be. It's everything about Mathcamp - the math, the mentors and JCs, the campers. You would never regret for going to Mathcamp. Gain more in math for 5 weeks than 2 years of high school math. And you meet smart people from all over the world and you realize it's not just you, but a whole lot more smarter people than you. Definitely come!"

"Where else is it cooler to analyze a game than to play it?"

"A great place to be introduced to the world of mathematics, even if you've never had much experience. You can learn an incredible variety of subjects from great teachers. The atmosphere itself is worth it."

"At the beginning of Mathcamp, I thought that 5 weeks were a really long time. Now that I sit in the last assembly I think it should be twice as long. There are very few places where you'll find that many intelligent and interesting people."

"An amazing place. It's not just academics. It's the social life. It's the finding of people with similar social interests. It's the atmosphere of mathematical sophistication. And it's a lot of fun."

"If you want to learn 'cool' math with awwesome people and mentors this is THE best place!"

From Mathcamp 1999

Five weeks of the most awesome mathematics guided by the most brilliant mathematicians: that's what Mathcamp is all about. Whether it was friends, teachers, or some combination of the two, the things they taught me and the enthusiasm they exhibited gave me a renewed sense of interest and passion for mathematics. I learned so much in five weeks: from Fourier analysis to projective geometry, Mathcamp has it all!

Mathcamp was definitely the most fun I've ever had, not just because of all the things I learned, but because of all the new people I met. No other place can have that much talent, ability, and knowledge crammed into such a fun, relaxing, enjoyable, yet retrospectively, short, period of time. I would recommend applying early in high school and going back multiple times; there's nothing quite like it, and once you've experienced it, you're hooked.

The environment at a place like Mathcamp is paradise for anyone who has ever enjoyed solving intriguing and difficult math problems. It is especially beneficial to students seeking to qualify for such math contests as the USAMO and IMO. The professors here are experts in teaching advanced high-school students essential concepts for just about any field in mathematics.

During the five weeks of Mathcamp, I made more friends than in the two years since I came to the US [from Russia]. I learned more in those five weeks than in all my classes last year. And I didn't just learn math... I learned about teamwork, about friendship, about many things... I met people who are as interested in math as I am, and who know much more math than I do. I got to call Ph.D.'s by their first names. I got to interrupt teachers in class and be appreciated for it. I got to argue with famous professors, and they didn't assume they were right. Vin [one of the faculty] still tries to teach me to solve the Rubik's cube, all the way from England! Camp gave me the kind of freedom I had never felt before. I will never forget the experience and I will do everything possible (and impossible) to come back next year.

Mathcamp has provided me with tidbits of information that keep showing up in the strangest places. I'm in college now, doing a double major in mathematics and electrical engineering. The funny thing is how I usually have experience with the mathematics involved, even though you wouldn't realize it by looking at the courses I've taken. For instance, the big thing that we do in electrical engineering right now is using phasors... well, I inadvertently got my first taste of that from a problem I did at Mathcamp 98. I never even knew about the binomial theorem, or modular arithmetic, or the pigeon-hole principle, or what constitutes a solid mathematical argument for very many sorts of things, until I went to Mathcamp. Usually I ace the tests that the EE students fail, especially when the questions include the words "show that...." or "prove" -- which aren't as uncommon as one might expect in an engineering course.

Doing a project is an excellent way to get a glimpse into the way more advanced mathematics works. You don't just work on a problem for five minutes and finish it, but instead for weeks, months or even years. The projects give campers a chance to get a feel for working for extended periods of time on one problem.

Mathcamp was the best five weeks of my life. It wasn't just the math, which was incredible. It wasn't just the campers and the teachers, who were awesome. It wasn't just my project, which was cool. It was the whole experience together, along with late-night bridge and hikes and field trips, that made Mathcamp great.

Mathcamp? Who would consider going to a place with that name? Only a loser would go to Mathcamp!" Though this was my initial reaction, I decided to glance through the application I had received by post... I mentioned it to my friends, and was not surprised at their snickering remarks. Who would actually take this "GeekCamp" seriously?

Nonetheless, I attempted the quiz. After much work, I solved a few of the problems -- and experienced a thrill that I hadn't associated with mathematics, certainly not in my high-school classes. I decided that I enjoyed pitting myself against abstruse mathematics, so I submitted my application despite my friends' opinions. The dawning of a personal maturation began here, with me following my own dreams, not those of others. I realized that it did not matter what my friends thought; if I wanted to go to "GeekCamp," I could... Now I am enlightened in the most important concept I will ever learn: that the way to experience life to the fullest is "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

From previous years

These comments were taken from anonymous end-of-camp surveys of Mathcamp students:

All mentors have wide knowledge of the topics they teach, and since they're young, they communicate well with students and they're fun. They made me realize that those people who go to the best schools in the world (MIT, Princeton, Harvard) are people (bone, flesh) like me. I have been inspired." (1997)

"What I really appreciated was the enormous amount of respect given to us by all the mentors and even the top professors. The atmosphere was challenging and the going tough, but the stimulation and motivation provided was useful to me." (1998)

"For the first time in my life I was surrounded by people about my age who wanted to learn for the pure sake of learning... This usually does not happen in my school. People are often interested in just getting the grade." (1998)

"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...." (1998)

"Even if I had the chance to change one thing about Mathcamp, I wouldn't change anything... it was unforgettable." (1998)

"This has been the most amazing summer of my life. I've learned things about areas of math I thought I'd never even touch." (1997)

"There is absolutely _nothing_ I would rather do during my summer than Mathcamp!" (1997)

Click here for more comments from anonymous surveys.