About the Mathcamp Application Process

• What is the deadline for applications to Mathcamp 2010? Are applications considered on a rolling or equal basis?
  The deadline for 2010 applications is April 27, 2010. All applications received by April 27 will receive equal consideration.
• How and when do you announce your admissions decisions? What about scholarships?
  We begin reviewing applications immediately after the deadline (April 27) and make our first offers of admission in mid May. At the same time, we put candidates on the waitlist and notify students who have not qualified for this year's program. All decisions are announced via email; please add admissions10 at mathcamp dot org to your address book as a non-spam address to be sure to receive our emails. The admissions process is need-blind; after we announce our admissions decisions, we will review scholarship applications from all admitted students.
• I'm on the waitlist. When will I find out?
  We invite students to attend Mathcamp off the waitlist one by one, as space becomes available. The waitlist is unordered, and we cannot tell you how high you are on the list: choosing the next student admitted depends on lots of factors, including overall composition of the camp. We will let everybody know no later than the first week in June. Thank you for your patience!
• What if I need an early decision?
  We understand that some applicants may have other deadlines coming up. If you need an early decision, you can email us and ask us to look at your application early. If it's clear that we will or will not admit you this year, then we'll get back to you right away. If your application is borderline, then we'll need to see it in context of the rest of this year's applicants, and we'll write back to you and say "We can't give you a decision until mid May." and offer you the option to withdraw your application (if you wish to make other summer plans, e.g.). Please specifiy in your email why you need an early decision and by what date.
• What about late applications?
  Late applications will be considered on a rolling basis, space permitting. That is: after we have reviewed on-time applications, if the camp is not yet full, late applications will be considered in the order in which they are received. (Typically, late applicants who qualify will be put on the waiting list.) Late applicants will still be eligible for financial aid.
• How many problems from the Qualifying Quiz do I need to answer?
  Most students who are admitted have given at least partially correct solutions to at least half the problems on the quiz. This does not mean that once you're done with four or five problems, you should stop working! Not only is there a danger that some of your solutions may be incorrect, but, more importantly, the Qualifying Quiz is your chance to show us that you are really serious in your desire to explore new mathematics, and are willing to think hard about challenging topics. In general, it is not only your score that matters: if you love math and if this shows through in your application, then you have a good chance of being admitted regardless of your score on the Quiz.
• I was admitted to Mathcamp in a previous year, but did not attend. Do I have to reapply?
  Yes, you do need to reapply. (We will ask in your application whether or not you have applied in the past; further, we suggest that you mention your earlier admission in your personal statement, just to jog our memories.) If your admission was recent (last year), then you may contact us and request to re-use your letters of recommendation from 2009.
• I attended Mathcamp last year, and I want to come back again this year. Do I have to reapply?
  Except in unusual circumstances, if you have attended Mathcamp before, you are automatically welcome to return to the camp in future years. See the alumni page for more information.