Math Olympiad

[jhschool]

Does anyone have experience

having their high schooler participate in the Math Olympiad?

The American Mathematics Competitions, run by The Mathematical Association of America,

has the following very annoying information on their FAQ. I wonder

if any homeschooler has done this

succesfully (get approved)? Or unsuccessfully (did they deny you?)

I am not sure what they want to

research!

Also, has your child participated in the Math Olympiad or any of the

AMC's math contests? How did you

do it? Did you register with your local public school?

I am putting their FAQ below:

Q. #10. How do we get our organization (home schools, learning centers, testing center, etc.) involved in the AMC contests?

A. #10. We prefer to offer our contest to public schools, a few government accredited private schools, colleges and universities. Before allowing other organizations to register for the contests, we would like to do further research about your academic structure. In order for us to do the required research, please provide American Math Competitions with complete information about your organization, including:

 

Organization Name

Contact Person

Email Address

Complete Address, City, State and Zip

Accreditation

Student Population

Website

Also include any other information helpful in our research.

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for the research to be complete and a decision or determination to be made. You will be contacted by email.

[angela in ohio]

We did the AMC-8 and AMC-10 this past year, and I didn't have to do any of that. :confused: I had to have them tested by a non-relative in a poublic place (friend of the family at the library,) and I had to pay for a minimum group of students (10, I think, so I invited some friends' kids to do it with us.) Annoying, yes, but considering the stakes, I totally get it.

[Belacqua]

Their website can be rather intimidating. The AMC people are actually really nice. :)

 

As Angela said, we just order the exam and have it proctored; we've used the testing center at our local community college, and that's worked out well. You can also ask at your library about proctoring. You definitely don't have to go through a school.

[Kathy in Richmond]

My kids participated extensively in the AMC contests over the years. The AMC folks have traditionally been very friendly to homeschoolers like us.

 

Instead of those directions that you found (which pertain more to 'learning centers' or non-traditional, non-school-based groups of kids), look here for specific homeschool rules for the AMC 10/12 exams or here for the AMC 8.

 

You first have to find an appropriate non-related proctor (we used a retired teacher) and also a public place like a library or church where you have permission to give the exam. Then you need to mail or fax (you can't use the online reg form) your paperwork and fees with this info, including a separate mailing address for the proctor, who will receive the tests directly from the AMC office & mail them back when completed.

 

My kids and I followed the above procedure successfully for many years. We had to assign a name to our homeschool for the AMC office records, and they in turn issued us a CEEB code for use in their contests only. Whenever I had questions, I called their office and always received a helpful response.

 

For the AIME level and higher, my kids wanted to join the local math/science magnet school kids, and that's allowed, too. I had to contact the person in charge of the contests at that school (the AMC folks will give you that info), and they welcomed my kids as visitors for the testing. I suppose that we could have gone there for the AMC 8/10/12, also, but my kids preferred working at a quiet library for those rounds.

 

Good luck! It's a lot of fun and very rewarding.:)

 

ETA: I'd probably call the office first this year just to make sure that the rules haven't changed.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Kathy in Richmond

[snowbeltmom]

My oldest also participates in the Math Olympiad. Unless the rules have changed for this upcoming 2012-2013 school year, the process to register for homeschoolers is very easy.

 

The AMC folks send the tests to our local library. My son then goes to the library and the librarian proctors the exams and sends them back in to the AMC to be scored.

[daijobu]

I agree I found the AMC people to be very annoying regarding homeschoolers. When I called they told me to find a priest to proctor the exam for me. (I suppose I ought to expedite my conversion to Catholicism first?)

 

DD will be participating in AMC8 for the first time this year at a "math circle" at a local university. They have registration open the public as long as the AMC isn't offered at your local school. Or you're a homeschooler.

 

MOEMS is also getting funny about homeschoolers. They have new rules this year about homeschoolers having to take the exam a week after their regular dates. I have additional paperwork to complete. Basically they've lumped homeschoolers with the afterschool math classes that also offer the exams. And their forms are contradictory and confusing.

 

I'm hoping MathCounts is easier.

 

 

Does anyone have experience

having their high schooler participate in the Math Olympiad?

The American Mathematics Competitions, run by The Mathematical Association of America,

has the following very annoying information on their FAQ. I wonder

if any homeschooler has done this

succesfully (get approved)? Or unsuccessfully (did they deny you?)

I am not sure what they want to

research!

Also, has your child participated in the Math Olympiad or any of the

AMC's math contests? How did you

do it? Did you register with your local public school?

 

[snowbeltmom]

 

I'm hoping MathCounts is easier.

 

Mathcounts changed it homeschooling procedures a few years ago. I registered my middle child the first year the changes went into effect. Hopefully it was just my local chapter, but there was a world of difference between how we were treated when my oldest competed vs. how we were treated when my middle child competed.

 

After that experience, we scratched Mathcounts off our list.

 

We don't have any local math circles. My oldest was asked to compete at Penn State this past June, but the mandatory practices prior to the event were close to three hours (one way) away from our house. He had a conflict on the weekend of the event, so the driving distance was a non-issue at the end of the day. I just wish we had more local options, and I have had no luck finding other homeschoolers in my area interested in forming a math circle.

[daijobu]

... there was a world of difference between how we were treated when my oldest competed vs. how we were treated when my middle child competed.

 

I'm so sorry to hear this! Can you elaborate on what had changed?

 

It sounds like hosting your own AMC exam may be the route for you. I've hosted MOEMS and Math Kangaroo exams, and it hasn't been too bad.

 

--Vida

[snowbeltmom]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Can you elaborate on what had changed?

 

It sounds like hosting your own AMC exam may be the route for you. I've hosted MOEMS and Math Kangaroo exams, and it hasn't been too bad.

 

--Vida

I have found the AMC folks very easy to work with, and the librarian at our local library has always proctured the exam for us.

 

Mathcounts is the event that we will not participate in again. For some reason, the attitude at the local level changed drastically the year that the requirements for homeschoolers was modified. After emailing multiple times asking for the time and venue of the event and getting no response from the head of the local chapter, I ended up having to contact another teacher at a neighboring school to get the specifics. I did not understand why I had been deleted from the distribution email list because I had been on it in prior years. I also did not understand why my emails were being ignored - neither my email nor the recepient's email had changed. If this had been all that happened, I would have given the benefit of the doubt and assumed that I had been deleted by mistake, and he was not receiving my emails.

 

A few months after the event, I emailed again and asked if the individual score reports had been mailed (prior years I had received info by this time and I knew that another participant from another school had received his report). I received a terse reply stating that I needed to give them more time to get the results out, and I would receive the information at a later date. I never did receive the info. My son was in 6th grade at the time, and we had no aspirations of him qualifying for states, but part of the fun of the event is seeing how one improves over the years of competing. Now if my son had been adamant about participating the following year, I would have signed him up, but he wasn't, and I didn't feel like giving my money to an organization that for some reason was not treating us the same as the other participants.

We'll just stick with the AMC's from here on out.

[daijobu]

FYI, we've found the people at Math Kangaroo to be very accommodating of homeschoolers, quick to respond to emails, and just nice in general.

 

After that experience, we scratched Mathcounts off our list.

 

 

[angela in ohio]

With MathCounts, it really depends on your local chapter, and you don't know until you try. Our local chapter bent over backwards to make dd feel welcome, though she was the first homeschooler they had seen.

 

The year of the rule change, we were on a "grandfathered" team, but that was the last year for the mom organizing it. I tried to get a team together in our new town, even offering to pay the team fee, but we don't live in a very academic homeschool area (everyone just told me how much their dc hated math. :001_huh:) So instead dd went by herself, though we did visit our local PS's team once or twice so that she would know someone. She ended up knowing a few students from robotics and 4H anyway.

 

No, because of the rule change, she couldn't advance with a team (not that we could have found enough homeschoolers anyway,) but for a strong student that doesn't matter. She advanced to the state contest as an individual, and she was treated well there, too. Actually, by that point, no one even knew she was a homeschooler, because there are so many other individual students testing.

 

The organizer let me take the test with the teachers (a little side contest they have,) but I gave the prize to our local school because it was access online for an entire class. The homeschool mom in me felt pretty validated for dd and I to win (I was 3rd) and show people that homeschoolers can be just as strong in math. :D Most of the teachers had spent the day asking how she had math without a math teacher (nicely, but still...)

 

Anyway, I think after the rule change, local contest organizers were a bit confused. They are often just volunteers trying their best. As the new rules become the norm, they are figuring it out from what I hear.

Edited August 13, 2012 by angela in ohio

[snowbeltmom]

With MathCounts, it really depends on your local chapter, and you don't know until you try. Our local chapter bent over backwards to make dd feel welcome, though she was the first homeschooler they had seen.

This was the case for my oldest as well. Since I also was unable to find any other homeschoolers in my area that wanted to form a team, my son competed as an individual and advanced to the State tournament.

 

After being so welcomed that year, I was very surprised by the complete change in attitude the following year. The volunteers had not changed from the prior year.:confused:

 

I did not lose any sleep over it, but it was annoying having my emails ignored and having to contact another coach to get the time and testing location information.

[Luckymama]

Dd12 wants to take the AMC8 this November. There are no universities or math circles sponsoring it in our area. According to the online data, only 4 schools in the state offer the AMC8.

 

I know I can order a bundle of tests. Do they need to be sent directly to the proctor? How should I go about finding a proctor? I could probably book a room at the local library branch but I don't think a librarian could proctor as the branch is always so busy. Do you offer an honorarium to the proctor?

[angela in ohio]

Dd12 wants to take the AMC8 this November. There are no universities or math circles sponsoring it in our area. According to the online data, only 4 schools in the state offer the AMC8.

 

I know I can order a bundle of tests. Do they need to be sent directly to the proctor? How should I go about finding a proctor? I could probably book a room at the local library branch but I don't think a librarian could proctor as the branch is always so busy. Do you offer an honorarium to the proctor?

 

They need to be sent to the proctor. The parent should never possess the tests.

 

We used a library room, but not a librarian. I had a friend with dc in school proctor for us. I didn't pay her, but I had tutored her son, so it was a bit of trade. I would have been willing to hire someone, though.

[Kathy in Richmond]

They need to be sent to the proctor. The parent should never possess the tests.

 

We used a library room, but not a librarian. I had a friend with dc in school proctor for us. I didn't pay her, but I had tutored her son, so it was a bit of trade. I would have been willing to hire someone, though.

 

 

This is also what we did for the AMCs. Some libraries out there will actually act as proctors, but ours wouldn't do that. We used a retired teacher friend from church, and the exams were mailed directly to her home address. She met us at the local library on the designated day and used one of their quiet study rooms for testing. I gave her an honorarium for her time and trouble, though she never asked for payment.

 

For AiME and above, we joined up with the local high school. I don't think that the kids (or the proctor) would have been comfortable in that tiny library room for 3+ hours.

 

ETA: One year when our favorite proctor was unavailable, the youth minister at our church administered the AMC exam for us in the church office. That was also OK with the AMC folks.

[Luckymama]

Angela and Kathy, thank you very much :)

 

My first step will be to talk to the math chair at my daughter's high school to see if the school would be willing to host the AMC8 as a service to the community. The school already hosts the elementary division Science Olympiad, chemistry for kids day, the spelling bee etc as a way of introducing younger kids to this particular high school-----marketing :lol:

 

If the school cannot host, then I'll book a room at the library, ask around for a proctor, then advertise to the homeschool group.

[fractalgal]

Thanks to all who posted here. :)

[daijobu]

FYI:

 

The MAA just introduced a new feature (long overdue, IMO) on their website that enables you to locate an AMC exam near you:

 

http://amc-reg.maa.org/amc_external/SchoolSearchByZipCode.aspx

 

Hope this helps.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Angela and Kathy, thank you very much :)

 

My first step will be to talk to the math chair at my daughter's high school to see if the school would be willing to host the AMC8 as a service to the community. The school already hosts the elementary division Science Olympiad, chemistry for kids day, the spelling bee etc as a way of introducing younger kids to this particular high school-----marketing :lol:

 

If the school cannot host, then I'll book a room at the library, ask around for a proctor, then advertise to the homeschool group.

 

FWIW, we took it last year at a local learning center the focuses on prepping students for the local math/science magnet schools. Interesting cross cultural experience; these parents were VERY focused on student accomplishments.

[Laura in CA]

FYI:

 

The MAA just introduced a new feature (long overdue, IMO) on their website that enables you to locate an AMC exam near you:

 

http://amc-reg.maa.org/amc_external/SchoolSearchByZipCode.aspx

 

Hope this helps.

 

Wow, this is very useful! Thanks for posting.

 

I've offered the tests myself, but my son does better in a group setting (with, as Sebastian says, 'focused' students!). And as Kathy says, for AIME on up, it's pretty much essential to take the tests at a school. Luckily I have good relations with several local schools that do AMC 10/12 & up, but it's fun poking around that MAA page.