Linear Algebra and Multivariable As a Senior

[collegealum314]

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I curious how taking upper division [real analysis, abstract algebra, etc.] math classes at a respected but not elite university compares to say USAMO qualification. There are a number of people I know like sbjdorlo’s kid who don’t focus on math competitions but take quite advanced math classes. At least in my opinion, taking the upper division math classes seems like a better use of time than learning whatever exotic inequalities and esoteric Euclidean geometry theorems that help on the AIME and USAMO.

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<p>It probably depends on the college. For HYP, they care about the contests a lot more. For Caltech, doing well in abstract algebra will really help your application. For MIT, I’m really not sure, might be a toss-up.</p>