The key piece is zitsfleysh.
Get all those AoPS books and really work through them.
Every page. Every problem. Every day.
No online programs necessary.
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I have taken a note, thank you! Do you know how their math team is as far as competitions?
I agree! Zitsfleysh is not a problem at all, but going through those books is. There is not much consistency with all the other activities going on. Which books would you speciifically recommend?
Well, you asked what it takes.
And this is what it takes.
There are no shortcuts.
All of them.
Subject-specific textbooks to really master the material (all other American middle & high school math textbooks are a waste of paper - end of story), and competition series (Vol. 1 and 2) for contest preparation.
Regarding JHU CTY â centuries ago (son is now 34 years old --), he took Reasoning, Logic and Formal Proof. Loved it and did really well. I have no idea if itâs still offered. It was an excellent course that was more logic than actual math.
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Iâm sorry, I donât know that. It would be something you could ask admissions.
I did find this link to their math team club, which meets on Fridays.
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Totally different direction⊠Does she play chess? Many high end chess kids are very high end math kids. Lots of math in Chess if taught correctly and great for analytic skills. Different way to use the math brain. Many chess camps out there at all levels.
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I agree. The AoPS books are exceptionally good.
Well, without going that far, let me just say that the AoPs books are far better than any middle school or high school math textbook I have seen. Itâs amazing to think that most of the AoPS books were written by just one person.
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Thank you for looking that up!
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I think this is an important point. While there clearly is a difference in skill among the very top math students, meaning that #1 has a very different level of skill than #100, I donât know a single person among the top few hundred that is not intensely focused. In that way, excellence in math is no difference than excellence in sports.
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A little bit of caution here.
Itâs absolutely fine to play some chess if she enjoys it, and it certainly helps with visualization, which is closely related to math fields like geometry and topology. And I have certainly seen cases where most capable math students are semi-decent chess player. One example that fits this well is David Stoner, who won an IMO Gold and was good but not great at chess.
But chess can be a huge time sucking machine in itself. One danger is if she decides she wants to excel in both, which likely means she will not reach her full potential in either.
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Maybe but just a different way to use the math brain. Chess.Com and she could do it online. Many donât realize how mathy chess can be. But just a suggestion
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If you end up applying to Stanford OHS, feel free to DM me. One of my kids attended there for 10-12 grade and Iâd be happy to answer any questions, especially since their application deadline is next week.
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Itâs not about shortcuts. She is 11 years old and based on the past results seems to have potential. But I do not know how to give her that extra hand of help. She is beyond my level of math. Maybe there are trainings, coaches, and camps out there. Maybe she needs that peer group that will help make even those long hours seem fun and share the same passion.
Where is the impetus for acceleration coming from- the kid or the parents?
My kid was NOT in the top math level in 6, 7 and 8th grade. He did CTY for all the years he was eligible (inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, game theory were his favorites-- we didnât seek or try to get credit for any of these classes) but was not the top math kid in the school by any means. CTY was a fabulous experience- socially, intellectually, the right amount of independence for a kid who hadnât wanted to go to sleepaway camp.
None of the âtop math kidsâ went on to do math. Most continued to be accelerated in math in HS, and one majored in bio in college (so clearly a STEM kid) but the rest? Nothing math related.
My kid studied math at MIT-- not to brag, but to to show you that math kids burn out just like other âearly talentâ kids burn out. He always loved math, pursued extra math at his own pace (mostly CTY, also did math club in HS which was a very low key problem-solving/logic, non-competitive group which was run by a teacher he loved. They played a LOT of poker as well.)
If you are aiming for the top ANYTHING with a 7th grade kid-- make sure the kid is on board with your planning. The world isnât running out of math, and just to take MIT as one example- among the math majors my kid was close to, there were students who had been heavily involved in math competitions, kids who were âtop math studentâ in various countries and had the medals to prove it, and kids like mine who were good at math and just loved math- period full stop.
You donât want to hold your kid back- but you donât want them to burn out on something they love because their passion has now become a competition and their genuine love is now another race they need to win. So just make sure the âhelp reach that 0.1% of kids who qualify USAJMOâ is something your KID wants, not something YOU want.
My kid is REALLY good at poker, btwâŠ
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My elder kid always excelled at math but was never interested in competitive math and we never insisted either. These kids are a mix, they are definitely driven in their own areas but not all of them are in competitive math.
For kids qualifying for USAJMO, it has to be early talent or else it is nearly impossible to pull it off in a year or two. There are always exceptions. To excel in such well-recognized competitions, there are years of dedicated hard work and planning needed.
Parentsâ guidance is important, especially at this stage when they are not even in HS. I need to do my due diligence on what is good for her and guide her on that path. Not saying that she needs to research Knot theory but she seems to love what she is doing so far. But coming from states that are not competitive, where there is no motivated team, it is much harder without the resources.
She definitely has the drive enough to get her where she is. Itâs that gap which as a parent I would love to help with the help of some experienced parents here. Parents asking for guidance are not always the parents looking for acceleration, it could be that they recognize the potential and want to give a helping hand to an 11-year-old. Very similar to parents looking for good soccer coaches or finding out the best clubs/teams in town to play with. Only looking for GUIDANCE from EXPERIENCED parents and I believe that does not harm.
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Some one upstream mentioned a program that also had social connections. Iâm not a math parent or a math whiz. But I had a musician who showed promise at a very early age. I wanted things that would nurture his talent and love for music, but I also wanted him to be a 9, 10, 11, 12 and so on year old. So I was always looking for opportunities that had a strong age appropriate social component as well.
They are out there for math too, I am sure.
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True! And exactly my point. Looking out for opportunities does not mean the kid is any less driven. Kids will not come to CC Parents forum to ask for help, they will go to AOPS forums.
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My daughter did a few years at CTY summer camp and I thought the greatest benefit was the friendships made with other academically intense STEM girls her age.
As far as specific summer camps, I have heard great things about the number theory class. My daughter was going to do it but Covid hit. She ended up doing a CTY live class on pure math. Liked it a lot.
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