Instructors:
8 Weekends (Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm), Total: 20 Hours
- 1/10
- 1/17
- 1/24
- 1/31 (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
- 2/7
- 2/14
- 2/21
- 2/28 (Final Mock Exam/Review)
Tuition: $800 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $30 for returning students.
Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.
Click HERE to view our Tuition Payment-Refund Policy.
A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.
Locations:
13902 Bromfield Road, Germantown, MD 20874
18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841
Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel: 301-922-9508 or 240-780-8828
Email: chiefmathtutor@gmail.com
Purpose: To prepare for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 2, 2016 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 17, 2016.
Specific Goal: To earn a score of 120 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10), or a score of 100 or more out of 150 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12), and then qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), which is used to determine qualification for the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). See for more details: Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems
There are many math competitions in the United States. Of those, only AMC → AIME → USAMO sequence would take you to the IMO (International Math Olympiad), the highest level math competition for high school students in the world.
Who should take this class: This class is very appropriate for 7th-12th grade students who are hoping to qualify for the AIME.
Mock Tests: Two simulated tests help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. The test consists of 25 questions similar to AMC 10/12 level from the licensed AMC Database, and is intended to mimic an actual math competition exam. After attempting the test, students get answers, explanations, and a detailed score report and wise performance summary.
Weekly Homework: At least 3 hours per week. Each week, we will carefully review and check 2 students’ homework, and correct any mistakes. The next week, we will check another 2 students’ homework, and this will continue on a rotational basis until all students have had their homework checked at least once and the cycle will start again. Based on the work of the 2 students that week, we will provide the those 2 students with individualized proposal and support.
The only way to learn mathematics is by doing mathematics. Homework assignments are a fundamental part of a mathematics course. Homework is also seen as a welcome challenge and an opportunity for further learning. Homework given prior to a lesson can aid in understanding later during class. Homework also provides opportunities for reinforcement of the material learned in class.
We have to face the simple truth that to do well on this grueling contest, we will need to practice. Just like it is for sports and music, the key to success is repetition and practice. We strongly believe in effort and the malleability of intelligence. Intelligence can be enhanced through effort. People can develop impressive levels of expertise through hard work and practice. Effort and persistence are the keys to success. Hard work always pays off. Practice makes perfect!
All problems from past AMC 10/12 exams (2000-2015) and AHSME (1973–1999) form our “big data” system. The AHSME (American High School Mathematics Examination) was the former name of the AMC, before 2000. We have used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types and the frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC 10/12. We will show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC. For all questions on the recent AMC contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC problems.
Our Students
From 2011 to 2015, in total, 37 students scored above 120 on the American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 26 students scored above 100 on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12) and qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME); 3 students qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), the highest level of math competition for high school students in the USA.
Read more:
Notable Achievements of Our Students
2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center (2014)
Small-sized Class Teaching Model: We utilize the highly effective small-sized class teaching model. Smaller classes lead to pupils receiving more individual attention from teachers, and having more active interactions with them. We focus on every individual, not the whole class. Students will thrive from the smaller class sizes that allow them to reach their full potential. Particularly, students can benefit tremendously from high-frequent individualized student-teacher interactions leading to establishment of a stronger foundation for lifelong learning.
Benefits:
- 8 tutorial handouts (>160 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 400 new problems similar to AMC 10/12 level from the licensed AMC Database
- 2 FREE mock tests, each of which has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database
- FREE registration for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 2, 2016 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 17, 2016. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contest at Montgomery College on February 2, and February 17, 2016
Course Description:
This course is designed to extend skills in problem solving and critical thinking, to foster mathematical creativity, and to introduce the fundamentals of proof. Students learn to think at an advanced level as they tackle challenging problems.
Topics addressed in this course will draw from: number theory, set theory, algebra, geometry, combinatorics, graph theory, and probability. The class will also discuss problems from all past AMC 10/12 exams (2000-2015), as well as efficient strategies for taking the test.
Each week, students explore a different math topic or problem-solving strategy in depth, and practice both non-routine and contest problems. In tackling non-routine problems whose solutions are not immediate, students are encouraged to approach problems from different angles. Additionally, they will learn to create inductive and deductive proofs, with a focus on the proper use of notation and terminology and precision in their writing. Our classroom provides interactive and team-building experiences for students.
Each topic covered in the course is independent of the other topics. Students will not necessarily start with “Topic 1” in their first week of enrollment.
Class Outline:
In AMC 10/12 Prep Class, we will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve AMC problems as well as test-taking tactics.
AMC 10/12 Prep Class
| Class | Date | Topic | Homework | Tutorial Handouts |
| 1 | 1/10, Sun | Using the ruler, protractor, and compass to solve AMC geometry problems (See for more details: Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems) | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on geometry, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 2 | 1/17, Sun | Tricks and shortcuts for solving AMC counting and combinatorics problems | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on counting and combinatorics, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 3 | 1/24, Sun | Number bases, modular arithmetic, integer divisions, and linear congruences at the heart of a great many AMC problems | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on number theory, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 4 | 1/31, Sun | The art and craft for solving AMC statistics and probability problems | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on statistics and probability, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 5 | 2/7, Sun | Efficient strategies for testing primality to solve AMC problems | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on arithmetic, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 6 | 2/14, Sun | Problem solving in algebra equation, inequalities, polynomials, rationals, and quadratics | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on algebra and functions, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 7 | 2/21, Sun | Sophisticated and elegant strategies and tactics to solve sequences and series problems in the AMC | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on sequences and series, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
| 8 | 2/28, Sun | Arts and tricks to solve AMC problems related to circles, polygons, coordinates and graphs, and three-dimensional geometry | AMC 10/12 Problem Set on three-dimensional geometry, Plus some new problems with a similar difficulty level from the licensed AMC Database | Yes |
Our main purpose is to help our students gain deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are so valuable to success in any career. We are big believers in the FUNDAMENTALS! Our students will receive the LIFELONG BENEFITS from learning math.
Regardless of his/her math level, each student will have the opportunity to learn math in a fun, friendly, cooperative, supportive learning environment. The most important thing is to have fun.
We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our tutoring model is very unique. We ask that all students complete all the required problems at home, and then email their work to us before come to the class. We will carefully review and check the students’ work. Based on their work, we can detect what are the student’s specific weaknesses and use those problems in class to teach the students all the tricks, shortcuts, strategies, and tactics for taking the contest. The entire two hours are used for instructional teaching only. We firmly believe that learning is extremely important, and that a student should not waste time doing problems with our supervision if they can do those problems at home. So our 2-hour session is equivalent to a regular 4-hour session, and thus our hourly rate is equivalent to $20 per hour.
Read more:
- 2016 Winter – Competitive Math Prep
- American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials
- Great Benefits of Math Competitions
- The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
- A little competition can inspire math students to greater achievement
- Chief Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan
- American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10)
- AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
- Premier National Mathematics Competition — AMC 8
- Why Discrete Math Is Very Important
- Mathematics competitions are NOT mysterious, and every student can attend them! — 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
- Girls should attend math competitions — 女生更应参加数学竞赛
Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!
Ivy League Education Center 
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