Ivy League Education Center

Spring is the crucial time to prepare for the AMC 8 and Mathcounts!

The period of time between 4th-8th grade is most critical to the development of students’ mathematical fascinations, interests, and skills!

• Two Problems on the 2020 AMC 8 are Exactly the Same as Two Problems on Our Sample 2017 AMC 8 Mock Test
• 2020 AMC 8: 5 students got a perfect score. 49 students got the DHR. 25 students got the HR.
• 2021 Mathcounts: 8 students got into the state-level top 10. Yunyi L. won 9th Place in the 2021 National Competition!
• 2021 AMC/AIME: 91 AIME qualifiers. 3 students received perfect scores on the AMC 10/12.
• 2021 JMO/AMO/MOP: 6 JMO qualifiers. 6 AMO qualifiers. 3 students made the MOP.

Spring Session I (Triangle and Polygon Geometry)
10 Weekends (EASTERN Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm), Total: 20 Hours
1/22,  1/29,  2/5,  2/12,  2/19,  2/26,  3/5,  3/12,  3/19,  3/26

Spring Session II (Circle Geometry and Advanced Topics)
11 Weekends (EASTERN Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm), Total: 22 Hours
4/2,  4/9,  4/16,  4/23,  4/30,  5/7,  5/14,  5/21,  5/28,  6/4,  6/11

Course Outline

Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register and pay

Tuition (including all materials)
Session I:	New Student: $700
	Returning Student: $685
Session II:	New Student: $700
	Returning Student: $685
Session I & Session II:	New Student: $1,375
	Returning Student: $1,355
Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.

You are very welcome to sign up for our online course which offers a quick, efficient way for students to interact with teachers over long distance. We use the Google Meet to video chat and easily connect with students to teach them our tricks and shortcuts to getting an amazing score on their contests, as well as offer them our guidance and support. Students can ask questions face-to-face, and can complete problems with the supervision of our teachers/coaches. Click HERE to see detailed instruction.

A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.

• This is a live class, not a pre-recorded one. Instructors will ask students questions, and students can also ask questions during the class or email their questions to instructors after class.
• We record all of our lessons so that our students can watch them after class for review and self-study.
• We will help students gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental math concepts, build a solid foundation in math, and develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills different from those in the school classes, motivation, and perseverance for reaching their full potential.
• We will focus on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics.
• The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensive problem-solving. Particularly, we will help students use mental math for accurately and quickly solving contest questions in their heads. 
• We will utilize a highly effective teaching model as described in the article: Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model.

Instructors: Dr. Henry Wan

Purpose: To prepare for math competitions, such as

• AMC 8 — Tuesday, January 17, 2023.
• MATHCOUNTS
• Math Kangaroo Contest
• Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS)

Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Specific Goal of the 2023 AMC 8:

To become part of the top 5% of scorers on the AMC 8, and then receive National Honor Roll Certificates.

Specific Goal of the 2022 AMC 10:

To earn a score of 90 or more out of 150 on the AMC 10, and then receive National Achievement Honor Roll Certificates.

Specific Goal of the MathCounts:

To become one of the top winners in the individual competition at the chapter level and then advance to the state competition.

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!

Although the last round of this year’s AMC 8 will be coming at a close on Tuesday, January 18, 2022, we must prepare in advance for the 2023 AMC 8 contest. As the great scientist Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” Those who strive to prepare early, and work hard are the ones who achieve the best results. The AMC is a complex math competition that requires dedication and focus. Therefore, the earlier our students start preparing, the better their scores will be.

Click here to read more!

Description:
Our curriculum focuses on advancing the mathematical skills of 5th-8th graders to prepare them for math competitions, such as AMC 8, AMC 10, Mathcounts, Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS), Math Kangaroo, and Math League. A variety of contest questions, including all past official AMC 8 problems,the first 15 problems on each old AMC 10 tests, and MathCounts Competition problems at the school, chapter, state, and national level, are used to teach students strategies to solve problems and help students prepare for the competitions. These problems stimulate their interest and enthusiasm for critical thinking and problem solving, broaden their mathematical intuition, and develop their brainpower. The topics taught in this class are not covered in regular school math classes, allowing our students to stay one step ahead.

Benefits:

• 21 tutorial handouts (840 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems similar to AMC 8 level from the licensed AMC Database
• 4 FREE mock tests, each of which has 25 questions taken from the licensed AMC Database. Mock tests are calibrated to be at the same difficulty level as the real AMC 8. 
• FREE registration for the AMC 8 Contest on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Please see: The Online AMC 8 Contest at the Ivy League Center on January 17, 2023
• FREE registration for the AMC 10A — Wednesday, November 9, 2021 and AMC 10B — Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Online Contests on November 10, 2022, and November 16, 2022

Grade Levels: Grades 4-8

Class Outline:

This class focuses on efficient tricks, shortcuts, and strategies to solve competitive math problems as well as test-taking tactics. The emphasis of this class will be on comprehensively problem-solving, which is the most important to competitive math. In particular, we will help students use mental math for accurately and quickly solving contest questions in their heads. We reserve the right to adjust the teaching content and pace according to the actual performance of students.

Spring Session I

Spring Session II  (Continuation of Session I)

Homework:

The focus will be on the final 15 problems on the AMC 8, and the first 15 problems on the AMC 10, as well as those Those medium and hard-level difficulty questions on the MathCounts. We will provide students with 500 brand new problems, extracted from the licensed AMC Database, having similar difficulty and style as the hard real AMC 8 problems.

On average, at least 2 hours per week, as described in the article: Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses. Click HERE to see a typical homework sample we developed. Each week, we will carefully review and check 3 students’ homework, and correct any mistakes. The next week, we will check another 3 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 3 students that week, we will provide the those 3 students with individualized proposal and support. More details can be found in the article: Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework.

We have to face the simple truth that to do well on these grueling contests, 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 8 exams (1985-2020),  AMC 10 exams (2000-2021), and MathCounts (1990–2021) form our “big data” system. Based on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning, we devised a data mining and predictive analytics tool for math problem similarity searching. Using this powerful tool, we examined the types, styles, frequencies, characteristics, and traits of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC, and MathCounts. We always completely show all the “secret code” cracked from the above big data to our students, and teach them to totally grasp and “control” the AMC and MathCounts. For all questions on the recent AMC/MathCounts contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC/MathCounts problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the contest is to practice by solving old AMC/MathCounts problems.

Main Purpose:

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.

Our Students

In 2021, we had 6 students qualified for the USAMO and 6 students for the USAJMO. Read more at: 2021 USAMO and USAJMO Qualifiers Announced — Six Students Qualified for the USAMO and Six Students for the USAJMO

In 2021, we had 91 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. Two of our students was among the 17 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12A: Evan L. and Suraj O. and one of our students was among the 27 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Xinchen L. Read more at: 91 Students Qualified for the 2021 AIME and 3 Students Received Perfect Scores on the 2021 AMC 10/12

In 2021, we had 8 students who got into the MathCounts state-level top 10. Yunyi L. won 9th Place in the 2021 MathCounts National Competition!

In 2020, we had 79 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 5 of our students were among the top 57 worldwide winners (Perfect Scorers).
• 49 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 25 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 79 out of our 81 students (97.5%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America.

Read more at: 2020 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Five Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2020, we have 2 students, Isabella Z. and Sameer P., who were among the 61 students selected nationwide to attend. Read more at: Warmest congratulations to Isabella Z. and Sameer P. for being accepted into the Math Olympiad Program!

In 2020, we had 82 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 11 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12A: Yiyang X, and one of our students was among the 13 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Jason W.. 43 middle schoolers and 9 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

In 2019, we had 71 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 8 of our students were among the top 151 National Winners (Perfect Scorers), including 2 sixth graders.
• 36 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers, as shown in Table 2.
• 27 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers, as shown in Table 3.
• 71 out of our 73 students (97.3%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2019 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Eight Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2019, we had 4 Students Qualified for the USAMO and 4 Students for the USJMO.

• Of the 280 USA Math Olympiad national qualifiers, 4 are our students: Luke C., Zipeng L., Sameer P., and Peter P.
• Of the 235 USA Junior Math Olympiad national qualifiers, 4 are our students: Michael H., Noah W., Holden W., and Isabella Z.

Read more at: 2019 USAMO and USAJMO Qualifiers Announced — Four Students Qualified for the USAMO and Four Students for the USAJMO

In 2019, we had 76 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 22 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Noah W. and one of our students were among the 10 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12B: Kenneth W. Very impressively, 32 middle schoolers and 7 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

In 2018, we had 64 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 3 of our students were among the top 44 National Winners (Perfect Scorers): Eric B., Kevin Y., and Isabella Z.
• 40 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 21 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 64 out of our 66 students (96.5%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2018 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Three Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2018, we had 73 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. Two of our students were among the 35 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M. and Jason W.  and two of our students were among the 21 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12B: Kaan D. and Edward W. Remarkably, 11 middle schoolers and 2 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

In 2017, we had 63 students who earned top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 7 of our students were among the top 75 National Winners (Perfect Scorers).
• 34 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 22 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 63 out of our 65 students (97%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2017 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Seven Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2017, we had 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we had 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

2011 – 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

2011 – 2015: In total, 23 students achieved perfect scores of 28 on the AMC 8

Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA’s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national and math competitions.

Great Benefits of Math Competitions

In an increasingly competitive college application pool, the process of mastering math skills through our courses and participating in the American Math Competitions will help students strengthen and diversify their extracurricular activities. These contests can motivate students’ interest and passion in math, and they can discover their talent through solving challenging problems different from those in the school classes. Many top colleges also request AMC scores as part of the college application process. Both MIT and Caltech have entry blanks on their official admission application forms for the applicant to enter their best AMC and AIME scores. Ivy League Colleges and Stanford ask for to the AMC and AIME scores in their Supplement to the Common Application Forms. Your children deserve the chance to list these scores on their applications! Good AMC scores will greatly enhance admission opportunities for students to elite colleges.

Read more at::

• 2020 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Five Students Received Perfect Scores
• Yunyi L. Won the 9th Place in the 2021 Mathcounts National Competition!
• 2020 AMC 8 Honor Roll and Honor Roll of Distinction Cut-off Scores
• 2020 AMC 8 Problem Topics
• Two Problems on the 2020 AMC 8 are Exactly the Same as Two Problems on Our Sample 2017 AMC 8 Mock Test
• 2020 AMC 8 Honor Roll and Distinguished Honor Roll Predicted Cut-off Scores
• 2020 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• 2019 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Eight Students Received Perfect Scores
• 2019 AMC 8 Problems and Answers
• The Hardest Problems on the 2018 AMC 8 are Nearly Identical to Former Problems on the AMC 8, 10, 12, and MathCounts
• 20 Sets of AMC 8 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• AMC 8/10/12/AIME Problems and Answers
• Why are Math Competitions Important to Girls?
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• A Little Competition Can Inspire Math Students to Greater Achievement
• Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model
• Homework Correction is very Important — We Give an Extensive Correction of the Incorrect Answers of All Homework
• Homework assignments are a fundamental part of our courses
• Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems
• How to Solve Mathematics Problems
• 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
• 2016 AMC 8 Results Announced — Eleven Students Received Perfect Scores
• 2015 AMC 8 Results Announced
• 2014 AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• The Importance of Discrete Mathematics

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

Winter is the golden time to develop students’ math skills and to prepare for the American Mathematics Competitions!

Only undertake what you can do in an excellence fashion. There are no prizes for average performance.

• 2020 AMC 8: 5 students got a perfect score. 49 students got the DHR. 25 students got the HR.
• 2021 Mathcounts: 8 students got into the state-level top 10. Yunyi L. won 9th Place in the 2021 National Competition!
• 2021 AMC/AIME: 91 AIME qualifiers. 3 students received perfect scores on the AMC 10/12.
• 2021 JMO/AMO/MOP: 6 JMO qualifiers. 6 AMO qualifiers. 3 students made the MOP.
• The AMC 10/12 Online Contests on November 10, 2021, and November 16, 2021.

Competitive Math Program — Winter Schedule

We record all of our lessons as a big bonus so that our students can watch class videos after class for review and self-study.

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!

Featured Math Instructors

All of our sessions are taught by highly qualified instructors who are excellent experts on preparing students for the exam. We distinguish ourselves by the high quality of our instructors. Finding top-quality instructors is no easy task. We’ve hand-picked some of the best, including graduates of Ivy League institutions.

Our instructors are dedicated to teaching and student success. They are very knowledgeable, patient, available, and willing to help our students. Our students receive a quality education that goes beyond the classroom.

Meet some of them here:

• Chief Math Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan
• Head Math Instructor: Dr. Natasha Khovanova
• Senior Math Instructor: Dr. Irina Kufareva

Our Students

In 2021, we had 6 students qualified for the USAMO and 6 students for the USAJMO. Read more at: 2021 USAMO and USAJMO Qualifiers Announced — Six Students Qualified for the USAMO and Six Students for the USAJMO.

In 2021, we had 91 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. Two of our students was among the 17 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12A: Evan L. and Suraj O. and one of our students was among the 27 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Xinchen L. Read more at: 91 Students Qualified for the 2021 AIME and 3 Students Received Perfect Scores on the 2021 AMC 10/12

In 2021, we had 8 students who got into the MathCounts state-level top 10. Yunyi L. won 9th Place in the 2021 MathCounts National Competition!

In 2020, we had 79 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 5 of our students were among the top 57 worldwide winners (Perfect Scorers).
• 49 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 25 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 79 out of our 81 students (97.5%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America.

Read more at: 2020 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Five Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2020, we have 2 students, Isabella Z. and Sameer P., who were among the 61 students selected nationwide to attend. Read more at: Warmest congratulations to Isabella Z. and Sameer P. for being accepted into the Math Olympiad Program!

In 2020, we had 82 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 11 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12A: Yiyang X, and one of our students was among the 13 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Jason W.. 43 middle schoolers and 9 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

Read more at: 2020 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 82 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2019, we had 71 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 8 of our students were among the top 151 National Winners (Perfect Scorers), including 2 sixth graders.
• 36 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers, as shown in Table 2.
• 27 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers, as shown in Table 3.
• 71 out of our 73 students (97.3%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2019 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Eight Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2019, we had 4 students qualified for the USAMO and 4 Students for the USAJMO.

• Of the 280 USA Math Olympiad national qualifiers, 4 are our students: Luke C., Zipeng L., Sameer P., and Peter P.
• Of the 235 USA Junior Math Olympiad national qualifiers, 4 are our students: Michael H., Noah W., Holden W., and Isabella Z.

Read more at: 2019 USAMO and USAJMO Qualifiers Announced — Four Students Qualified for the USAMO and Four Students for the USAJMO

In 2019, we had 76 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 22 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Noah W.and one of our students were among the 10 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12B: Kenneth W. Very impressively, 32 middle schoolers and 7 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

In 2018, we had 64 students who obtained top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 3 of our students were among the top 44 National Winners (Perfect Scorers): Eric B., Kevin Y., and Isabella Z.
• 40 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 21 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 64 out of our 66 students (96.5%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2018 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Three Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2018, we had 73 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. Two of our students were among the 35 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M. and Jason W.  and two of our students were among the 21 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 12B: Kaan D. and Edward W. Remarkably, 11 middle schoolers and 2 elementary schoolers qualified for the AIME!

In 2017, we had 63 students who earned top scores on the AMC 8 contest!

• 7 of our students were among the top 75 National Winners (Perfect Scorers).
• 34 students received National Distinguished Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 1% test takers.
• 22 students received National Honor Roll Certificates awarded to top 5% test takers.
• 63 out of our 65 students (97%) received National Awards for the AMC 8 from the Mathematical Association of America

Read more at: 2017 AMC 8 Results Just Announced — Seven Students Received Perfect Scores

In 2017, we had 61 students who are qualified to take the AIME either through the AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 28 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Austen M., and two of our students were among the 65 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10B: Ashwin A. and Brad Z. Remarkably, eight middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Very impressively, Bryan Z., a 6th grader, gained a score of 132 out of 150 on the AMC 10B.Read more at: 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME

In 2016, we had 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23 Perfect Scorers worldwide on the AMC 10A: Joel (Junyao) T. Particularly, seven middle schoolers and one elementary schooler qualified for the AIME, which is geared toward high school students. Pravalika P., a 6th grader, got a 115.5 out of 150 on the AMC10B, which is very impressive. Read more at: 2016 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for AIME

2011 – 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

2011 – 2015: In total, 23 students achieved perfect scores of 28 on the AMC 8

Read more at: Notable Achievements of Our Students

Our Uniqueness

We have a long history of close collaboration with the MAA‘s American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), which are dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth, and are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

We are only one in the Washington DC metropolitan area to offer elementary, middle, and high-school level competition math courses. Our students have received top scores and awards at prestigious national math competitions.

Great Benefits of Math Competitions

In an increasingly competitive college application pool, the process of mastering math skills through our courses and participating in the American Math Competitions will help students strengthen and diversify their extracurricular activities. These contests can motivate students’ interest and passion in math, and they can discover their talent through solving challenging problems different from those in the school classes. Many top colleges also request AMC scores as part of the college application process. Both MIT and Caltech have entry blanks on their official admission application forms for the applicant to enter their best AMC and AIME scores. Ivy League Colleges, Caltech, and Stanford ask for to the AMC and AIME scores in their Supplement to the Common Application Forms. Your children deserve the chance to list these scores on their applications! Good AMC scores will greatly enhance admission opportunities for students to elite colleges.

Read more:

• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• The Big Value of Middle School Math Competitions
• A Little Competition can Inspire Students to Greater Achievement
• Why Math Competitions are so Important to Girls?

Contact Information:

Ivy League Education Center
Tel:  301-922-9508     or        240-780-8828
Email:  chiefmathtutor@gmail.com

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

The MAA has indicated that 2021 Fall AMC 10/12 score reports will be released for A and B tests by the end of the year. The AMC 10/12 Cutoffs for AIME Qualification will be announced at the same time.

Below is the response we received from the MAA AMC Office.

1.  Preparing for AMC 12 is NOT much harder than preparing for AMC 10

The additional topics tested on the AMC 12 but not on the AMC 10 are related to precalculus, including logarithms, complex numbers, trigonometry, conics, and advanced three-dimensional coordinate geometry. A student who plans to take AMC 10 has a lighter learning burden of not having to learn these materials. However, this is NOT a good strategy to prepare for AMC 10 due to the following reasons.

(1) These additional materials are very useful in solving AMC 10 problems although they are not directly tested on AMC 10.

For instance, in some AMC 10 geometry problems, it is necessary to add auxiliary lines for facilitating the analysis. But adding auxiliary lines is generally trick and complicated, and is a topic that requires lots of creative thinking to be learned. No student can guarantee that he/she can always find appropriate auxiliary lines to add on the AMC 10 contest in a very limited time. However, many such problems can be easily and quickly solved in a more straightforward manner by using trigonometry without adding any auxiliary line.

Hence, learning additional materials enables a student to own more powerful tools to easily solve some AMC 10 problems that are very challenging without these tools.

(2) These precalculus materials are not hard to learn.

A student can easily learn these materials. Many students find them no different from other branches of mathematics and pick up on them quickly.

Math analysis is the branch of Precalculus that many students find easier to grasp. It feels familiar due to the similarities to algebra.

2. It is easier to qualify for the AIME through AMC 12 Than through AMC 10

(1) The percent of AMC 10 contestants to qualify for the AIME is only half of the percent of AMC 12 contestants.

The curve for the AMC 12 is much more generous. In fact, for AMC 10, invitations for taking the AIME are issued to the top 2.5% of all scorers. For AMC 12, invitations for taking the AIME are issued to the top 5% of all scorers.

(2) The cutoff scores for AMC 10 contestants eligible to qualify for the AIME are approximately 14% to 24% higher than that for AMC 12 contestants.

It is easier to achieve the AMC 12 cutoff scores than the AMC 10 cutoff scores. The AMC 10 and the AMC 12 contests have about 10 to 15 questions in common. Two contests have 40% to 60% overlapping questions, and the difficulty levels of a majority of these questions are easy.

The following are cutoff scores for AIME qualification from 2019 to 2021.

In fall 2022, the AMC 10A and AMC 12A had 12 overlapping questions, and the AMC 10B and AMC 12B had 11 overlapping questions, as shown in The 2021 Fall AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 11 to 12 Questions in Common.

For instance, in 2022 Fall version B tests, the AIME floor for the AMC 10 was 96, 14.3% higher than the floor for AMC 12, 84. Even if the AMC 12 problems are more difficult, the difference in 12 points is just from two problems. To qualify for AIME through the AMC 10, the minimum correct answers needed are 15 to 16. For the AMC 12, however, you only need at least 13 correct answers.

Furthermore, the AMC 12 questions have about at least 9 questions out of the first 15 that are the same as the AMC 10’s and they do not get significantly harder until after Question 16. In fact, the difficulty level of most of these overlapping questions are easy or medium. This entails that beyond correctly answering most of their overlapping questions, a student taking the AMC 12 only needs to correctly answer very few nonoverlapping questions. By contrast, a student taking the AMC 10 needs to correctly answer much more than that.

Hence, it is easier to qualify for the AIME through the AMC 12 than the AMC 10. Even for a student in grades 10 and below, who is familiar with trigonometry and precalculus, it easier to achieve the AIME floor score on the AMC 12 than on the AMC 10.

See more at:

• It Is Easier to Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 Than Through the AMC 10
• The 2021 Fall AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 11 to 12 Questions in Common
• This Year It Was Much Easier to Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12A ThanThrough the AMC 10A 
• AMC 10 versus AMC 12
• Every Student Should Take Both the AMC 10A/12A and 10 B/12B!
• The AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 10-15 Questions in Common
• Students Can Easily Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 During 11th and 12th Grades
• How the AMC contests can help you get into the Ivy League Schools

More details can be found at:

• 365-hour Project to Qualify for the AIME through the AMC 10/12 Contests
• American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10)
• American Mathematics Contest 12 — AMC 12
• Notable Achievements of Our Students
• AMC 10/12 Historical Results

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

Both the AMC 10 and AMC 12 are 25-question, 75-minute multiple choice examinations, with 10-15 questions in common to both contests.

The AMC 10A and AMC 12A are offered on the same day, as well as AMC 10B/AMC 12B. So you can take two AMC’s officially in a year.

In fall 2022, the AMC 10A and AMC 12A had 12 overlapping questions, and the AMC 10B and AMC 12B had 11 overlapping questions, as shown below.

See more at:

• This Year It Was Much Easier to Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12A ThanThrough the AMC 10A 
• Students Can Easily Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 During 11th and 12th Grade
• AMC 10 versus AMC 12
• Every Student Should Take Both the AMC 10A/12A and 10 B/12B!
• The AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 10-15 Questions in Common
• Students Can Easily Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 During 11th and 12th Grades
• How the AMC contests can help you get into the Ivy League Schools

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

The AMC 8 is the first in the AMC series, which also includes AMC 10, AMC 12, and the invitational competitions AIME, USJMO, and USAMO. Therefore, the AMC 8 is a great way for younger students to gain experience with math competitions and develop problem solving skills.

The AMC 8 provides a way for students interested in math to use their knowledge and skills to experience the joy of competiting against others.

The best way to prepare for the AMC 8 is to attend our AMC 8/MathCounts training program. This is a well-developed, comprehensive one-year program designed to cover all the topics tested on the AMC 8 and MathCounts. Students who participate in our training program will have free access to video recordings of every single class. Students who are not able to attend our training program can also purchase our course materials and recordings, including tutorial handouts, recorded videos, detailed solutions of homework problems, and mock tests, to learn all our course content. Starting each January just after the AMC 8 contest, we offer these sessions in order, as shown below.

It is very important to emphasize that in each session, no old material is repeated. Each session contains new, unique material, as well as a brand new comprehensive art of problem solving. We firmly believe that learning should be a long-term process of acquiring new material, information, and knowledge.

We utilize the highly effective small-sized class teaching model, as described in the article “Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model,” to ensure each student can get enough attention and one-on-one time with our instructors. Smaller classes lead to pupils receiving more individual attention from instructors, and having more active interactions with them.

All classes are live and interactive, not a pre-recorded one. Instructors will ask students questions, and students can also ask questions during the class or email their questions to instructors after class. We record all of our lessons so that our students can watch them after class for review and self-study.

We update our course handouts every year based on the latest official AMC 8 problem sets. We use deep learning to conduct an in-depth analysis of the thought processes and problem-design patterns of 16 AMC 8 Test Creators, based on their published mathematics problems and research articles. Using these insights, we develop targeted contest-style problems to effectively train our students. Additionally, we carefully select significant past competition problems crafted by these test makers to illustrate key problem-solving strategies in our classes. Notably, some of these selected problems have appeared on the AMC 8 exam, enabling our students to quickly identify the solutions and effortlessly secure an additional 1 to 3 points.

The easiest way to prepare is to practice solving previous official AMC 8 problems. Click the links below to visit our Practice Page for:

• Archived Exams: A full archive of every year’s AMC 8 exam. Students can take a practice exam that includes the real questions, timing, and scoring of each exam.
• Mock Tests: Practice exams are also available for purchase. Our team developed 35 different sets of AMC 8 mock tests for students to practice with. They are intended to mimic the actual AMC 8 exam with 25 brand new questions all calibrated to be at the same difficulty level and style as the real AMC 8. In particular, they are peer-reviewed by at least two experts in math education outside our center. These simulated tests are extremely helpful for assessing students’ level of preparation for the AMC 8. Our team also devised detailed solutions to all 25 problems on our 35 sets of AMC 8 mock tests.  All these mock tests and their detailed solutions are a golden fountain of knowledge for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries. Surprisingly, some problems in our previous mock tests appeared in the recent official AMC 8 tests, as shown at:
  • Problem 23 on the 2023 AMC 8 is Exactly the Same as a Problem on Our 2022 AMC 8 Mock Test
  • Two Problems on the 2020 AMC 8 are Exactly the Same as Two Problems on Our Sample 2017 AMC 8 Mock Test

Read more at:

• Some Hard Problems on the 2023 AMC 8 are Exactly the Same as Those in Other Previous Competitions
• The Hardest Problems on the 2018 AMC 8 are Nearly Identical to Former Problems on the AMC 8, 10, 12, and MathCounts
• The Hardest Problems on the 2017 AMC 8 are Extremely Similar to Previous Problems on the AMC 8, 10, 12, Kangaroo, and MathCounts
• Some Hard Problems on the 2016 AMC 8 are Exactly the Same as Previous Problems on the AMC 10/12 and the Other Competitions

The American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) began in 1985. The AMC 8 is the most rigorous nationwide mathematics competition at the middle school level, dedicated to strengthening the mathematical capabilities of our nation’s youth. The AMC 8 provides an opportunity for middle school students to develop their problem-solving, analytical thinking and mathematical skills in a way that can benefit their future careers. Students apply classroom skills to problem-solve unique challenges in a low-stress and friendly environment that fosters their love for learning and math.

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple-choice contest for any student grades 8 and below. It is run by the Mathematical Association of America. A correct answer scores 1 point and an incorrect or blank answer receives neither gain nor penalty. Hence, a score of 25 is considered perfect.

Grade Level: The AMC 8 is designed for middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Highly motivated 4th and 5th grade students are encouraged to participate as well.

National Awards:

• Certificate of Distinction — is given to all students who receive a perfect score.
• Distinguished Honor Roll (top 1%). In 2014, this was 22-25 correct out of 25 problems.
• Honor Roll (top 2-5%). In 2014, this was 17-21 correct out of 25 problems.
• Student Achievement Roll (6th grade and below placing in the top 10%). In 2014, this was 15-25 correct out of 25 problems.

Challenge Level: Problems progress from relatively easy to very challenging. Middle school students of all abilities who enjoy math problem solving are encouraged to participate.

You can visit the official MAA AMC 8 page by clicking here.

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.

More articles about math competitions:

• Why Discrete Math Is Very Important
• Great Benefits of Math Competitions
• American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10)
• A little competition can inspire math students to greater achievement
• Chief Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan
• Notable Achievements of Our Students
• AMC 8 Winners for the U.S. Ivy League Education Center
• 数学竞赛绝非神秘，每个学生都可参加！
• 女生更应参加数学竞赛

One of the smartest and most compelling shorts around, ALTERNATIVE MATH, a 9-minute American piece directed by David Maddox, is a deeply layered and remarkably sophisticated pieces of intelligent comedy. Alternative Math went on to have a successful film festival run, winning awards such as Best in Show for Shorts at the 2017 Austin Revolution Film Festival. Highly recommend.

Our heroine is a veteran grade school teacher trying to explain to her student that 2+2=4. The child however, believes the answer is 22. So do his parents. How dare this teacher censor their child and restrict his learning. What kind of professional does this? The child’s parents are out for blood and soon our heroine is trapped in a vicious media onslaught and a school board demanding her resignation.

What makes this film so special is that it functions on so many layers. It works comically due to it’s wonderfully executed reducto-absurdum, but just a little bit deeper we find an allegory for our modern world carrying a concerning warning. What happens when beliefs are taken too such a degree that basic knowledge is questioned? What happens to a population when the right to free speech becomes more important than the recognition of fact? There is a frightening undertone in ALTERNATIVE MATH that speaks to a greater and more terrible world lurking in a reality not too far away from our own.

Of course, this allegory is one that comes gift-wrapped clearly and politely in the bow comedy for an audience can unwrap it with glee, not fear. Perhaps this is one of the best reasons to see ALTERNATIVE MATH, a film with heart, humanity and humor, as well as deeper philosophical undertones. A family film to be enjoyed by teacher and student alike.

这部短片极其荒诞，一个小学生的关于2+2的数学计算，竟然引起整个社会的骚乱，这部短片其实反映了美国的教育现状，类似的事不久前还在美国真实发生过。

之前美国的“黑命贵”运动不是闹得轰轰烈烈嘛，临近期末考试了，就有人给大学教授写信，说黑人兄弟最近不好过啊，整天忙着搞0元购，你看是不是批改试卷的时候，高抬贵手，给黑哥们降低一点难度，体现一下学校的人文关怀呀？

教授就回信说：第一，这学期上的是网课，我这里只有名单没有照片，我怎么知道谁是黑的谁是白的？第二，我要是给黑学生降低了难度，那是不是就对白人、亚裔不公平呢？马丁路德金曾说过：不以肤色论英雄。你们觉得他说的对吗？

听起来有理有据，有理有节，对不对？

可最后这位教授还是被下课了，超过20000名学生联名上书，认为他对黑兄弟不够友善。教授除了回家吃自己，还能干啥？

连马丁老爷子的话都不好使了，这说明美国人争的其实并不是什么公道和大义，就是自己那点蝇头小利。

美国的快乐教育，在未来还会带来更大的麻烦。

美国人必须从基础教育抓起，别再用2+2=22糊弄学生了，真要改，绝不是一朝一夕的事情。

The 2021 AMC 10B/12B (Fall Contest) will be held on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. We posted the 2021 AMC 10A (Fall Contest) Problems and Answers, and 2021 AMC 12A (Fall Contest) Problems and Answers at 8:00 a.m. on November 17, 2021. Your attention would be very much appreciated.

• 2021 AMC 10B Fall Contest Problems and Answers
• 2021 AMC 12B Fall Contest Problems and Answers
• 20 Sets of AMC 10 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• 20 Sets of AMC 12 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions

More details can be found at:

• 365-hour Project to Qualify for the AIME through the AMC 10/12 Contests
• AMC 10 versus AMC 12
• American Mathematics Contest 10 (AMC 10)
• American Mathematics Contest 12 — AMC 12
• Notable Achievements of Our Students
• AMC 10/12 Historical Results
• The AMC 10 and AMC 12 Have 10-15 Questions in Common
• Some Problems on the 2016 AMC 10/12 are Exactly the Same as Previous AMC/ARML Problems
• Every Student Should Take Both the AMC 10A/12A and 10 B/12B!
• Students Can Easily Qualify for the AIME Through the AMC 12 During 11th and 12th Grade

Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!

Click HERE to find out more about SAT Prep!

The 2021 AMC 10A/12A (Fall Contest) will be held on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. We posted the 2021 AMC 10A (Fall Contest) Problems and Answers, and 2021 AMC 12A (Fall Contest) Problems and Answers at 8:00 a.m. on November 11, 2021. Your attention would be very much appreciated.

• 2021 AMC 10A Fall Contest Problems and Answers
• 2021 AMC 12A Fall Contest Problems and Answers
• 2021-2022 Winter – Competitive Math Courses
• 20 Sets of AMC 10 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions
• 20 Sets of AMC 12 Mock Test with Detailed Solutions

Continue reading →

■□节目简介■□ 本片从数学与人的关系出发，介绍数学作为最基础学科对于人类文明进程的意义。通过现实生活中数学的体现，如计时、建筑、音乐、天气预报等，介绍数学的应用。同时，通过对数学家的访谈，了解这些“被数学选中的人”是如何看待数学、看待科学演进的。

第1集 EP1 提起数学 你会想到什么？加减乘除 几何高数 还是上学时“被支配的恐惧”？

本期内容：数学是我们生命中最抽象又最实用的一门学科，几乎所有学科都是在数学的指导下实现和演进的。总有一些人，他们对数学有着天生的敏感，始终被数学眷顾，正是因为他们的存在，如此艰深抽象的数学，才能孤傲的站立在科学的潮头，我们把他们称为“被数学选中的人”。

第2集 EP2 数学家是如何工作的？他们经常研究与生活无关的东西到底有什么用呢？

本期内容：一个新的数学成果被创造出来，很难在短时间内被转化为财富，谁也不知道哪一个数学理论会在什么时候成为主角。“哥德巴赫猜想”至今也没有被派上用场，他所关心的整数的各种性质，数学家们已经为此研究了2000多年，直到上世纪70年代，其中的某些理论才第一次被转化为具体的应用。

第3集 EP3 《蒙娜丽莎的微笑》为什么这么美？其实这正和数学的黄金分割有关

本期内容：数学很重要，这是一个普遍的共识。科技进步需要大量的数学人才，从概率学角度来看，想要让更多的人才脱颖而出，加大数学教育的人口基数，是最有效的方法，于是数学成为了全世界每一个孩子的必修课。

第4集 EP4 普通人距离数学家有多遥远？抽象思维是与生俱来的吗？

本期内容：数学之美，似乎只有少数人才能感受，但其实不管你是否是那个被数学选中的人，数学之美都在潜移默化地影响、改变、塑造着你。数学存在的意义，从来不是成为一件艺术品，而是作为一种人类智慧指引我们前行的方向。如果被数学选中的人是一个集合的话，它与人类这个集合应该是一样大的。