Purpose: To prepare for math competitions, such as
- AMC 10A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and AMC 10B— Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
- MATHCOUNTS
- Math Kangaroo Contest — Thursday, March 15, 2018
- Math League — February 20, 2017 and February 27, 2017
- Math Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS)
- Continental Mathematics League (CML)
Winter 2017-2018 Schedule
9 Weekends (Eastern Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm), Total: 18 Hours
12/2, 12/9, 12/16 (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
1/6, 1/13, 1/20 (Monthly Mock Test/Review)
1/27, 2/3, 2/10 (Final Mock Test/Review)
- 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, which is very common in competitive math, but is not included in school curriculum.
- We will utilize a highly effective teaching model as described in the article: Small-sized Class Instruction-focused Model.
Instructor: Dr. Henry Wan
Online Registration is now open! Click HERE to register.
A commitment to the whole course can maximize the benefit of learning all the math ideas, methods, strategies, tactics, skills, and techniques.
Tuition: $630 (including all materials). We offer discounts of $20 for returning students.
Click HERE to see payment and refund policy.
Location: 18206 Endora Cir, Germantown, MD 20841
Contact Information:
Ivy League Education Center
Tel: 301-922-9508 Email: chiefmathtutor@gmail.com
Specific Goal of the AMC 10:
To earn a score of 90 or more out of 150 on the 2018 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!
Description:
Our curriculum focuses on advancing the mathematical skills of rising 5th-8th graders to prepare them for AMC 10 and MathCounts. A variety of contest questions, including the first 15 problems on the AMC 10, 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 and creative 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:
-
- 9 tutorial handouts (200 pages) developed by Dr. Henry Wan and 500 new problems at the AMC 10 level taken from the licensed AMC Database
- 40 past real MathCounts test booklets at the school, chapter, state, and national level from 2010–2017
- 3 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 10.
- FREE registration for the AMC 10/12 A — Tuesday, February 7, 2018 and/or AMC 10/12 B — Wednesday, February 15, 2018. Please see: The AMC 10/12 Contests at Montgomery College on February 7, 2018, and February 15, 2018
Read more at:
- 2017 AMC 10A Problems and Answers
- 2017 AMC 10B Problems and Answers
- 2017 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 61 Students Qualified for the AIME
- 365-hour Project to Qualify for the AIME through the AMC 10/12 Contests
- 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
- Why are Math Competitions Important to Girls?
- 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 AIME Qualifiers Announced — 36 Students Qualified for the AIME
- 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
- Why Discrete Math is very Important
Class Outline:
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 comprehensively problem-solving which is the most important to competitive math.
| Class | Date | Topic |
| 1 | 12/2, Sat | Problem solving in algebra equations and Vieta’s formulas |
| 2 | 12/9, Sat | Newly defined functions and operations |
| 3 | 12/16, Sat | Finding the hundreds, tens, and units digits of a number |
| 4 | 1/6, Sat | Special Factoring Trick –– Completing the Rectangle |
| 5 | 1/13, Sat | Pythagorean Theorem and special right triangles (30o-60o-90o triangles, 45o-45o-90otriangles) |
| 6 | 1/20, Sat | Using the ruler, protractor, and compass to solve geometry problems (See for more details: Optimal Strategies to Solve Hard AMC Geometry Problems) |
| 7 | 1/27, Sat | Efficient strategies for testing primality |
| 8 | 2/3, Sat | Number bases, modular arithmetic, integer divisions, integer equations, and Diophantine equations |
| 9 | 2/10, Sat | Using the stars and bars method to solve AMC problems associated with number theory, counting, combinatorics, and probability |
Mock Test:
Three simulated tests will help students assess their level of preparation for the Math Competitions. The test consists of 25 questions at the AMC 10 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.
Homework
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 10 exams (2000-2017) and MathCounts (1990–2017) form our “big data” system. We used data mining and predictive analytics to examine the types, styles, and frequencies of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC and MathCounts. 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 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 2017, we have 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 Scorersworldwide 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 have 36 students who are qualified to take AIME either through AMC 10A/12A or AMC 10B/12B. One of our students was among the 23Perfect 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
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 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. We have collected 116 full-length real AMC 10/12 problems sets containing 2,960 problems, as described in the article “116 Full-length Real AMC Problems Sets are a Golden Resource to Our AMC 10/12 Prep Program.” Particularly, we have extracted additional 3,000 brand new problems at the level of the AMC 10/12, from the licensed AMC Database. In addition, we have also collected all AMC8/10/12 and AIME Official Solutions as shown in the article “American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) Materials.” All these materials have formed a golden resource for our students, who are the ultimate beneficiaries.
Click HERE find out more about Math Competitions!
All problems from past AJHSME exams (1985-1998) and AMC 8 (1999–2016) form our “big data” system. We used data/text mining and predictive analytics to examine the types, styles, frequencies, and characteristics of questions in all these materials, and then completely “decoded” the AMC 8. For all questions on the recent AMC 8 contests, we can find their “ancestors” and “roots” from the old AMC problems. Therefore, the best way to prepare for the AMC 8 is to practice by solving old AMC problems!
This year’s AMC 8 has a similar difficulty level as last year’s AMC 8; however, it was much more difficult than the AMC 8 of the years before 2015. Because the AMC 8 problems are getting harder, we must practice not only previous AMC 8 problems but also easy or medium difficulty level problems from previous AMC 10 to do well on the AMC 8.
Ivy League Education Center 