Math Contest

Solve math problems to win a scholarship and prize money

Please check back for details about the 2025 contest.

This contest is an opportunity for teachers to supplement their lesson plans and provide students with creative and competitive outlets. Students study patterns, analyze relationships, draft and refine their solutions, and submit their work.

Prizes are:

  • First place (one winner): $300 and a full four-year academic tuition scholarship
  • Second Place (up to five winners): $150 each and a $2,500 per year scholarship for four years
  • Third Place: (up to ten winners): $100 each and a $2,500 per year scholarship for four years

In order to receive the scholarship, the winner must be directly admitted to the School of Science and be a full-time major in any discipline within the School of Science.

Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 per year will be awarded to the remaining cash prize winners who are directly admitted to the School of Science and attend full time. These scholarships are renewable for four years, given satisfactory academic performance. Winners may receive only one scholarship from the School of Science for winning the contest, but are still eligible for other campus-based scholarships.

2024 contest

Find information about last year's contest.

View the 2024 contest materials »

How the contest works

The contest begins in January each year and solutions must be submitted by mid-March.

Questions are meant to be difficult, often requiring several attempts. However, they can be solved using high school math problem solving skills. Each year, there is also an essay question on contest’s theme.

Students do not need to complete every question to compete. In fact, two or three elegant solutions often results in a winning entry.

Students work on the questions independently (for individual competition) and in groups (for team competition). Faculty and graduate students volunteer over 20 hours to judge all entries based on the following criteria:

  • A student's method of finding the solution
  • Correctness of solution
  • Elegance of solution. 

Winners and participants are invited to campus for the award ceremony in mid-April. More information will be provided to all participants.