AMC-12 and AMC-10

> Background

The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is a competition designed for high school students. Countries select their top students and have them compete in this truly monumental contest. The winning nation, last year, was China. The United States finished a respectable second.

How, you might ask, does the USA select its representatives? The AMC-12 and AMC-10 contests are the answer to that question. Each year, these tests are administered in February (on a Tuesday morning in school) to any student wishing to participate. Each contest consists of 30 multiple choice questions. The time limit is 90 minutes. While the AMC-12 is recommended for Juniors and Seniors and the AMC-10 is recommended for Freshmen and Sophomores, the student ultimately chooses which exam to take.

This contest acts as the first step in sorting out the best in America. After results are tabulated, the top 5% (varies by the year) in the AMC-12 and the top 1% (varies by the year) from the AMC-10 are asked to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, or AIME for short. Administered in March at each individual school, this exam consists of 15 questions in three hours. The answers are whole numbers ranging from 000 to 999. In other words, the level of difficulty is increased.

Combined results of the AMC-12 / AMC-10 and AIME allowes the USA to narrow it down to the final choice. Remaining contestants participate in the USAMO (USA Mathematical Olympiad) to determine which students will represent us in the IMO. Neat, eh? =)

> Why Participate?

Since very few make it to the IMO, you might wonder why this is worth doing? Let us count the ways:

It is FUN!!
It is generally regarded as the premier math competition for high school students in the USA.
It is a way of having our school compete against others in the county and state.
(School results are released.)
It is attractive to colleges.
(Padding that resume!)
It gets colleges actively interested in you!
You heard that right. The organizers of the contest collect your information and if you do well on the exam you will receive mailings from colleges asking you to consider them.
Scholarship Money:
Many schools in Ohio offer scholarships to students who do very well on the AMC-12.

Oh, did I mention that it's fun? Seriously, give it a try! Making it to the AIME round is quite an accomplishment, and CHS has had several students make it that far. Maybe you could be next!

> When is it?

February 12, 2008 and February 27, 2008