<p>How important are they in an app?</p>
<p>The important thing is to somehow demonstrate excellence in math/sciennce. What you listed are, of course, such possible ways, but they are not the only ways.</p>
<p>It depends on how well you did. If you do really well (say you made USAMO), you can use that to demonstrate your excellence in math, and so forth.</p>
<p>strange,
i've heard that the mere fact of qualifying for AIME serves as a demostration of one's excellence in math?</p>
<p>For almost all schools, qualifying for the AIME shows incredible math skills on an application. For Caltech, it is like being a nationally commended scholar on the PSAT. Almost all of their applicants have it or something similar to it. Heck, I know people who've qualified for the AIME 6+ times.</p>
<p>Qualifying for the USAMO, however, is still pretty prestigious.</p>
<p>i recall saying qualifying for AIME shows a fair amount of interest in math. scoring reasonably well on the AIME will get our attention.</p>
<p>Resonably well = .. a few questions right?</p>
<p>3,4+ i would say but that is a rough guideline.</p>
<p>Yeah, like joeman said you must remember that the applicant pool for Caltech is full of science and math students, so qualifying for the AIME is nothing really special. However, I think a general rule is that 4 or 5 on the AIME looks good to colleges. However, if you get above the mean score of like 2 point something, then you should prolly report it. I don't think ARML is incredibly useful for college apps. The only other one I've heard of on that list is HMMT and I can't imagine that that's too useful either. AMC/AIME is the premiere high school math competition I think.</p>
<p>
I think you're being a bit silly, but I'll forgive you since you're a total mathstud. </p>
<p>It's true that if your main interest is in math (which is supported by essays, other ECs, etc) then simply qualifying for the AIME is probably no big thing. </p>
<p>However, qualifying for the AIME alone is (or it should be in my opinion) impressive for people who also have other interests besides math. For example, if a biology-oriented person can qualify for the AIME, I think that would go a long ways towards acceptance since there would little concern that they could handle core math/physics.</p>
<p>The fact is, it's just another part of the application and and opportunity for more insight into the applicant. If a person qualifies for the AIME and gets a 0 and felt that is the best they could do (i.e. not a fluke), then they should definitely put it down. It's true, the 0 won't get you in alone, but I honestly doubt that an applicant would look worse by listing it than not.</p>
<p>how do you get ot take the amc to qualify for the aime?</p>
<p>talk to the math team teacher (usually they are in charge of this stuff in school)
if your school does not have any math teams, and no one knows what on earth is AMC, check this web-site
<a href="http://www.unl.edu/amc/%5B/url%5D">http://www.unl.edu/amc/</a>
i think they do explain how, what, where, and how much (;) )</p>
<p>A librarian, Scoutmaster, church pastor or other such person can administer both the AMC and the AIME if no school around you offers it. Contact the people at the link Hriundeli posted for more information. They are very helpful!</p>
<p>I don't know how to use the quote thing but Cghen, you're right, my comment was a bit insensitive. Just making the AIME is indeed an achievement, that will definitely help at any college. The point i was trying to make was that it would make you stand out less among the Caltech applicant pool than it would at another school, because the Caltech applicant pool is generally focused on math/science.
Cghen is also right about your score relative to how important math is on your application. If you're someone who is better at biology than math, getting to the AIME in your "second best subject" is very impressive.</p>
<p>The problem is that almost all of the applicants to Caltech are talented in both math AND science.</p>
<p>I wouldn't ever not report qualifying for the AIME, but I just don't see it as giving you a competitive edge (at Caltech, specifically) unless you score a 4+.</p>
<p>Caltech has a very self selecting applicant pool, and I am very positive that a higher percentage of their applicants take the AIME than any other school (probably by a large margin.)</p>
<p>Now, if math is your WORST subject (as in, you're more of a humanities person,) then it obviously shows a LOT of balance in an applicant to be that successful in their WORST subject.</p>