AMC/AIME for Harvard

<p>Do these look good? Show distinction?</p>

<p>If the scores are very, very high (AIME score in double digits), then Harvard may be interested. Applications to Harvard by math-liking young people are evaluated by professors in the department of mathematics and are based on criteria including, but not limited to, AMC test scores.</p>

<p>What other criteria might they take into account?</p>

<p>If you did well on AMC/AIME, then it will look good on your application. How much of a boost depends on what you propose to study. Not all students who did well on these is a potential math major, so presumably not all applications that list AMC/AIME scores get read by math profs.<br>
Many prospective math majors have taken college-level math courses and/or attended summer math programs (RSI, PROMYS, ROSS, MathCamp, and similar programs), won major national and international competitions (Intel, Olympiads).</p>

<p>Sorry for hijacking the thread!</p>

<p>Does anyone know where/who I can go to in order to get my scores?</p>

<p>My AIME scores my sophomore and junior years were a 10 and a 7. And my AMC-12 score last year was a 136. Should I mention this?</p>

<p>^a 10 on the AIME is very good. Mention it.</p>

<p>where do you report AMC/AIME scores on the application?</p>

<p>I imagine under honors and awards. Or on the resume.</p>

<p>Tokenadult, what do you know about the math department's involvement in the admissions process? I had the impression that the Harvard faculty weren't involved in undergrad admissions, and I'd like to learn about what the situation really is.</p>

<p>I have seen posted on the Harvard Web site (link not at hand at the moment, sorry) thanks given after one year's admitted class was announced to a math professor who had helped the admissions committee review applicants. This is quite standard at the top math schools--Stanford learned from other colleges that it would be beat in recruiting top math students unless math faculty members reviewed applications. The Harvard admission team is VERY familiar with the AMC tests and what they mean (and with what the corresponding national math tests in other countries mean). But, as Marite has already pointed out in this thread, some outstanding math students have no competition experience whatever, so the admissions committee looks at several aspects of a young person's involvement in math as part of the admission process for a math-liking applicant.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info. Do you know if faculty from any other departmnents get involved in admissions?</p>

<p>I believe some members of the faculty are asked to participate in admissions every year, though not all departments are represented. I would imagine that applicants who declared undecided as to their prospective majors would not be reviewed by members of the faculty. It is possible that faculty only review extra materials rather than the whole application (eg. music tapes or list of math awards or Intel submissions).</p>

<p>If you indicate a science/math major but also include a supplementary essay, might an english faculty person see your essay? what if its a creative essay...:)</p>