<p>I guess you can compare the number of USAMO qualifiers (500 or somethin like that) to the number of high school All-Americans in varsity sports, instead of comparing the number of USAMO qualifiers to every single high school athlete in the nation. That would be a more fair comparison, as USAMO (so i’ve read through this thread) is the “best of the best” for all “mathletes” (for lack of a better term), and receiving an All-American award means you are one of the best in your sport. </p>
<p>Databox, I apologize if I called USAMO qualifiers “mathletes”. I thought they were one in the same, as most people on this thread obviously did too. </p>
<p>The main arguing point here is this: while USAMO questions are not like normal math problems, they are still classified under the academic leg of the “whole person triangle”, and rightly so. Yes, it takes a different kind of studying, but it is not the same as athletics, and therefore won’t be treated the same as athletics.</p>