<p>I'm debating whether or not to list my AMC scores. I was the highest scorer on the AMC 10 at my school last year (109) and this year I got a 79 on the AMC 12. When I look at the MIT acceptance thread (<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/473605-official-mit-class-2012-regular-action-decisions-thread.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/473605-official-mit-class-2012-regular-action-decisions-thread.html</a>) I see tons of people with USAMO, so I'm not sure if I should list my scores.</p>
<p>List them. Better you tried and didn't do as well as you wanted than to have never tried.</p>
<p>Absolutely list your scores. </p>
<p>Although there are definitely USAMO qualifiers who apply and are accepted to MIT each year, the vast majority of admits did not participate in olympiads. Having participated in math contests gives you a mark of distinction that much of the applicant pool doesn't have.</p>
<p>really? even participating? </p>
<p>but i think so, as you scored the highest in your school.</p>
<p>Is it best to list both? I think I'll probably list my 109 on the AMC 10 because the AIME cutoff was 120. My 79 on the AMC 12 is far from the 100 cutoff for the AIME.</p>
<p>The schools want to know that you took advantage of what opportunities were available to you. Being top scorer at your school also puts the scores you earned into context.
S never qualified for USAMO (and he's a math major --math competitions just aren't his cup of tea), but included his scores nonetheless.</p>