No! I will record my own responses ….should be much more amusing to watch:golf:
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I’m D88!
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@advitha , oh, my daughter is not applying to MIT. But I am enjoying reading about everyone’s journeys! My older ones were more interested in elite admissions, and the interviews certainly were nervewracking!
I guess I’d be D89 
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I am between you and @Vineyarder - S87! Loved growing up in the 80’s - ushering in of the PC/Mac era (remember the Superbowl commercial?), MTV, iconic movies (Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Ghost Busters, Beverly Hills Cop, Back to the Future,…), the Cold War and its end, etc.
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IMO, prepping for AMC isn’t a very good use of time for a student who is about to apply for college for the following reasons:
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A good AMC score only serves as a confirmation of the student’s ability in math. It isn’t an admission tip even at colleges that highly value such ability and ask for such scores for applicants who have participated in AMC (or AIME).
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Medalists in USAMO/IMO (or their equivalent in physics, CS, etc.) do receive special consideration for college admissions, but very very few are at that level. If the student is a good prospect for such a medal, prepping is necessary for winning. However, for a typical student who is considered very good and highly advanced in math, no amount of prepping is likely to turn her/him into such a prospect. Besides, it’s too late if s/he hasn’t advanced beyond AMC by this time in HS. AMC is only a stepping stone.
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“You’re all babies” from D79 
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Congrats on Delaware! Can I ask when your D submitted their app?
I guess the importance of these contests varies by school/region. We are in the Northeast, and AMC/IMO isn’t very common at my D22’s school. Yet, they send in a lot of applications to MIT each year (and have a good acceptance rate).
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There are many kids for whom making USAMO in their senior year is as meaningful as it was making USA(J)MO in the previous years. And since AMC and AIME scores are combined for USAMO qualification, it makes sense to brush up on the difficult AMC problems.
We put the very last honors college essay on hold because of the upcoming math competitions (there is more than just AMC). While I really want S22 to be done with the application process, it has been so nice not having to deal with essays for a few weeks, a much needed mental break.
And yes, doing well in any of those math competitions will make a zero difference in the application process, but it will matter to S22.
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That is amazing! (Do you mean S20, which implies high school graduation year of 2020? Or is a a senior and thus S22?). Any national and international accomplishment takes hard work and the kids should be proud! And although it may seem like “many” to you in that world with your user name, lol, as you know it is a statistical rarity (which is why many haven’t heard of it) and very impressive!!
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I need coffee!!! It was to be S22. S20 never made US(J)AMO, but he got 10 on AIME. I will go and edit my previous post not to confuse others.
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And now perhaps we have learned that the younger brother is trying to impress and one up his older brother?
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LOL S22 already did that in math. He used to compare to his brother so much. He was also lucky as he got exposed to many of the math competitions, math circles, etc early on simply because his older brother was attending.
S20 has his own achievements that are out of S22’s reach. Let’s just say it has been an interesting dynamics, but they both have their own thing. And S20 still added math as his second major
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I was addressing in my prior post whether students should focus their energy on AMC for college admission purposes. I’m an advocate that a student should do what truly interests him or her and it’s great that your son is doing exactly that. Best wishes to him for his successes in his upcoming competitions.
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It can be tricky with sibs that are both so capable but a little different. Interestingly, my S22 was always a math kid - and my D21 who was also great at math, didn’t realize it in comparison to him (I tried to tell her!). Now that she is a first year in college and away from him, she is discovering how much she loves math!
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So happy for your D21! I heard similar stories especially about girls.
It’s so hard to see the big picture when one is comparing to their siblings or math teammates only.
It also goes the other way around. Many families think that their students will have no problem getting admitted to T20 schools because their are among the top 5 students in their high school.
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@songbirdmama - I agree, babies! D82 here!
Re the math kids, my D22 hates math and has always thought herself to be terrible at it, but she goes to a small charter school where there might not be superstar standout kids, but there aren’t many that are really struggling either. She got her first retail job this summer and has now realized how many not-so-smart people there really are in the world. She still hates math, but she doesn’t think she’s that dumb at it any more. Just really put things in perspective for her.
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Another D82 here! And my D22 is now dealing with heartbreak! My poor kid! And in the middle of the UC application season! 
On a bright note, she got her first college admission to University of Arizona earlier this week.
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Great to hear that! He’s doing these competitions for the right reasons (because he personally values them). Best wishes 
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Oct. 10. Think her school submitted their stuff Oct. 18.
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