AIME, AMC, USAMO, Oh My!
The science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field is rapidly growing. There are many programs and contests young students can become involved with to learn more about the different careers in STEM.
Many of these contests, however, are commonly recognized by their acronyms: AIME, AMC, USAMO. Few people outside the field know what these letters actually stand for. Each contest is part of the American Mathematic Competition Association (AMC). This group is devoted to growing mathematic understanding in the nation’s youth. Of the many contests, AIME, AMC, and USAMO are the most popular. Here are the contests behind the acronyms.
AMC simply stands for American Mathematics Competition. This is the amateur contest in the association, and is directed at students in middle school; otherwise known as AMC 8, this exam tests problem solving skills. The last competition was held in October and November of 2012.
AIME is short for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam. It is the next level of examination, also known as AMC 10. This competition is mostly directed at high school students. The highest scoring students of AMC 8 are allowed to participate. For the 2012-2013 school year, the event was held in March and April of 2013.
Finally, USAMO is the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad. This is the highest level of competition – otherwise known as AMC 12. The top scoring students in AIME are invited to participate. This nine-hour essay examination was held at the end of April this year. Each year, the top twelve students are invited to an awards ceremony in Washington D.C.
If you want to be the next student to participate in these exciting STEM competitions, find out how to register at the Mathematical Association of America website.
This post was written by 11th grade Florida Virtual School student Delany Peshek. Delany is a member of the FLVS Newspaper Club and recently had this article published in “News in a Click,” the club’s online newspaper written by students for students.
I recently used Delany Peshek as an example for my students: she is self-motivation personified and the students were intrigued by the fact that Delany is involved in so many things while attending FLVS.