Stanford Math Tournament 2025
Overview
DATE: April 11-12, 2025
LOCATION: Stanford University
WHO: High School students residing within the United States
TEAM SIZE: 5-6
COST: $20 per student (Financial aid available upon request!)
SMT 2025 is only for US high school students. If this doesn't apply to you, we encourage you to participate in SMT 2025 Online instead.
Application Information
SMT 2025 will be inviting 800 students (~130-160 teams) from around the United States to compete in-person at Stanford. We are now accepting applications for our in-person tournament from schools, local mathematical organizations, and individuals from the United States. Students who are unable to participate in-person are invited to register for our online tournament.
Schools
Students are highly encouraged to participate in SMT 2025 as part of their school team. Students whose school is sending a team to SMT must attend with their school. Homeschooled students are considered to be a part of their local public school. Please note that we will only accept school teams with exactly 5 or 6 participants. If you have fewer than 5 members, consider applying as individuals.
Local Established Mathematical Organizations
Students who do not have the opportunity to participate in SMT as part of their school may participate as part of a local established mathematical organization, defined as organizations with students located in a 50 mile radius of its headquarters that (1) conduct mathematical enrichment activities beyond competition participation and (2) provide clear avenues for any student to get involved. Please note that we will only accept teams with exactly 5 or 6 participants. If you have fewer than 5 members, consider applying as individuals.
Individuals
If your school is not sending a team to SMT 2025 in-person and you can't find or form a local organization to participate with, you may register as an individual competitor. Students who register as individuals will be placed in a team with 5 other individual competitors, based on geographic proximity. Individuals may have a lower chance of being accepted to compete in SMT than students participating as part of a school or organization.
Selection Method
We will reserve spots for top school teams (non-orgs) from SMT 2024 and for teams that are low-income and/or historically underrepresented in mathematics. The rest of the spots will be assigned via a lottery, with preference given to school-based teams, followed by local organizations and individuals.
These criteria only apply for SMT 2025 in-person, not for SMT 2025 Online. These selection criteria are not final; they may change as we work to promote both diversity and a competitive spirit. Decisions made by SMT are final and non-negotiable.
Last updated on 12/7/2024
Registration Timeline
Contest Schedule
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*Schedule and activities subject to change. Note that there is built-in buffer time to explain instructions and assist with technical difficulties.
Test Information
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The Power Round is a 80-minute exam focused on proof-writing. The content of the test focuses on a single subject matter that is usually significantly different from traditional competitive math problems.
The Team Round is a 50-minute exam consisting of 15 short answer questions.
The General Test is a 110-minute individual exam consisting of
25 short answer questions that is designed for students that have less
specialized mathematical background.
The General Test is worth 60% of the Subject Tests.
The Subject Tests are two 50-minute individual exams consisting of 10 short answer questions. The subjects offered are Algebra, Calculus, Discrete (Number Theory & Combinatorics), and Geometry
The Guts Round is an 80 minute live-scored team exam consisting of 9 series of 3 questions each, whereby teams must submit answers to a previous round in order to gain access to the next. Subsequent rounds are both harder and worth more points than previous rounds.
FAQ
Q: How many students may be on a team?
A: Teams must consist of 5-6 members. Teams with less or more students will not be accepted.
Q: Can I participate in SMT remotely?
A: Yes, see the SMT Online Page.
Q: Do students on the same team have to be from the same school or established mathematical organization?
A: Yes, students must be from the same school or mathematical organization. If a student's school is participating, however, that student must participate through their school.
Q: What schools or organizations can participate in SMT?
A: SMT 2025 will be open to all domestic students from US-based schools or organizations.
Q: Can international teams participate in SMT? If so, how do they register?
A: Yes, but they must participate in SMT Online - see that page for more details.
Q: Are calculators allowed?
A: No. Calculators are not allowed on any portion of the tests. Check the SMT rules for information on permitted items.
Q: What topics may appear on the tests? How hard are the tests?
A: See the mathematical expectations document for guidelines on what topics may appear on each test. It is also advisable to look at the test from previous years in order to get a sense of the typical style and difficulty of SMT tests.
Q: Which individual test should I take?
A: If you have little or no experience with contest math, we strongly recommend you take the General Test. Looking at past tests will help you get a sense of the difficulty of each test.
Q: Do we need to have a teacher or coach attend SMT in person?
A: Yes, you must have at least one authorized adult chaperone present per team who is responsible for the team during the tournament.
Q: Can I use the problems from previous SMT tests listed below in my classroom/book/etc?
A: Yes! Feel free to use any officially released problems, provided you cite us in the format 'Stanford Math Tournament [Year] [Round] [Problem #]'