About UsAmador Valley Math Team aims to help students who may not find the standard math classes fulfilling or enriching enough. Whether that means you need help catching up, or simply find math class too boring, we are here to help. We offer opportunities to both tutor and get tutoring, help people gain math competition experience, and lecture on interesting math tidbits. We host programs on campus that seek to recognize our Math Teachers, encourage parental involvement in education, bring in public speakers to talk about applications of math, and help out with our local middle school MATHCOUNTS team.
With all that said, our primary mission is to help spread the love of math. We want to show students that math is an area of study that is both fulfilling and satisfying to explore. Lockhart says it better than us: math is a cool subject. |
Why should YOU join?
Don't like math or think you're not good at it? No problem! We're here to change all that. Joining Math Team, in addition to polishing your mathematics, has heaps of other benefits as well:
1. It looks good on college applications.
We understand. High school is stressful and building up a resume is part of the job. While this definitely should not be your primary reason for joining Math Team, colleges, unsurprisingly, place a substantial amount of importance on academics, of which math is definitely a subcategory. Doing well on contests shows that you are willing to go above and beyond what your school asks of you. It shows interest and passion in learning. In fact, colleges like MIT and CalTech specifically have boxes on the application form asking for scores on the AMC line of contests. Showing proficiency in mathematics with results on these prestigious contests is quite the boon for your college application.
2. Meet new people.
If you're considering joining this club, it probably means that math class isn't enough for you. You need something else to quench your curiosity. Joining Math Team gives you the chance to meet new people, and we don't just mean from Amador. Going out to competitions places you in an environment full of like-minded students, all of whom are hardworking and just as passionate to learn. Being in a competitive environment is a powerful motivator for you to do your best.
3. Math is useful.
You probably hear the term 'critical thinking' thrown around a lot in school. Math brings a whole new meaning to the word. Every math problem offers something different, but if you look closely, you don't need multivariable calculus or the like for most - it's connecting the dots using what you know that makes or breaks a problem. The insight you gain from understanding math and learning how to apply concepts to form a tangible solution are valuable skills in succeeding in both school and life.
4. It's fun!
Take it from us. Experiences like ARML and AwesomeMath can be described as nothing short of life changing. The people you meet, the problems you do, the heated arguments - all of it makes for one of the most turbulent rides you could ask for. Whether you like or dislike scratching your head for hours on end over a problem, it doesn't matter. The friends you make and the people you work with make for an experience that puts the "fun" in "workfuning".
1. It looks good on college applications.
We understand. High school is stressful and building up a resume is part of the job. While this definitely should not be your primary reason for joining Math Team, colleges, unsurprisingly, place a substantial amount of importance on academics, of which math is definitely a subcategory. Doing well on contests shows that you are willing to go above and beyond what your school asks of you. It shows interest and passion in learning. In fact, colleges like MIT and CalTech specifically have boxes on the application form asking for scores on the AMC line of contests. Showing proficiency in mathematics with results on these prestigious contests is quite the boon for your college application.
2. Meet new people.
If you're considering joining this club, it probably means that math class isn't enough for you. You need something else to quench your curiosity. Joining Math Team gives you the chance to meet new people, and we don't just mean from Amador. Going out to competitions places you in an environment full of like-minded students, all of whom are hardworking and just as passionate to learn. Being in a competitive environment is a powerful motivator for you to do your best.
3. Math is useful.
You probably hear the term 'critical thinking' thrown around a lot in school. Math brings a whole new meaning to the word. Every math problem offers something different, but if you look closely, you don't need multivariable calculus or the like for most - it's connecting the dots using what you know that makes or breaks a problem. The insight you gain from understanding math and learning how to apply concepts to form a tangible solution are valuable skills in succeeding in both school and life.
4. It's fun!
Take it from us. Experiences like ARML and AwesomeMath can be described as nothing short of life changing. The people you meet, the problems you do, the heated arguments - all of it makes for one of the most turbulent rides you could ask for. Whether you like or dislike scratching your head for hours on end over a problem, it doesn't matter. The friends you make and the people you work with make for an experience that puts the "fun" in "workfuning".
Past Awards
15 qualifiers in 2015 for the AIME, 2 qualifier for USAJMO
13 qualifiers in 2014 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAMO
16 qualifiers in 2013 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAMO, 2 qualifiers for USAJMO
14 qualifiers in 2012 for the AIME, 1 qualifier for USAMO, 1 qualifier for USAJMO, 1 qualifier for MOSP
13 qualifiers in 2011 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAJMO, 1 qualifier for USAMO
7 qualifiers in 2010 for the AIME, 1 qualifier for USAJMO with Honorable Mention
9 qualifiers in 2009 for the AIME
8 qualifiers in 2008 for the AIME
8 qualifiers in 2007 for the AIME
2nd Place Overall, 1st Place Team Round, 1st Place Power Round - 2010 Mathleague Multi-State Championship @ University of Missouri - Kansas City
2nd Place - 2010 Mathleague Northern California Championships
5th Nationally - 2008 Collaborative Problem-Solving Contest
12th Nationally - 2010 Fall Startup Event
3rd Place - 2010-2011 Redwood Region Mandelbrot
5th Place - 2010 Fall Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place [Combination Team] - 2011 Harvard-MIT Math Tournament
8th Place - 2012 Stanford Math Tournament
4th Place [Combination Team] - 2012 Harvard-MIT Math Tournament
1st Place [Combination Team] - 2011-2012 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place - 2012 Berkeley Math Tournament
1st Place [Combination Team] - 2012-2013 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
3rd Place - 2013 Stanford Math Tournament
3rd Place - 2013 Berkeley Math Tournament
1st place [Combination Team] - 2013-2014 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place - 2014 Stanford Math Tournament
6th Place - 2014 Berkeley Math Tournament
13 qualifiers in 2014 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAMO
16 qualifiers in 2013 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAMO, 2 qualifiers for USAJMO
14 qualifiers in 2012 for the AIME, 1 qualifier for USAMO, 1 qualifier for USAJMO, 1 qualifier for MOSP
13 qualifiers in 2011 for the AIME, 2 qualifiers for USAJMO, 1 qualifier for USAMO
7 qualifiers in 2010 for the AIME, 1 qualifier for USAJMO with Honorable Mention
9 qualifiers in 2009 for the AIME
8 qualifiers in 2008 for the AIME
8 qualifiers in 2007 for the AIME
2nd Place Overall, 1st Place Team Round, 1st Place Power Round - 2010 Mathleague Multi-State Championship @ University of Missouri - Kansas City
2nd Place - 2010 Mathleague Northern California Championships
5th Nationally - 2008 Collaborative Problem-Solving Contest
12th Nationally - 2010 Fall Startup Event
3rd Place - 2010-2011 Redwood Region Mandelbrot
5th Place - 2010 Fall Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place [Combination Team] - 2011 Harvard-MIT Math Tournament
8th Place - 2012 Stanford Math Tournament
4th Place [Combination Team] - 2012 Harvard-MIT Math Tournament
1st Place [Combination Team] - 2011-2012 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place - 2012 Berkeley Math Tournament
1st Place [Combination Team] - 2012-2013 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
3rd Place - 2013 Stanford Math Tournament
3rd Place - 2013 Berkeley Math Tournament
1st place [Combination Team] - 2013-2014 Caltech Harvey Mudd Math Competition
5th Place - 2014 Stanford Math Tournament
6th Place - 2014 Berkeley Math Tournament