National Math Stars

National Math Stars

Year in the Life

What to expect in your first year as a National Math Star

First-Year Timeline

Every National Math Stars family plots their own journey, with the help of their advisor and math mentor. Which classes a Star takes, STEM activities they pursue, and summer camps they attend depend on their background and interests. Here’s a broad picture of what to expect:

  • August-September

    Selection and onboarding Stars are notified of their acceptance to the program! You will then meet your family advisor, who will deliver your laptop and swag. You will also complete a math diagnostic, which we'll use to place you in an advanced math course and pair you with a math mentoring group.

  • October

    Welcome Weekend All of our new families gather to meet each other, learn more about the program, and celebrate! This is followed by opportunities to attend smaller in-person and virtual events throughout the rest of the year.

  • October-May

    Courses and mentoring All Stars take advanced math courses, which typically meet online or in person 1-2x per week. You'll also meet weekly for about 60 minutes with other Stars in a math mentoring group to explore topics of interest. You can spend your enrichment budget on additional STEM experiences such as coding classes, robotics teams, chess lessons, 3D printing materials, and more.

  • December-February

    Summer camp applications Since all Stars will attend a STEM summer experience, this is the time to work with your advisor and look for the right fit. Many selective programs require students to apply, with applications due in this window.

  • June-August

    Summer camps Stars can take a break from courses and mentoring for the summer to relax... and to attend camp! National Math Stars funds a STEM-related camp (sleepaway or commuter) for every Star.

Haripriya and her mother at Welcome Weekend 2024

Exploring the difference of squares in a math mentoring session

Learning about robots at the FIRST National Championships

Houston-area 2025 end-of-year celebration

Example Journey: Haripriya

August 2024:

  • Haripriya’s family received a phone call that she had been admitted to National Math Stars!

September 2024:

  • Haripriya and her mother met their family advisor, Bilqis, at a Starbucks near their home. Bilqis explained more details about program participation and gave Haripriya a backpack with a laptop, puzzles, books, and NMS swag
  • Completed a math diagnostic with a mentor. After discussing with her family, we agreed on an Art of Problem Solving Introduction to Algebra course for fall

October 2024:

  • Math mentoring sessions kicked off! Haripriya was paired with Cindy Zhang (mentor) and Holden (another Star). They meet every Wednesday for an hour. In their initial sessions, the group has explored number theory, symmetries of polygons, group theory notation, and more
  • Began her Algebra A course. This live virtual class meets once weekly for 105 minutes, with homework between sessions. If she’s ever stuck on homework problems, Haripriya can bring them to her math mentor, or drop in on tutoring office hours
  • Attended Welcome Weekend in Houston. Haripriya met Holden in person, solved lots of puzzles, and tried her hand at programming micro:bits

November 2024: 

  • Used STEM enrichment budget to purchase Hack Packs and coding books. Also began a self-paced coding course through Brilliant

December 2024: 

March 2025:

  • Finished her Algebra A course and enrolled in Algebra B
  • Decided to attend Epsilon Camp this summer, alongside three other National Math Stars!

April 2025:

May 2025:

  • Completed mentoring sessions for the year. (They will resume in September)
  • Attended the Houston-area end-of-year celebration… where Haripriya and her fellow Stars successfully escaped from an escape room!