Below are some of our most frequently asked questions, regarding our April contest. If you still have questions or concerns about MIG, please contact us directly.
Who can come to/participate in the Invitational?
Girls from grades 6-8 inclusive may compete. Teachers and parents may come to escort students and/or view the Awards Ceremony.
How do I enter the Invitational?
To enter, students simply must register for the Math Invitational by the appropriate deadline. See the menu tab for Registration for more details on registering correctly. Please do not show up indiscriminately without registering.
Is there a registration fee?
There is no cost to participate other than self-transportation. Simply register before the deadline.
How do I prepare ? What resources are recommended to be used for practice?
To prepare, there are plenty of resources we encourage students to use as practice tools. See our Archives for past tests and solutions. Other resources we recommend are questions from the AMC 8 and Chapter-level MathCounts, which are good approximations of the difficulty level of MIG.
What should I bring? What calculators are permitted?
Calculators that begin with TI-89 or TI-92 are permitted, as are any calculators less advanced than those models. Graphing calculators are thus permitted, but no programs beyond this level should be used. Pencils and scratch paper will be provided. Students may bring their own pencils, calculators, and other supplies if they wish. Note that no calculators are allowed during the Individual Round only.
Will there be refreshments, or should I bring my own?
Refreshments will be provided during Intermission at no cost. Students may bring their own snacks and drinks if they wish, though no eating or drinking is allowed during testing.
Are there any prizes for the essay portion? Is the essay mandatory? Will it affect their overall score?
Yes, the Essay Contest includes separate prizes from the Invitational. It is not mandatory to participate in the Invitational and affects no other scores. See the Contests menu for more information on the essay.
Can students enter the essay contest without participating in the Invitational?
While possible in certain cases, it is discouraged. Essay winners and awards are only announced at the Invitational’s Award Ceremony. We are not responsible for sending awards to non-attendees, so students would have to either come to the ceremony or pick it up themselves later on their own time. If the former, then why not participate in the whole event? The short answer is no, though it may be considered in particular cases if you email the board of directors with your circumstances.
Is there a limit to how many students we can bring?
No! Bring as many students as are eager to participate. In fact, to help MIG expand, we encourage you to promote MIG through various means. One suggested method is posting our flyers, which can be found under Event Information.
For registration, so students need to fill out the online form as well as have teachers send team lists? When does this need to be done by?
This is correct. Again, for special circumstances, individual students may also enter if the school or teams are unavailable, but if so please make sure they add a note of (Solo) to the online form under School so that we may match students with rooms and other solos appropriately. Registration deadlines vary by year; see the Registration menu for details.
How do I make sure to stay updated with MIG information?
Other than keeping up with the website, we can be found on Facebook and Twitter for updates. We also have a newsletter participants can subscribe to, and if you want to join the receiving roster simply contact us.
How can I be more involved with MIG, beyond attending the Invitational?
There are many wonderful ways we hope students may pursue to be more involved with MIG. Here are some ways, but this is by no means a comprehensive list, as we are open to any and all suggestions!
- Write for MIG articles and the newsletter. You can submit work, old or new, related to STEM, our cause, and etc to our email for it to be considered and likely featured. Content could also be your own answers to past essay questions, or simply notifying us of achievements in STEM by females that may not be on the website.
- Start your own projects. MIG hopes to inspire those who attend to take a lead in the STEM scene. Perhaps you want to open a new branch of MIG in a region too far for our current location. Or perhaps you start a different project altogether, and would be open to collaborating with MIG. Regardless, just contact us with how you’d like to be involved!
- Join the MIG team. MIG is made possible by the help of many roles, which you may take up! Anyone can volunteer each year (service hours provided). If you would like to join our main staff, the screening process is more selective, but again, simply contact us of your interest. Note that to join important administrative roles, you must live near our area. However, those from afar can be eligible to join our Problem Writing Team or Media and Art Team.