FAQ

Joining the Team

Who may join the team?
Any Pittsburgh-area student in 6th-12th grade.
My child is in elementary school but is taking middle school or high school math. May he/she join?
No.
Is there a tryout?
There is no tryout to to join the team and come to practice. There is a selection process to form the teams for non-local competitions (ARML, HMMT, PUMaC, and/or JHMT).
How do I register?
Normally all you need to do is sign up for the mailing list and bring a release form to your first practice. Both can be found on the 'join the team' page. (There's one more step for online practice; see below).
Is there a fee to participate?
No, thanks to our generous sponsor, Jump Trading! There only costs for team-organized activities are (1) dinner at the ARML competition and (2) travel and food for other non-local competitions (HMMT, PUMaC, and/or JHMT) (travel is heavily subsidized, though may not be completely covered). There may be costs for other competitions which are not team-organized, such as CMIMC.

JV vs. Varsity

What is the difference between JV and Varsity practice?
JV focuses on the most common and important topics for competition math, and assumes no particular background with competition math. Varsity practice
How do I know which practice to go to?
Normally, we assign practices. Most new students start in JV, unless they have extensive experience with competition math (e.g. AIME qualification). For returning students, we'll let you know when we think you're ready to move from JV to Varsity. We base this on a number of factors, such as completition scores, attendance, length of time on the team, maturity, and so on. There's not a simple formula.
I've never done math competitions but I'm taking [math class X]. Should I start in Varsity?
Probably not, for two reasons. Firstly, competition math requires a much higher level of problem-solving skills than a typical math class, even a high-level one. Secondly, competition math at all levels covers many topics that are never covered in grade school.
I feel like I'm ready for Varsity. Should I move?
We usually have a good idea of who's ready to move and will make our recommendations accordingly. But we don't know everything, and we certainly want to hear from you! Please reach out and we can discuss what's best for you.

Miscellaneous

What should I bring to practice?
All you need is something to write with, and if you'd like, something to write on. We provide scrap paper as well. Calculators are not necessary and are highly discouraged (and prohibited at almost every competition we know of).
Can a parent be present practice?
No. This is for safety reasons.
What can parents do during practice?
During in-person practices, we provide a WiFi access code to parents. When possible, we book a room that is reserved for parent use during practice.

ARML Online

In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, we are temporarily holding practices online. As running the team online is new to us, we are constantly making changes as needed. Please be patient as we figure out what will work best for the team.

Overview

Do the normal participation policies apply to ARML online?
Yes (see above). We are limiting participation to students in Western PA or nearby (e.g. Morgantown, WV).
Do I need to separately register for ARML online?
No, but you need a CMU ID in order to access the Canvas page. Use the link on the 'join the team' page to sign up for a CMU ID.

Accessing Online Practices

How will online practices be conducted?
We will set up meetings using Zoom.
How do I get into the Zoom meeting?
Find the link on the Canvas page in the Zoom tab.
Do I need to download the Zoom application onto my (laptop/phone/tablet)?
You can, and it might be easier, but you don't need to. When you click the link to the meeting, there's an option to open the meeting in your browser. If you do want to download Zoom, please do so in advance of the meeting.
Do I need to buy a Zoom subscription?
No. You can use Zoom without a paid subscription.
Will practices be posted online?
Practice materials will be added to the archive page each week. We will not post recordings of practices.

Practice Details

When is practice?
JV practice is Sunday 1-3pm, and Varsity practice is Sunday 3-5:30pm. The Zoom calls start at 1:30 and 4 respectively.
What does a typical practice look like?
The problem set for practice is distributed before the Zoom meeting starts (30 minutes for JV and 1 hour for Varsity). The Zoom meeting may start with a short lesson or review of warm-up problems. Then the students are broken up into 'Breakout Rooms' of about 3-5 students each to work on the problems. Afterwards, we discuss solutions to some of the problems.
How do I get the problems for practice?
Problems are distributed through mailing list and posted on the archive page).
Should I go to JV or Varsity?
We recommend that you stick with your practice group so that you can get the most out of practice. That said, we're willing to be more flexible given the current situation. Each week, you are may to choose to attend either practice, or both.
If I'm new, which practice group should I go to?
We usually recommend starting in JV. Students that start in Varsity are usually in 10th-12th grade and have a record of success in math competitions (e.g. AIME qualification). If you're not sure, take a look at some past practices from the archive page.