Questions & Answers

Other Matters

1. How do you choose the location for the program?

A. This is a complicated matter to which we have devoted a lot of time, energy and site visits!

The primary consideration is the safety and happiness of the students. We get answers to the following questions and many more: Do we get a dorm to ourselves so that students can easily be accounted for and supervised? Can each student have a single room so that they can fall asleep without distractions? Are there good public spaces in and around the dorm for group activities? Is the campus in a safe neighborhood without many busy streets to cross? Is the campus relatively compact so that food and classrooms are not far away from the dorm? Are there lots of opportunities for fun weekend activities nearby? Is the July weather good: warm but not too hot or muggy, or otherwise are buildings air conditioned? Is the location served by a hub airport, so that there are lots of nonstop flights to it from around North America (important for Unaccompanied Minors) and competitive ticket prices?

The next consideration is academic facilities. Are there enough classrooms close together of the right size (15 to 25 students)? Will we have all-day access to a lecture hall of the right size for our plenary talks (100-120 people, when staff and visitors are included)? Are there ample blackboards or whiteboards? Is there good AV?

Finally, we need an administration we can work with. Are they flexible? Will they pay attention to us, or is the campus overwhelmed with other summer groups? Do we have the support of the mathematics department? Are there lots of excellent math scholar-teachers at the host institution or in the area who can contribute to our program? Is the price right?

There are so many considerations that no location meets them all. We have moved around the country to learn what combinations work best, and to give variety for returning students and staff. However, at some point we may settle on one place that works best, or on a rotation between two places.

2. What times do you suggest we have our daughter arrive and depart from the airport or if we are bringing her and taking her back?

A. Each year we set the airport and the time interval during which students should arrive/depart. See Getting There for this year's information. Even if you are traveling with your daughter, if you want to use the transportation we provide, you need to arrive/depart during the time frame we set.

3. I noted that the advisor to student ratio is 12:1. Are these advisors with the students throughout the day? Who are the advisors, and how are they chosen? If a student is uncomfortable with an advisor's actions and/or attitudes is there easy access to another adult?

A. The advisors are with the students throughout the day in a non-intrusive manner and it is their responsibility to ensure that each student in their group is safe throughout the day, involved in all the main academic activities, participates in evening recreational activity, eats good meals and in sufficient quantities, calls home often, and in bed by the specified hour. Advisors are selected based on their social skills from among the mathematically outstanding undergraduate students who apply. We may also have junior counselors whose mature attitude is outstanding – junior counselors are chosen only from MathPath alumni; the reason for this restriction is that we know the applicant well from their days at MathPath. A student who is uncomfortable with an advisor's actions and/or attitudes is encouraged to talk about the matter to the Camp Director.

4. May a roommate be prearranged? May a student be given contact information for an unknown roommate prior to camp time?

A. The current policy of MathPath is to put all students in singles. This helps them go to bed on time and avoids any roommate difficulties that could become a distraction. If parents want their son or daughter to have a roommate, or to room near someone else, please inform us when registering for the camp, and this information will be given to the Camp Director for consideration before he creates the room assignments.

More generally, we understand you to be asking: is there some way to increase my child's comfort zone by arranging that s/he have a friend at camp? One thing we do is this: When several students have registered from the same metro area, we give them all each other's contact information several months before camp (except if a parent does not want contact information shared). They and their parents often begin to get to know each other in advance, and even arrange to travel together to camp.

Also, at camp kids generally make friends easily. They are so happy to be with other mathy kids like themselves.

5. If we were to apply/register for MathPath and Dave were to be asked in mid-May to participate in the MOSP program, could we obtain a refund? As a seventh grader, this is highly unlikely, but he is continuing the testing process, and I prefer to know that answer now.

A. Yes, our general refund policy covers this case; see fee refunds. Those who will be attending MOSP will know before May 31 and thus will get a full refund of fees paid, less our $100 administrative fee.

6. Did I correctly understand that students have telephone access in their room? I would like to verify that a call home is readily available.

A. YES! This is very important since it speaks to the home-sickness issue; the parent will be able to telephone the student right into the room. Advisors will ensure that student-communication is regular.

In more detail, every campus has a telephone jack in each dorm room, although many years families have to provide the handset and wire, or pay to rent these. Also, long-distance calls from these phone are never free and typically can only be made with calling cards you provide. For this reason, these days most students come with cell phones and never use the telephone facilities in the room. More details about the telephone service, and about any issues with cell phone reception, are discussed in the PreCamp Briefing made available online at some point during the application season. (If your child brings a cell phone, make sure his/her name is indelibly marked on it – cell phones are easy to lose, especially if someone is not already used to carrying one.)

7. What kind of food do you serve to the hungry participants? Are there nutritious and well-balanced meals of "brainfood" to ensure productive math "thinking"?

A. College/university cafeterias are very much into providing healthy and varied food these days.

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Last updated June 5, 2010