Overview of the PROMYS Program (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists)
PROMYS (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists) is a six-week residential summer program for not just high school students, but also teachers, counselors (typically undergraduate and graduate math students), international students (with representation in Europe and India) and students from underrepresented communities who are interested in exploring advanced mathematics. Founded in 1989, the program is hosted by Boston University and has become a premier program for mathematically talented high school students. The course is similar to other residential math summer courses (for example, Stanford’s SUMaC), but is tailored to a global population.
Image from https://PROMYS.org/
“PROMYS is all about mathematical beauty, the harmony of numbers, and the elegance of proofs.”
PROMYS Program Overview
The PROMYS program is designed to challenge students with a rigorous curriculum that covers a variety of advanced topics in mathematics. The program is centered around problem solving and encourages students to think creatively and independently. The curriculum includes topics such as number theory, algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and analysis.
The program is structured around small group work, with students working in groups of three or four to solve difficult problems. Each group is led by a counselor, who is typically an undergraduate or graduate student in mathematics. The counselors provide guidance and support, but the students are encouraged to work independently and collaboratively to solve the problems.
PROMYS Summer 2023 Program Details
For high school students, the PROMYS program runs from July 2 – August 12, 2023, the application deadline is March 5, 2023 at 11:59 EST. Admission decisions are announced by early May 2023. The cost for the program is $6,000 for the six-week residential program. [The actual per-student cost to PROMYS of over $8,500 is subsidized for all students thanks to donors and sponsors.] (https://promys.org/programs/promys/for-students/). Financial aid and scholarships are available for students, both full and partial scholarships are available. Financial Aid & Scholarships page to learn about full and partial need-based financial aid (including room and board), scholarships, fellowships, and other awards. The program is FREE for domestic students whose families make under $80,000 per year. Financial aid for international students is considered on a case-by-case basis.
PROMYS Program Qualifications
To qualify students must at least be 14 years old, have completed 9th grade or the equivalent and not yet be enrolled in a college or university. There are four components to the application, a set of challenge problems that need to be solved, letter of recommendation, high school transcript, and an application form which includes short answers. Here is the student application page. There is an option to sign up here, so that you can be notified of when applications are opened for the year 2024.
With regards to the programs in Europe, pre-university students who are 16 or older and ordinarily resident in Europe are eligible to apply to PROMYS Europe at the University of Oxford in England. Students may apply to either PROMYS or to PROMYS Europe but not both for the same summer.
For PROMYS India, secondary and higher secondary students in India are eligible to apply to PROMYS India run in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore. All PROMYS India students will receive full scholarships including tuition, room & board, and travel. Students may apply to either PROMYS or to PROMYS India but not both for the same summer.
While international students are welcome to apply for admission to PROMYS, space is extremely limited in US and students are encouraged to apply to PROMYS Europe or India, if they reside there.
What to Expect at PROMYS
During the six weeks of PROMYS, each weekday begins with the entire program gathering for Number Theory lecture from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. At the end of lecture, students receive the daily problem set and meet with their counselor to get feedback on the previous day’s work. Besides the Number Theory lecture, students are given a lot of independence to choose other activities and how to use their time. Some students participate in a lab project or one or more of the advanced seminars. On average, students have from 1.5 to 3.5 hours of scheduled class time each weekday.
A lot of mathematical activity takes place during unscheduled time, including on weekends! Students spend most of the day (and often the night) working both independently and collaboratively on problem sets – first year students typically focus on the daily Number Theory problems, while returning students spend most of their time on problem sets for advanced seminars. Students are challenged to design their own numerical experiments, make conjectures, and justify their ideas in proofs. Students receive regular guidance from counselors. Most students work in the dorm, but some choose to work in the library, in an empty classroom, or in some of the outdoor green spaces around campus.
Students live in dormitories at Boston University with two students per room – an excellent opportunity to get a taste of college life. There are separate living quarters according to gender identity; curfews and visiting hours do apply. Counselors live on the same floors as PROMYS students, and are placed close to the students they mentor whenever possible.
While the focus at PROMYS is on mathematics, people do take breaks for non-math activities once in a while. Counselors organize weekly “mandatory fun” to build community, as well as frisbee, basketball, or volleyball games on the weekends. Some students enjoy jogging along the Charles River in the morning before lecture, playing games, or practicing their musical instruments. Still, participants spend almost all of their time engaging with mathematics and with each other.
PROMYS for Teachers (PfT)
As a teacher, you may be interested in how PROMYS can benefit your students. Firstly, PROMYS can provide your students with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of mathematics and explore advanced topics that they may not have access to in their regular school curriculum. This can help them to develop problem-solving skills and to think more critically about mathematics.
However, PROMYS is not only limited to high school students, it is also open for high school teachers. PROMYS for Teachers (PfT) engages secondary school teachers in an intensive experience of mathematical problem solving with the goal of promoting a culture of exploration in mathematics classrooms. The immersive nature of the program provides a supportive environment where teachers can spend time as learners. PfT consists of a six-week summer component at Boston University and five academic-year workshops (https://PROMYS.org/programs/for-teachers/)
During the six weeks of the program, teachers can expect to spend weekdays, Monday through Friday, doing mathematics. The day starts with the topic of Number Theory lecture at 9:00 a.m. and continues with collaborative problem solving until 5:00 p.m. Teachers have evenings and weekends free. Please note that July 4th is a regular day at PROMYS (not a holiday).
Teachers do not need an advanced mathematical background, yet the PROMYS content presents enough challenge for even the most mathematically proficient participants. Anyone with solid arithmetic and algebra skills can benefit from the low threshold/high ceiling problem sets.
International teachers may come on regular tourist visa since they are not enrolled at Boston University. Although the program is free to participants, they are responsible for their own housing.
For most teachers, PROMYS is non-residential. However, out-of-town participants may apply for summer housing at Boston University. Some teachers find other arrangements such as sublets or Airbnb. Unfortunately, PfT cannot reimburse housing expenses.
PROMYS is not just about math, however. The program also places a strong emphasis on building community and fostering intellectual curiosity. Students attend daily lectures and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities, including guest lectures, social events, and research projects.
One of the unique aspects of PROMYS is its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The program actively seeks to recruit students from underrepresented backgrounds in mathematics, and provides financial support to ensure that all students have access to the program regardless of their financial situation.
PROMYS for Teachers is open to secondary teachers from the U.S. and abroad—they aim to admit all qualified applicants. As a non-residential program, teachers are responsible for their own housing during the six-week program. Pre-service and more experienced teachers are welcome to apply.
PROMYS for Teachers is FREE to participants. U.S.-based teachers will receive a $1,500 stipend and earn 8 college credits which may be used toward a degree program. PROMYS is particularly interested in increasing diversity in mathematics and in science and technology opportunities more broadly. PROMYS strongly encourages teachers to apply who are female, Black, Latino/a or from other groups underrepresented in STEM, and those who work with such students. PROMYS for Teachers in 2023 is scheduled from July 3 – August 11
Join PROMYS
Overall, PROMYS is an excellent program for high school students who are passionate about mathematics and want to challenge themselves in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. The program provides students with the opportunity to explore advanced topics in mathematics, develop problem-solving skills, and build a community of like-minded individuals.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
