Frequently Asked Questions
Directions & Maps | Registration & Fees
Boston
- Where can we stay in Boston?
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You can download this PDF document, a descriptive list of accommodations available in the area, broken up into sections by price. Also visit the MIT Hotel Directory for details and links to information on hotels in Boston and Cambridge that offer discounts for Harvard-related reservations.
If your students would like to have a college trip type of experience and/or save a little money, it may be possible to stay with Harvard or MIT undergraduates, but we must be notified as soon as possible, [email hmmt-request@mit.edu ], so that necessary arrangements can be made.
- What is there to do in Boston?
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Boston is a very pedestrian-friendly city, especially since everything is linked by the T subway system; you and your students can trek easily from lunch in Chinatown to a nice theatre, or to the bustle of the many shops and restaurants of Downtown Crossing or Newbury Street. Take a look at http://www.boston.citysearch.com for things to do.
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Contest Difficulty
- How hard are the tests?
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They are not easy. There have been years when the top scores have been less than a 50%. The sample problems should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of difficulty. We hope the contestants find the problems interesting and fun to work on even after the test is over (along the lines of the AIME or the Mandelbrot), but few if any will be able to do all 10 problems on a Subject Test in the 50 minutes allotted.
For students who may feel ill-prepared to take on two Subject Tests, the General Test is an easier alternative. The General Test will last 100 minutes, and will be administered simultaneously with the two rounds of Subject Tests. With respect to individual and team awards, the General Test is weighted at 80% the point value of two Subject Tests.
The only test which requires knowledge of calculus is the Calculus Subject Test.
- Should I take the subject tests or the general test?
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The general test is aimed at younger and/or less experienced problem solvers. If you think you have a shot at winning the general test, you probably should not take it. To determine which test(s) are best for you, check out the archive.
- What is a Guts Round?
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The Guts Round is a fun-filled event like team ciphering at Florida Mu Alpha Theta tournaments. At the judge's signal, teams of eight will send a runner to the front of the room to collect three problems. After the team solves these problems, the runner will return with the answers and collect the next set of problems.
- What about the Team Round?
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The Team Round is a proof based test where students have one hour to tackle a set of problems designed to elicit creative and rigorous thinking. These problems are similar in style to questions in the Power Round at the American Regions Math League. The Team Round progresses over a wide range of difficulty, and it will motivate and challenge all members of a team.
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Contest Rules
- What are the contest rules?
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The rules are available online for your reading pleasure.
- Are calculators allowed?
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No, calculators are not permitted on any of the rounds (computers, books, sliderules, abaci, etc. are also not permitted). Similarly, drawing aids such as rulers, protractors, compasses, and graph paper are also not allowed on any round. These aids used to be allowed on the Guts round but haven't been since 2009. Contestants may count on their fingers and use the scratch paper we will provide.
- How many teams can each school bring?
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Due to staff and space limitations, the HMMT will likely be oversubscribed this year. We anticipate being able to allow each school that registers by November 1 to bring at least one team; see our registration policy for more details.
- How many students can be on a team?
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Each team will consist of no more than eight students If a team has fewer than eight students, it has the option of merging with participants from another school. Extra team members from different schools will be combined to form composite teams.
- Do all students on a team have to be from the same school?
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No, a coach can bring a team that includes students from multiple schools (including homeschooled students). However, we do require that all students be living within a 100 mile diameter of each other. See our registration policy for more information.
- Must all teams be affiliated with a school?
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No! We welcome students who wish to come on their own or with friends from other schools.
- Can students who are not yet in the 9th grade compete?
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Yes. Any middle school student who feels ready to compete is welcome to come.
- Can students who have already graduated from high school compete?
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Sorry, all participants must be currently pursuing a secondary school education and must not be twenty years of age by March 1, 2009 . International students in thirteen-year programs are welcome, provided they fulfill the age limit. If you feel that an exception to this rule ought to be made or are unsure as to the eligibility of a student, please e-mail hmmt-request@mit.edu.
- Can international students compete?
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Yes. We consider international applicants on a case-by-case basis. Please email hmmt-request@mit.edu.
Directions to MIT
For printable maps, see whereis.mit.edu.
- How do we get there?
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via Public Transportation
Subway. By train, take the Red Line to the Kendall/MIT station or to the Central Square station, both of which are a short walk from the campus. The walk from Central Square takes about 10 minutes and takes you right down Massachusetts Avenue. The Kendall/MIT Station is on the edge of the east end of campus, and as soon as you enter an MIT building you can get to the other buildings without going outside.
Bus. The #1 or Dudley bus stops at MIT on Massachusetts Avenue and provides transportation to Central Square and Harvard Square. The MIT stop is at a large crosswalk with a stop light. One one side of the street are steps leading up to large Ionic columns and the Small Dome of MIT, on the other side of the street is the Stratton Student Center and Kresge Oval (an open, grass-covered area).
from Logan Airport
by Subway. From any terminal at Logan airport, take the Silver Line bus to South Station on the Red Line. Take the Red Line (toward Alewife) to the Kendall/MIT station. Under normal conditions the ride will take about half an hour.
by Car
from the North (I-95 or I-93). If you are heading south on I-93, follow I-93 into Boston then follow the I-93 instructions below. If you are heading south on I-95, take the I-93 South exit then follow the instructions from I-93. Alternatively, take the I-90 East exit from I-95 then follow the instructions from I-90.
from the South (I-95 or I-93). If you are heading north on I-93, follow I-93 (the Southeast Expressway) into Boston then follow the I-93 instructions below. If you are heading north on I-95, take the I-93 North exit then follow the instructions from I-93. Alternatively, take the I-90 East exit from I-95 then follow the instructions from I-90.
from the West (I-90) (Mass Turnpike). Follow I-90 east to the Cambridge/Brighton exit (exit 18). Following the signs to Cambridge, cross the River Street Bridge, and continue straight about 1 mile to Central Square. Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue and follow Massachusetts Avenue for about a half mile. The main entrance to MIT will be on your left. If you cross the river again, you have gone too far.
from Route I-93. From I-93, take exit 26, and follow the signs to Back Bay along Storrow Drive West, approximately 1.5 miles, to the exit for Route 2A. The exit will be on the left, just before the Harvard Bridge (more appropriately called the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge). The Charles River will be on your right . As you cross the bridge, you will be looking at MIT - the Great Dome and academic facilities are on the right, the dormitories and athletic facilities are on the left.
- Where can I park when I get to MIT?
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MIT facilities refers people to:
- Massachusetts Ave. and Vassar St. lot—$9.00
- Four Cambridge Center, Kinney System—Ames St. and Broadway—$16.00
- 10 Cambridge Center, Kinney System—Binney St. and Broadway—$18.00
- University Park—Green St. and Sidney St.—$18.00
These parking facilities are not operated by MIT and rates are subject to change without notice.
- How do I get to Lobby 10?
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From the main entrance at 77 Massachusetts Avenue: Just walk down the long hallway (known as the Infinite Corridor) until you reach a large sun-lit atrium that has a marvelous view of Killian Court.
From the Kendal T station: When you get out of the T station, turn towards the MIT COOP and walk down the street until you reach the intersection of Main Street and Ames. You should have passed a Legal Seafood restaurant on the way. Make a left onto Ames and keep going straight until you see a pathway leading into the campus on the right (on the left, you should see steps up to an open courtyard). Make a right and keep going straight until you see building 8 (the building straight in front of you, not the one on the right). Enter building 8 and walk down the infinite corridor until you reach Lobby 10.
Directions to Harvard
For an area map, see here.For a map of the Harvard Campus, see here.
The competition takes place at the Science Center, which is located just north of Harvard Yard.
Text directions detailing how to get to Harvard by car, train, or bus, and from Logan Airport are available here.
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Registration Policy
Teams can register at hmmt.mit.edu/welcome.
The HMMT has received an increasing number of student registrations over the past several years. Our capacity is approximately 700 students, and last year we had to turn away even some teams that registered on time.
The regular registration deadline is November 1. Organizations that register by November 1 will be sent email by mid-November, confirming if we have space for them to attend. We don't anticipate accepting any teams who register after November 1.
Schools should not pay for teams until we have confirmed by e-mail that we will have space for them. In case of cancellations, we will inform schools on our wait list that they can bring (additional) teams.
Ideally, whoever wanted to come to HMMT would be able to. Unfortunately, due to our growing popularity and continuing space limitations, we now have the following policies in effect:
- No school or club may bring more than 3 teams.
- The Top 40 North American teams from HMMT 2009 are automatically accepted.
- Each school or club is allowed one further team. This may be a school's first, second, or third team.
- The remaining spots will be lotteried among the schools and clubs that registered for more teams.
- We will accept individuals on a case-by-case basis. This category is for students that do not have a school or regional team to compete with, not for those trying to get around the above limitations. To apply as an individual fill out the registration and e-mail us your situation.
- The above policies do not apply to international teams. Contact us to apply as an international team; we will consider such teams on a case-by-case basis.
Teams unable to compete onsite are welcome to compete in our new, unofficial, online competition. More information is here.
Possibly. In an effort to preserve the concept of a unified team, and to prevent the formation of a "team" that just selects the strongest math students from across the nation (defeating much of the point of this being a team competition), all members of a regional (non-school based) team must attend schools within a 100 mile diameter. Contact us if you think an exception should be made for your team. Some examples of ok/not-ok teams:
- OK: 8 homeschoolers living in Maine
- Not OK: 8 students who all go to school in different states but practice math together on the internet
- OK: A team with 4 students from one school, 3 students from a neighboring school, and 1 student from another neighboring school
- Not OK: 6 students from Florida and 2 of their friends from North Carolina
No. Whether or not you registered last year is irrelevant. You need to reregister every year that you compete.
Before November 1, all parts of registrations may be changed freely. From November 2 through February 1, the names of students, the tests they are taking, and their teams may be changed freely. After February 1, no changes will be allowed.
Any student unable to find a team is welcome to register as an individual. We will admit individuals on a case-by-case basis, so you must contact us when you register.
Due to space limitations, we are forced to limit the number of international teams competing at HMMT. If you are from an international school and would like to participate, you should contact us directly at hmmt-request@mit.edu. We cannot guarantee you a spot, but we will try to accommodate you.
For our February tournament, the participation fee for teams registered before November 1 and paid for by February 1 is $80/team. (Note that this means you should mail payment well before February 1.) If the registration fee has not been paid by February 1, it rises to $120/team, and then to $200/team on the day of the contest. Note that as of 2009 we are charging per team, not per student. The cost for individuals remains at $10, $15, and $25 for the early, late, and day-of deadlines.
For our November tournament, see November.
Schools should not pay for teams until we have confirmed by e-mail whether and how many of their students we have room for.
Make checks payable to Harvard-MIT Math Tournament. Send them to
HMMT
290 Mass Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
We require each school to provide one adult per team to help proctor on the day of the contest. This proctor must be available between 10:00 and 12:30. If you can't manage to bring one proctor per team, please contact us at hmmt-request@mit.edu for an exception.
