2005 USAMO Teachers Manual - S-I -- Letter to the USAMO Qualifier -- SAMPLE

Dear USAMO Qualifier,

Congratulations! Because of your excellent performance on the 2005 AMC 10/12 and AIME, you have qualified to take the 34th U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO). Your teacher will be notified shortly of your AIME score and the final cutoff levels for a USAMO invitation. Since both you and your school indicated at the time of the AIME that you would accept a USAMO invitation, the exam will be posted on the Internet to be downloaded each day of the exam. A trial question will be posted one week before the USAMO for teachers & students to practice obtaining & downloading. Please notify your USAMO Exam Manager (math teacher or mathematics department chair) that you have received this letter and immediately complete the Form S-III (along with your parent or guardian) from the AIME/USAMO Teachers Manual or downloaded from our website at www.unl.edu/amc. The completed S-III Form must be FAXED to 303/374-6339 (Emergency FAX # to be used only if the first number fails is 402/472-6087) or mailed so that it is received by us on or before April 15.

The USAMO will be given on Tuesday, April 19 and Wednesday April 20, 2005, in two 4.5-hour sessions each day, which are to be scheduled from 12:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT or equivalent in your time zone. Enclosed is an instruction sheet (Form S-II), which you should look over now and shortly before taking the exam. The USAMO is a prestigious event. Only about 250 students from about 12,000 American Invitational Mathematics Examination participants are invited to take the USAMO. The top 12 participants will be declared Winners and honored at ceremonies on June 26 and June 27, 2005 at the National Academy of Sciences, the National Science Foundation and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Headquarters in Washington, DC.

A Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program (MOSP) will be held from June 10-July 3, 2005 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Approximately 30 of the highest scoring USAMO participants will be invited, along with an additional (approximately) 30 ninth grade USAMO participants, all expenses paid, to the 2005 program. Selection will be based on the exams administered by the committee on the American Mathematics Competitions (CAMC), primarily the USAMO. This year, the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), will be held July 8-19, 2005 in Merida, Mexico. The United States will participate with a team of 6 students, all expenses paid. The six member IMO Team will be selected from the top 12 USAMO qualifiers after further testing at MOSP.

USAMO Winners, and all those invited to the MOSP will be notified by telephone shortly after the USAMO grading on April 22, 23, and 24th, 2005. Information regarding the MOSP will be sent to those selected beginning on Monday, April 25th. A copy of the USAMO with solutions and results (including your score) will be mailed to your USAMO Exam Manager on Wednesday, April 27th. Also included will be a USAMO Certificate of Participation to be presented to you. Students and teachers should not inquire about results before Friday, April 29, 2005.

Keep in mind that it is an achievement of the highest order merely to have qualified for the USAMO. You should not be discouraged if you find problems on the USAMO to be extremely challenging. A good way to prepare for the USAMO and set appropriate goals for yourself is to work on previous USAMO and IMO problems and to study the content of the Arbelos Journals. Please use the Publication Order Form (from our website www.unl.edu/amc or the AIME/USAMO Teachers Manual) if you wish to order practice materials.

I look forward to your participation in the USAMO.

Sincerely,