What Math Competitions and Student Programs Does MAA Run?

The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) runs a K–12 competition pathway that starts with the AMC and leads, through the AIME, to the USAMO and USAJMO — plus non-competition student resources and programs for college students and early-career faculty. The MAA site describes K–12 students enjoying "fun math challenges, AMC competitions, and interactive materials to explore math and STEM careers," and its news pages confirm the AIME-to-Olympiad invitation process. Use this guide if you are a student, parent, coach, or teacher trying to understand how the competitions connect and where to find participation details.

The competition pathway, step by step

The MAA's own announcements describe the sequence as AMC → AIME → USAMO/USAJMO. Here is how the stages relate, based only on what the MAA materials state:

The MAA's 2026 announcement is the clearest source for the progression: it congratulates "all American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME) I and AIME II participants," notes that "students representing approximately the top 11% of all participants have been selected to compete in the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) or the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO)," and states that participants are invited to "designated competition sites."

What this means in practice

• AMC is the entry point. You do not apply directly to the AIME or the Olympiads; advancement is earned through performance in the prior round.
• AIME has two sittings (I and II). The MAA announcement refers to both, so students and coaches should check which sitting applies to them.
• USAMO and USAJMO are separate competitions. The MAA names them together but as distinct Olympiads, with USAJMO being the junior version.
• The cutoff is approximate, not fixed. The "approximately the top 11%" wording means the exact qualifying group can vary year to year.

Student programs beyond the competitions

The MAA frames its student support broadly, from K–12 through higher education. According to the site, K–12 students can access "fun math challenges, AMC competitions, and interactive materials to explore math and STEM careers," while higher education students "have access to resources to enhance their skills, research, and job prospects."

For college students and early-career mathematicians, the MAA also highlights:

• Project NExT, described in an MAA announcement as "Advancing Early-Career Teaching."
• The MAA Career Center, listed among benefits for industry professionals.
• Special interest groups for industry-specific connections.

These are programs and resources rather than competitions, but they matter if you are a student planning the next step after high school contests.

How to find participation information on maa.org

The MAA site does not lay out a single "register here" page in the material available, so the practical approach is to navigate by audience and by news:

1. Start from the audience path. The homepage offers "Get Started As A Student," "As Faculty," and "As An Industry Professional." The student path is the one that covers K–12 challenges and AMC competitions.
2. Check the News section for cycle updates. MAA posts competition announcements there — for example, the 2026 USAMO/USAJMO invitation notice and AIME participation congratulations. These posts tell you when a stage has concluded and who advanced.
3. Look for the specific competition name. Searching the site for "AMC," "AIME," "USAMO," or "USAJMO" is more reliable than browsing general pages, since each competition has its own logistics.
4. Confirm site and date details with your school or coach. Because the MAA invites Olympiad participants to "designated competition sites," the local coordinator is usually the fastest source for registration deadlines and locations.

Common sticking points

• Assuming you can enter the AIME directly. Advancement comes from AMC performance; there is no separate open application described in the MAA materials.
• Missing the two AIME sittings. Students should verify which of AIME I or AIME II they are expected to take.
• Treating the 11% figure as a guarantee. It is described as approximate, so plan around the official invitation, not the percentage.
• Overlooking non-competition programs. If you are past K–12, the career center, special interest groups, and Project NExT are the relevant MAA offerings rather than the Olympiad pathway.

Who this pathway is for

The competition track is aimed at K–12 students, with the AMC as the accessible starting point and the Olympiads as the advanced tier. Parents and teachers should treat the MAA News page as the authoritative signal for each year's cycle, and students in higher education should look instead at the MAA's student resources, career center, and early-career teaching programs. For anything time-sensitive — registration windows, site assignments, eligibility — confirm with the MAA announcement for that specific year rather than relying on the general pathway description.