There are four Talent Search tests per school year. The four tests are mailed to all Vermont high schools in the months of October, November, January and February. School calendars are used to determine the mailing dates. Students have thirty days to complete the test and mail in their answers.
Teachers are asked to encourage students to participate in the Talent Search Contest. Many of the problems of the Talent Search Tests are difficult, and even excellent students are not expected to solve all of the problems. It is our experience over several years of the Talent Search Contest that students who solve one or two problems on one test can often solve four or more problems of subsequent tests. The contest organizers, in an attempt to encourage participation, have found funding that allows the award of gift certificates to some students on the basis of a raffle following the fourth test. For each correct solution, students earn a raffle ticket. Selections from the raffle tickets have sometimes resulted in the awards to students who solved just one problem in the entire year. Of course, a student who has solved many problems has a much better chance of winning.
There are other incentives to do well in the Talent Search Contest. Each year about eight top ranked students are awarded gift certificates. These students are honored at a dinner to which they and their parents/guardians and a high school math teacher are invited. It should be mentioned that there is an incentive for high school students and even middle school students to participate in the talent search contest. These students who perform well on the tests are invited to attend a week-long, tuition-free Summer Enrichment Institute at the University of Vermont. These Institutes include sessions in mathematics, engineering, computer science and computer applications, and other sciences such as astronomy and life sciences. In making selections for the Summer Enrichment Institute, based on the Talent Search Contest, a first year high school student would not be expected to solve as many problems as a student who has been in high school longer and has taken more mathematics classes.
The Talent Search Contest, the Awards Dinner, and the Summer Enrichment Institute are all sponsored by the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition.
We are asking teachers to give students at your high school the opportunity to participate in the Talent Search Contest. This includes students of all grades who have an interest or aptitude for mathematics and are willing to tackle some challenging problems. We try to reach all home-schoolers, but may miss some. Please keep this Contest in mind for any home-schoolers that you may know. We have attempted to reach students through the Chair of Mathematics or Contact Person at each high school. If our mailings should be sent to some other person, please let us know.
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