FAQs

Yes, √mathroots is a residential program! For the 14-day program, students stay in an MIT dorm with residential counselors who more or less serve as 24/7 chaperones. There is NOT an option to commute or participate in the program via Zoom.

There are no tuition or housing costs associated with √mathroots; the program is free. However, each family is responsible for arranging transportation for their student to camp when it starts and back home when it ends. There are travel scholarships available if this presents a hardship. This is discussed after students are accepted into the program for the sake of reading each application through an equal lens. There is not a separate application you need to do to request a travel scholarship when you apply to √mathroots.

This is highly discouraged. It is our expectation that you are not participating in other programs simultaneously if you accept your offer to √mathroots. Having your focus split between numerous programs lessens the amount you take away from camp and takes away an opportunity from other students, both for our program and for the others you might be participating in.

The only background we require for students is comfortability with high school algebra, geometry, trigonometry, exponents, and logarithms. To this end, precalculus is strongly recommended. Calculus is not required.

The topics we cover during camp involve problem-solving: the process of systematically tackling problems and communicating solutions. You do not need background in math competitions or research to learn the problem solving techniques we teach: you just need to be willing to tackle problems head first, and comfortability with the above topics will be helpful in doing so.

No, for our program we only consider current high school students. However, if you’re still interested in applying next year, we encourage you to do so!

No, for our program we only consider students who will continue to be in high school the following academic year. We wish you luck on your future endeavors!

We do not consider students into this program who do not attend a US High School and are not a US Citizen. We hope this does not deter you from looking into more of these summer programs, though we cannot provide better news.

The √mathroots 2026 application was due March 3, 2026 at 11:59EST. We are no longer accepting applications for Summer 2026.

No. In the fairness of all students applying to the program, we do not accept new applications after the deadline. If you are still interested in our program, and you will still be a high school student in Fall 2027, we encourage you to apply during next year’s cycle.

The application opens in early January and closes in early March.

Decisions are typically released in late April/early May.

Our program does have a waitlist. Any applicants placed on our waitlist will be notified when they receive their initial decision. We are unable to add applicants to the waitlist who were not assigned to the waitlist through the selection process.

For your application to be considered, contact information (name and email address) for one (1) recommender must be uploaded to your application by the deadline. As soon as you submit your recommender’s information, they are sent an automated email from our application portal containing a unique link to the recommendation form. 

For specific questions about letters of recommendation, please see the “Information for Recommenders” section below.

No! The portfolio is optional, so it is neither expected nor required. If you choose to submit a portfolio, it may contain material that you think will help us better get to know you as an applicant! (e.g., visual art, music, projects)

You have two weeks past the student deadline to submit a letter of recommendation for a student.

If you cannot find the recommender link, first check your spam/junk inbox. The recommendation request is automated and is sometimes blocked by school spam filters. If the problem persists, please email us at mathroots@mit.edu, and we will resend the link on our end. 

We do not accept letters of recommendation directly from applicants.

While parents can travel with the students if they so choose, we do not provide housing, transportation, meals, or anything else for people other than the admitted student. Furthermore, parents should note that students will be occupied all day during the 14-day program. Parents are welcome at the opening ceremony.