Stanford University Mathematics Camp

Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC) welcomes a select group of rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world for intensive study in advanced mathematics.

Spend the Summer with Peers Who Share a Passion for Mathematics

SUMaC leads participants on a journey in advanced mathematics through lectures, guided research, and group problem solving. In an environment centered on mathematics, participants explore current lines of mathematical research, the historical development of important areas of mathematics, and applications across scientific disciplines.

Advanced Mathematics

Explore mathematics beyond the scope of what is typically taught in the classroom. SUMaC is for students who have an exceptional interest in mathematics, and who are prepared for study of abstract algebra and number theory, or algebraic topology.

Academic Enrichment

The SUMaC courses are not for credit or grade—they are designed for pure mathematical enrichment.

Intensive Exploration

SUMaC focuses on mathematics that is motivated independently of ties to other sciences; nonetheless, important applications are introduced and pursued along the way.

College-Level Workload

Similar to what they would experience in a college course, participants can expect a heavy and engaging workload of assignments to work on outside of the live class meeting times.

Application Now Closed

We offer more mathematics courses through Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. The deadline to apply for Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes courses is March 20, 2025.

Learn More

2025 Program Dates

SUMaC courses will be offered across two online sessions this summer and one residential session, with classes meeting Monday–Friday.

Session One: Online

June 16 – July 4, 2025
3 Weeks
8:00am-11:00am or 5:00pm-8:00pm PT

Due to the immersive nature of this program and the limited duration of the program, class will meet as scheduled on July 4.

Session Two: Online

July 7 – 25, 2025
3 Weeks
8:00am-11:00am or 5:00pm-8:00pm PT

Session One: Residential

June 22 – July 18, 2025
4 Weeks

The first date above represents the move-in date and the second date represents the move-out date. Participants participate in field trips and organized activities on the weekends.

Due to the immersive nature of this program and the limited duration of the program, class will meet as scheduled on July 4.

Session Two: Residential

No residential program offered in Session Two

Attendance Policy

Online: Participants must be fully involved in the program and should be remotely present for all program classes and activities. Participants are required to attend their course at the specified daily class time with their microphone and camera on.

All activities are designed to provide participants with a well-rounded experience both inside and outside of the classroom. Participants should not have any non-program commitments that directly conflict with required program activities.

Residential: Participants must be fully involved in the program and should be present for all program activities. Students are required to arrive on designated arrival dates and remain until the end of the program. Note that arrival day is a Sunday and departure day is a Friday.

All activities, including co-curricular programming, are designed to provide participants with a well-rounded experience inside and outside of the classroom. Participants should only miss scheduled activities for health reasons, religious observances, or family emergencies.

Online and Residential Options

SUMaC brings the joy of mathematics into every aspect of its program. The online experience and residential programs have equal levels of academic rigor and content. The residential SUMaC experience provides in-person social opportunities and field trips with peers, while online SUMaC provides virtual social opportunities with peers, guest speakers, and instructional assistants.

We receive many more qualified applicants for this small program than the space we have available. The residential program will serve 40 participants and the online program will serve 64 participants. Applicants should consider these program sizes when selecting whether they would like to be considered for the residential, online, or both SUMaC offerings.

Online Academic Enrichment

Faster-paced, three-week curriculum
Daily lecture and synchronous problem solving sessions
Online guest lectures
Final research project presentations
64 participants

Real-Time Online Instruction
Courses meet for live, online classroom discussion with their instructor and peers. Participants engage in daily problem sets, work with college undergraduate and graduate students who serve as instructional assistants, and attend virtual guest lectures from mathematicians and others who use mathematics in their respective fields.

Student Engagement
Active participation is key to creating an online community of engaged learners, and students are expected to participate in class, attend problem solving sessions, and collaborate with their peers, instructors, and instructional assistants.

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Residential Stanford Experience

Four week curriculum
Daily weekday problem set sessions
Structured evening and weekend social activities
Final research projects presented at the end of the program
40 participants

An Interactive Experience
When participants come to SUMaC, they will learn and develop as a student, make new friends, and be challenged intellectually.

Explore Stanford's Campus
Live and learn on the beautiful Stanford campus and get a taste of what it is like to be an undergraduate.

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Our Stories

The Stanford University Mathematics Camp has taught students much more than key concepts in contemporary mathematics. Program participants have forged careers and friendships in what many say was a life-changing experience. Meet Mykel Kochenderfer, Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Engineering at Stanford. Professor Kochenderfer participated in SUMaC, attended Stanford as a student and, ultimately, joined the faculty.

"The most valuable aspect of this program was definitely expanding my exposure to higher-level mathematics. I never knew that math could be this interesting or that these topics even existed. It was truly a pleasure getting to learn topics in group theory and getting to apply it to real-life applications such as the Rubik's Cube. I'm also not used to writing proofs, so this course also helped brush-up my skills."

“What made SUMaC special to me were the people. In my class, I made strong bonds with my classmates, TA, and instructor. We would work on problem sets every day, argue about math proofs, and share our own math experiences. Everyone at SUMaC was so supportive of each other, and I am so thankful to have met them.”

“I would highly recommend SUMaC to other high school students because it not only teaches students interesting mathematical topics outside of the realm of high school or competition math but also because it shows them how to think above and beyond the problems that they are given; any problem can lead to another one, and through SUMaC I became better at being more inquisitive in my approach to mathematics.”

Highlights

10-11

Current Grade Levels

16

Average Class Size

2

Sessions Offered This Summer

Program Highlights

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (SPCS) inspires students from around the world to explore academically rigorous learning opportunities through online and residential enrichment programs. Committed to Stanford University’s ideals of academic excellence, SPCS fosters inclusive and accessible communities that enhance learning for the next generation of global citizens.