November 4, 2026
Students, parents, educators, and math enthusiasts from the Carolina low country and beyond are invited to help form the Charleston Math Circle! This organization, offered by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the College of Charleston is just getting started as of Fall 2026. We plan to offer
Quarterly gatherings for recreational math and contest preparation
Administration of the American Mathematics Competitions
Questions? Send an e-mail to Garrett Mitchener at mitchenerg@charleston.edu.
Our first gathering will be Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 10:30 on the campus of the College of Charleston. We’ll meet in the Robert Scott Small building (RSS) at 175 Calhoun St. I have reserved room 103, which is on the ground floor on the end of the building away from Calhoun St. There’s a repair crew working next to RSS, and the sidewalk may still be blocked that day. You can enter the building through doors at either end and reach that room through the halls.
For parking, there are several nearby garages. I suggest the garage at 34 St. Philip St., near the CVS, and the garage at 89 St. Philip north of Calhoun St. which should be open to visitors on Saturdays.
Let us know that you’re interested by filling out this survey!
The American Mathematics Competitions are written contests published by the Mathematical Association of America and administered at schools and colleges nationwide. Students with an interest in challenging and fun math are invited to participate. These contests are part of the process of qualifying for several prestigious math contests, including the American Invitational Math Contest, the USA Math Olympiad, and ultimately the US team for the International Math Olympiad.
Lots of information is available at the AMC official website.
Three levels of contest are offered. All are multiple-choice tests for individual students.
The AMC 8 is for grades 8 and below, focused on middle-school mathematics topics, including counting techniques, elementary algebra, visualization, and elementary geometry. It’s 25 questions and lasts 40 minutes. It’s offered annually in January. Practice problems posted at the Art of Problem Solving AMC 8 archive.
The AMC 10 is for grades 10 and below, focused on early high-school mathematics topics, including algebra, geometry, number theory, and probability. It’s 25 questions and lasts 75 minutes. It’s offered annually in November on the same dates as the AMC 12. Practice problems posted at the Art of Problem Solving AMC 10 archive.
The AMC 12 is for grades 12 and below, focused on advanced high-school mathematics topics, such as trigonometry, coordinate geometry, and advanced geometry, but not calculus. It’s 25 questions and lasts 75 minutes. It’s offered annually in November on the same dates as the AMC 10. Practice problems posted at the Art of Problem Solving AMC 12 archive.
First, check with your school’s math department to see if they will be offering the AMCs. Also some regional math clubs offer the AMCs. Otherwise, you’re invited to take the appropriate AMC here at the College of Charleston! Fill out our survey and we’ll get back to you with further details.
Our tentative calendar is to offer the three tests at these dates and times:
AMC 10 and 12 on Thursday November 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM. Fill out the survey by October 15, 2026 for either of these contests so we have time to handle the paperwork.
AMC 8 on Saturday January 23, 2027. Indicate your available times in the survey and we’ll try to accommodate as many students as possible. Fill out the survey by January 15, 2027 so we have time to handle the paperwork.
Before each contest, we’ll send out some additional information via e-mail to everyone who fills out the survey. Specifically, it will include links and instructions for the following:
How to register a student with the MAA to take an AMC here.
A waiver, which the College requires for all youth attending events on campus.
Where to go for the AMC once you arrive on campus.
FYI: Clemson University also offers the three AMC contests regularly.