Stanford Math Tournament 2026
Overview
DATE: April 17-18, 2026
LOCATION: Stanford University
WHO: High School students residing within the United
States
TEAM SIZE: 5-6
COST: $30 per student* (Includes a t-shirt, dinner on Friday, and lunch on Saturday. Financial aid available upon
request!)
SMT is only for US high school students. If this doesn't apply
to you, we encourage you to participate in SMT Online instead.
*Humanitix charges around $2.00 per student in service fees.
Application Information
SMT 2026 will be inviting 800 students (~130-160 teams) from around the United States to compete in-person at Stanford. We are now accepting applications for our in-person tournament from schools, local mathematical organizations, and individuals from the United States. Students who are unable to participate in-person are invited to register for our online tournament.
Schools
Students are highly encouraged to participate in SMT 2026 as part of their school team. Students whose school is sending a team to SMT must attend with their school. Please note that we will only accept school teams with exactly 5 or 6 participants. If you have fewer than 5 members, consider applying as individuals.
Local Established Mathematical Organizations
Students who do not have the opportunity to participate in SMT as part of their school may participate as part of a local established mathematical organization, defined as organizations with students located in a 50 mile radius of its headquarters that (1) conduct mathematical enrichment activities beyond competition participation and (2) provide clear avenues for any student to get involved. Students may participate as part of an organization if and only if a student's school is not sending a team to SMT. Please note that we will only accept teams with exactly 5 or 6 participants. If you have fewer than 5 members, consider applying as individuals.
Individuals
If you are not applying as part of a team to SMT 2026 in-person, you may apply as an individual competitor. However, students are heavily encouraged to form teams with their schools. Students who register as individuals will be placed in a team with 5 other individual competitors, based on geographic proximity. Individuals may have a lower chance of being accepted to compete in SMT than students participating as part of a school or organization. If you have any questions or concerns regarding eligibility to compete as an individual, please email us at info@StanfordMathTournament.org.
Selection Method
We will reserve spots for top school teams (non-orgs) from SMT 2025 and for teams that are low-income and/or historically underrepresented in mathematics. The rest of the spots will be assigned via a lottery, with preference given to school-based teams, followed by local organizations and individuals.
Questions or Concerns?
Reach out to info@StanfordMathTournament.org.
These criteria only apply for SMT 2026 in-person, not for SMT 2026 Online. These selection criteria are not final; they may change as we work to promote both diversity and a competitive spirit. Decisions made by SMT are final and non-negotiable.
Last updated on 12/2/2025
Registration Timeline
Contest Schedule
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*Schedule and activities subject to change. Note that there is built-in buffer time to explain instructions and assist with technical difficulties.
Test Information
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The Power Round is a 80-minute exam focused on proof-writing. The content of the test focuses on a single subject matter that is usually significantly different from traditional competitive math problems.
The Team Round is a 50-minute exam consisting of 15 short answer questions.
The General Test is a 110-minute individual exam
consisting of 25 short answer questions that is designed for students that
have less specialized mathematical background.
The General Test is worth 60% of the Subject Tests.
The Subject Tests are two 50-minute individual exams consisting of 10 short answer questions. The subjects offered are Algebra, Calculus, Discrete (Number Theory & Combinatorics), and Geometry.
The Guts Round is an 80 minute live-scored team exam consisting of 9 series of 3 questions each, whereby teams must submit answers to a previous round in order to gain access to the next. Subsequent rounds are both harder and worth more points than previous rounds.
FAQ
Q: How many students may be on a team?
A: Teams must consist of 5-6 members. Teams with less or more students will not be accepted.
Q: Which students may participate in SMT 2026 in-person?
A: Students must be in high school to participate in SMT 2026 in-person. However, SMT 2026 Online is open to students of all grades.
Q: Can I participate in SMT remotely?
A: Yes, see the SMT Online Page.
Q: Can I apply for SMT 2026 as an individual?
A: Yes, you can apply as an individual if you are unable to go as part of a school team.
Q: Do students on the same team have to be from the same school or established mathematical organization?
A: Yes, students must be from the same school or mathematical organization. If a student's school is participating, however, that student must participate through their school. If a student is participating as an individual, they will be matched with teammates before tournament day.
Q: What schools or organizations can participate in SMT?
A: SMT 2026 will be open to all domestic students from US-based schools or organizations.
Q: Can international teams participate in SMT? If so, how do they register?
A: Yes, but they must participate in SMT Online - see that page for more details.
Q: Are calculators allowed?
A: No. Calculators are not allowed on any portion of the tests. Check the SMT rules for information on permitted items.
Q: What topics may appear on the tests? How hard are the tests?
A: See the mathematical expectations document for guidelines on what topics may appear on each test. It is also advisable to look at the test from previous years in order to get a sense of the typical style and difficulty of SMT tests.
Q: Which individual test should I take?
A: If you have little or no experience with contest math, we strongly recommend you take the General Test. Looking at past tests will help you get a sense of the difficulty of each test.
Q: Do we need to have a teacher or coach attend SMT in person?
A: Yes, you must have at least one authorized adult chaperone present per team who is responsible for the team during the tournament. This can be a parent of a team member or a coach.
Q: Can I use the problems from previous SMT tests listed below in my classroom/book/etc?
A: Yes! Feel free to use any officially released problems, provided you cite us in the format 'Stanford Math Tournament [Year] [Round] [Problem #]'