10 Math Programs for Gifted Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 4 hours ago
- 8 min read
If you’re a 6-8 grader with a strong aptitude for numbers and patterns, math programs can be a great option to deepen academic exploration through intellectual challenges. These programs go beyond what the middle school curriculum offers, allowing you to engage with advanced mathematical concepts such as number theory, cryptography, and higher-level calculus. Alongside building analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, math programs for gifted middle school students offer preparation for competitions, provide networking possibilities, and become a gateway to receiving mentorship from university faculty or researchers.
So if you’re hoping to strengthen your foundation for future STEM pursuits or be part of a community where people are passionate about numbers, enrolling in a math program for gifted middle school students can be a rewarding next step. To help you with your research, we’ve shortlisted 10 such programs known for their academic rigor and competitive admissions.
10 Math Programs for Gifted Middle School Students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: varies (need-based financial aid available)
Dates: 8 weeks; multiple cohorts
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
This fully online program pairs you with one of its 2,200+ mentors from top-tier research institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, and UCLA, who provide one-on-one guidance as you dive deep into a subject you’re passionate about and build a personalized research project. Subjects on offer include mathematics and data science, among other STEM and humanities options. Founded by a Harvard and Oxford PhD duo, the Junior Explorer Program is rigorous and flexible, providing you with the chance to experience the kind of independent, inquiry-based learning typically reserved for older students.
The program offers rolling cohorts throughout the year and provides need-based financial aid to ensure that all qualified students can participate. To explore upcoming cohorts and application deadlines, you can visit this page.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: $500 for each quarter; $1,485 for three quarters
Dates: September 30 - December 11 (tentative)
Application Deadline: Registration opens up to 2 months before each quarter
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-8
This math program for gifted middle school students allows you to explore deep, challenging mathematical topics in age-appropriate ways, while making it exciting. Sponsored by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and the Stanford University Department of Mathematics, Math Circle sessions are led by subject and field experts. The program brings together math enthusiasts and encourages problem-solving, abstract reasoning, and open discussion in a collaborative environment, making it ideal for students who enjoy exploring beyond the standard school curriculum. Admission is competitive and sessions are high in demand, with students being admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. While the link in the title is for students in grades 7-8, Math Circle is also offered to 5-6 graders, and you can view its page here.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Moderately selective; 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio
Location: Virtual
Cost: varies (need-based financial aid available)
Dates: 25 hours in 10 weeks (weekends) or 2 weeks (weekdays)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
If you’re a math-inclined middle schooler curious about how artificial intelligence works, AI Trailblazers is a great place to start. This virtual program introduces you to the fundamentals of AI and machine learning through a mix of hands-on projects, small-group sessions, and live lectures. Over 25 hours, you'll pick up essential Python skills and dive into real-world concepts like data analysis, image classification, regression models, neural networks, and even AI ethics. With a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio, there's plenty of personalized support as you work through challenges. Past student projects have included training machine-learning models to identify music genres or generate tailored learning resources.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not more than 18 students per class
Location: Options vary by course
Cost: From $3,149 (financial aid available) with a $55 application fee for domestic students ($250 for international students)
Dates: Options typically fall between June and August
Application Deadline: Typically until mid-May
Eligibility: Academically advanced students in grades 5-11
Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth (CTY) offers several math programs for gifted middle school students, designed to sharpen reasoning in areas like number theory, game theory, probability, and logic. Under ‘Filters’, you can set the ‘Eligibility Level’ to ‘CTY’ or ‘Advanced’ to view courses that would benefit your passion for mathematics. Courses are led by qualified professionals who are known for delivering lessons for academically advanced students. You can expect to learn through a combination of interactive instruction, simulations, assessments, and research to cultivate both individual skill and peer learning.
The center offers both residential and commuter options to choose from. Eligibility depends on scoring at or above CTY‑level on tests such as the SCAT, STB, SAT, etc., and you must achieve qualifying quantitative scores to enroll in advanced math courses.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,995 for the academic year (need-based scholarships are available)
Dates: 2-year program; semester 1 typically starts in the fall of a given year
Application Deadline: Typically in May
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-9 (at the time of application) with evidence of advanced learning capacity
The Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) at Michigan State University (MSU) offers mathematically gifted students in grades 6-9 the unique opportunity to advance mathematically through the Cooperative Highly Accelerated Mathematics Program (CHAMP). When you enrol, you complete the entire four‑year high school math curriculum, from algebra I through pre‑calculus, in just two years. Throughout the program, MSU faculty run weekly virtual classes for around 2.5 hours. Moreover, study labs give you extra time to collaborate, ask questions, and prepare for exams. As a math program for gifted middle school students, admission is selective; you must submit qualifying ACT, SAT, or CogAT test scores, teacher recommendations, grades, and the online math diagnostic test. GATE offers many more programs for gifted students, which you can view here by scrolling down to ‘Our Programs’.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,425 (scholarships and financial aid available)
Dates: September 10 to May 20
Application Deadline: Registrations are currently open for fall sessions
Eligibility: Gifted students in grades 6-12
Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers advanced math courses for grades 6-12, and middle school students can access accelerated courses that provide high school credit. These programs connect you with motivated peers and expert instructors, encouraging collaborative problem-solving and exploration of topics beyondthe standard curriculum, making this a smart choice if you’re searching for math programs for gifted middle school students. While CTD hosts in-person programs as well, accelerated math courses in the fall session are delivered entirely virtually. These are flexibly paced, and many of them include project-based or inquiry‑style learning that fosters deeper mathematical reasoning. Acceptance into accelerated tiers is competitive and may also require prior completion of CTD math, strong grades, or performance on above‑grade‑level tests.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual (while on-site courses are available, math options are currently only available online)
Cost: Program cost starts from $750 (need-based financial aid available) with a $60 application fee ($90 for international students)
Dates: Typically in June-July
Application Deadline: Typically in March
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-11; see here for full requirements for accelerated core math courses
UC Berkeley offers rigorous accelerated and enrichment math programs for gifted middle school students. Across six weeks, you can cover the full-year school curriculum for algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, or geometry. With class sizes typically capped at 20-24 students, the courses foster deep discussion, involving creative reasoning and collaboration among advanced peers. The courses also emphasize self-directed study and advanced preparation for class, requiring you to devote between 36 and 40 hours per week. Eligibility is limited to those completing grades 7-11, and accelerated math applicants must also pass a diagnostic exam and typically hold an A in their current math class.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 13 students per class
Location: Multiple locations
Cost: $899 per trimester
Dates: 36-week academic year program
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Academically gifted students in grades 6-12
The Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) Academy offers rigorous, problem- and inquiry‑based academic-year math courses for levels 6-12, including prealgebra, algebra 1 through calculus, and both middle- and high-school contest math. These courses are designed by passionate math professionals and academics to deepen conceptual understanding and competition readiness through both instruction and challenging homework. Courses are curated to invite you to go beyond facts to explore mathematical truths. You also get to network with motivated peers and expert instructors in small cohorts, often benefiting from collaborative problem-solving, contest prep, and logic-driven coursework. While not explicitly selective in the sense of academic programs, readiness is enforced via the strict placement system, which requires completing a test, ensuring each cohort consists of students with comparable high ability and motivation. If you’re looking for shorter math programs for gifted middle school students, you are encouraged to take a look at their summer camps.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,500 per course (financial aid available for Davidson Young Scholars)
Dates: TBA; courses run for the full academic year
Application Deadline: TBA in the fall
Eligibility: Academically advanced U.S. or Canadian students aged 9-13 years
Explore offers year‑long online science, humanities, and math programs for gifted middle school students, blending live weekly sessions with engaging asynchronous work. Each math course includes live classes, where you collaborate with peers and experienced instructors on challenging content and real‑world applications. The programs emphasize leading investigations, developing justifications for solutions, and thinking critically. Because the classes are small and ability‑grouped, you form strong connections with intellectually curious peers and instructors. Explore students often present their ideas during live sessions, building both academic and social confidence.
Eligible applicants must be U.S. or Canadian citizens or residents, aged 9-13 years old; non-Young Scholar applicants must also submit qualifying test scores and one educator recommendation with their application.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Information not available publicly
Location: Virtual and in-person sessions (at multiple locations)
Cost: Options range from $800 to $7,495 (discounts and scholarships available) with an additional $75 application fee
Dates: Typically between June and August
Application Deadline: Typically in April
Eligibility: Advanced elementary, middle, and high school students with an interest in math
Areteem Institute’s Summer Camps are specially curated math programs for gifted middle school students, as well as those in elementary and secondary school. They are offered both in-person (at top university campuses like Boston University and UC San Diego) and online. The highlight of the camps is their focus on preparation for math competitions like AMC 8, AIME, and more. You engage in collaborative workshops, group discussions, and social activities that help build connections and strengthen communication and leadership skills. Admission is based on academic performance, test scores, accomplishments, and teacher recommendations, ensuring a cohort of driven and high-aptitude peers.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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