The University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) is an alternative secondary mathematics education program in Minnesota, operated by the University of Minnesota's School of Mathematics Center for Educational Programs (MathCEP). Classes are offered in St. Cloud, Rochester, Duluth, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Program is supported by the Minnesota state legislature.
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UMTYMP students represent some of Minnesota's finest, most promising math students. The course structure, intensity, and workload are unlike anything most students have seen before, and most students do not see courses of this rigor until college. UMTYMP alumni attend a laundry list of the nation's most competitive colleges and universities, with a large number of students attending Ivy League institutions, and many pursuing graduate degrees.
Program
UMTYMP offers a total of five years of math coursework, but an additional semester of twice a week classes of topology and topological topics are offered, too. The latest someone can start Algebra would be 8th grade, so they must pass the test by 7th grade. A student who previously wasn't in UMTYMP and in grades (7-10) could be eligible to take an entrance exam to Calculus 1 as long as they have passed Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Math Analysis/Trigonometry.
High school component
The UMTYMP high school component lasts two years: one year covering Algebra I and II, and another year covering Geometry and Math Analysis. Students receive high school credit for these courses. To pass each semester, a grade of at least 70% in the class must be achieved, and a grade of 70%-75% results in probation and potential ejection from the course.
Calculus component
The UMTYMP college component offers three years of honors-level college calculus. Students receive both high school and University of Minnesota credit for these courses.
Enrollment
In order to enter this advanced class, first the interested students (usually 5th to 7th grade) must complete and pass a test in April. If the student passes, the student will be invited to join UMTYMP in the fall of the next year (or the invitation can be postponed until a year after the fall after the test is passed) as an algebra I/algebra II student. The enrollment fee for the school year 2006 - 2007 year was around $700 – $800.
In the 2005-2006 school year, 506 students from 134 public and 28 private schools were enrolled in UMTYMP. Of them, 421 attended classes in Minneapolis, 56 in Rochester, and 29 in St. Cloud. 361 (71%) were male and 145 (29%) were female. Among those who reported their ethnicity, 277 (62%) were White, 142 (32%) were Asian/Pacific Islanders, 10 (2%) were Chicano/Latino, 3 (0.7%) were Alaskan/American Indian, 2 (0.4%) were African-American, and 14 (3%) described themselves as other.