About HiMCM & this independent resource

HiMCM – the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling – is an international mathematical modeling competition for high school students, organized by COMAP, the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications. Teams of up to four students from the same school or approved program work during a 14-day window each November on one open-ended, real-world modeling problem, and submit a solution paper in English of at most 25 pages including the summary sheet. 2026 marks the 29th HiMCM; a parallel contest, MidMCM, extends the same format to students aged 14½ or younger. COMAP reports that over 1,000 teams – more than 4,000 students – participate each year, and papers are judged as Successful Participant, Honorable Mention, Meritorious, Finalist, or Outstanding. Contest problems are accessible using the mathematics taught at the respective levels, and COMAP remains the sole official authority for rules, dates, and registration.

Teams are not required to use the full 14-day window, and solutions go to COMAP for centralized judging. There is no limit to the number of teams from any one school and no limit to the number of teams any one advisor can advise. Additional support for HiMCM and MidMCM is provided by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

Why students join, in COMAP’s words. Students enjoy putting classroom mathematics to the test of a real-world application problem, improve interpersonal skills through teamwork, and build technical writing and communication skills preparing a written report – and report a great sense of accomplishment when the final paper is submitted for judging.

Why advisors join. Some teachers use the contest inside a mathematics or modeling course, some run it as an extracurricular math club activity, and some encourage teams to participate simply for fun. COMAP encourages educators to share the contest with all mathematics and STEM teachers at both high school and middle school levels.

COMAP – the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications – develops curriculum resources, professional development programs, and contest opportunities centered on mathematical modeling: using mathematical tools to explore real-world problems.

WHAT WE
DO.

This site is operated by Hanlin International Education (翰林国际教育), an independent education provider – Tel 021-63526630. It organizes public competition information, preparation methods, team-planning tools, historical learning resources, and optional tutoring support. Our goal is to help students develop a process they can explain and own.

We focus on problem framing, assumptions, model selection, computation, evidence, sensitivity, validation, visual communication, citation, and project coordination. Feedback is educational: it is meant to help students make their own decisions, not to replace their work.

WHAT WE
DO NOT DO.

• We do not represent COMAP or operate the official HiMCM contest.
• We do not promise team matching, awards, rankings, or admissions outcomes.
• We do not write or submit competition papers for students.
• We do not ask students to copy prior papers, code, figures, or citations.
• We do not treat third-party summaries as a substitute for current official rules.

NEED A
STARTING POINT?

Begin with the contest guide if you are new to HiMCM. Use the team matching page if roles or availability are the constraint. Use the preparation resources and the awarded paper library when you are ready to practice.