Rutgers Young Scholars Program in Discrete Mathematics Summer 2026
July 6 - Jul 31, 2026
An in-person residential program. All participants comply with Rutgers health requirements in effect at the time.
- Are you fascinated by mathematics?
- Do you like to solve challenging and puzzling mathematical problems?
- Are you curious about what mathematicians do?
- Would you enjoy living on a college campus for one month and exploring mathematics?
If you answered yes to these questions, the Rutgers Young Scholars Program in Discrete Mathematics invites you to join other talented and highly motivated high school students for an academically challenging summer at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
About the Program
The Rutgers Young Scholars Program in Discrete Mathematics is a summer program for mathematically talented high school students. It provides a mathematically rich environment to students interested in mathematics, and is designed to encourage them to consider careers in the mathematical sciences.
Selected students participate in an intensive four-week residential academic program that provides a challenging introduction to discrete mathematics -- an important area of the mathematical sciences with many applications on the cutting edge of modern research.
During the program, you will develop and enhance your problem-solving abilities by applying mathematical concepts to a wide range of problems. You will also meet distinguished professionals in the field of discrete mathematics who will serve as role models and mentors and help you decide if mathematics is the right field for you. Undergraduate teaching assistants who are embarking on their own careers in mathematics will provide additional academic support.
Click here to see a sample schedule and program notes.
The program is held on the Busch campus of Rutgers University. Students are housed in a modern, air-conditioned residence hall. The classroom building, computer laboratories, student center, and recreation center are within walking distance of the residence hall. Residence life staff members coordinate the residence program and recreational activities. This program has taken place at Rutgers every year (except two) since 1990, and its participants have consistently given it very high ratings.
Tuition and Fees
The cost of the program for 2026 is expected to be $4,800 and will be finalized by the time that acceptances are sent out. The cost includes tuition, materials, housing, and meals from Monday lunch though Friday lunch each week.
Students return home each weekend. Students who live at a distance are welcome to apply if they have relatives or family friends who live in the area and with whom they can stay on the weekends, or (at additional cost) can make arrangements outside of Rutgers for weekend home hospitality for the three weekends (9 nights) during the program.
A limited number of scholarships will be available for students in need.
How to Apply
When you apply for admission to the program, you will be asked to solve a set of interesting mathematical problems (click here to see a sample problem). Your responses to these problems and other application information will be reviewed by our staff.
Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis for as long as space is available. Students from underrepresented groups in the mathematical sciences are strongly encouraged to apply.
Completing Application Materials
A completed application includes all of the following. The individual parts may be submitted separately when they are completed.
1. A Student Information and Consent Google Form, filled in by you and your parent/guardian. Click here to get the 2026 Student Information and Consent Form.
2. Your solutions (partial or complete) to the 2026 Problems to Explore. Click here to get the 2026 Problems to Explore. These problems are challenging and most applicants will successfully solve only some of them. So don’t get discouraged by what you haven’t done … just show us what you have done, including any partial solutions. Please make sure to show us all your work and, wherever appropriate, explain your reasoning.
3. A letter of recommendation from your teacher, who should email it directly to .
4. A copy of your high school transcript or grade record, which should be emailed by your counselor to
Deadline
Applications will be reviewed on a first-come first-served basis until the program is filled, beginning in February 2026. For many years the program has had more applicants than could be accommodated. We therefore encourage you to submit
your completed application by the end of February if possible.
Partial scholarships are available. You should not be discouraged from applying because of
financial considerations. Once you are accepted into the program, your parents will be asked if they
wish to apply for financial assistance and, if so, will be asked to complete an application form and provide
additional materials. Applications for financial assistance must be received by April 15, 2026, so if you
expect that your family will apply for a scholarship, please be sure to submit your completed
application, including solutions to the problems, by March 31.
Submitting your Application
1. Submit the Google form.
2. Create a single compressed folder with your solutions to the problems (you can write them and take pictures or type them or a mix of both) and email them to .
3. Ask your teacher to email a recommendation letter to .
4. Ask your counselor to email a transcript of your high school record to .
Other Information and Programs
If you have any questions, contact us at .
For links to math programs nationwide for high school students, visit http://www.ams.org/opportunities
Sponsorship and Funding
The Rutgers Young Scholars Program in Discrete Mathematics is sponsored by the Rutgers University School of Arts and Sciences Department of Mathematics and the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Computer Science (DIMACS).
The program was initially funded by the National Science Foundation. It received additional support from the AT&T Foundation, Google, Hewlett-Packard, the Mathematical Sciences Department of the IBM T J Watson Research Center, the Prudential Foundation, and the National Security Agency, and the Merican Mathematical Society.