IDEA MATH provides an extensive curriculum. Our courses are intended for able students who wish to expand their mathematics knowledge beyond regular classroom settings. We emphasize study skills (such as taking notes, oral and written presentations, listening, observing, organization, etc).

In general, each applicant not recently enrolled (that is, who has not completed an IDEA MATH course in the spring or summer of 2023) in our programs shall take a placement test in one of our open online/onsite placement test sessions. (For more details on our placement test/course placement process, please visit here.)

It is important for each applicant to input accurate, complete, detailed, and up-to-date academic background information(i.e., age, grade level, math courses taken, official contest scores, etc.) in the applicant's IDEA MATH student account. We review this information to make initial course placement/placement test level decisions. We will find the most appropriate course placement based on placement test work and general academic information in the student account. Please note that our academic team will make the final decision on your course placement based upon your academic background and your work in the placement test. (Further course placement adjustments can be made, by our academic team, based upon your class work.)

Placement test levels and dates are shown below. Please click this link to register for the placement test. The placement test fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Test Levels and their corresponding courses

Placement Test Schedule for Session 1 (Fall Session)

For each course, Session 1 covers the first part of a two-part course.

Placement Test Schedule For Session 2 (Spring Session) or Holiday Contest Prep

For each course, Session 2 covers the second part of a two-part course.

*Each placement test is 90 minutes long. Students should arrive at the testing location (onsite or online) 10 minutes prior to the test. All test times are in the US Eastern Time Zone.

** The placement test fee is non-refundable and non-transferable; that is, it cannot be transferred from one applicant/student to another applicant/student, and it also cannot be transferred from a registered/chosen test session/date to another placement test session/date for the same applicant/student. Special test sessions (test fee of $150 or more) can be arranged depending on staffing availabilities. Please contact info@ideamath.org for inquires on special test sessions.

Note that registration is only the first step of towards enrollment. Enrollment (for each session) is completed only after the tuition is paid in full. The tuition payment is independent to student's course placement because the tuition is for the program, not for a specific course. The IDEA MATH staff will work with students on course placement by reviewing their academic backgrounds, assigning placement test levels, reviewing placement test work, and more. IDEA MATH staff make the final decision on students' course placements. (Please see our Course Placement Policy section for details.) All tuition refund for withdrawal will be processed based on the refund policy.

Pay Tuition

Please log in to your account to pay the tuition online.

Session 1 (Fall Session, September to December 2023) Tuition Payment Schedule

For each course, Session 1 covers the first part of a two-part course.

* The tuition payments may be stopped earlier than the published date if the program has reached to its upper capacity.

** After the tuition payment deadline date, a late fee ($100) will be applied to the tuition and admission can only be given if space is available.

Session 2 (Spring Session, January to May 2024) Tuition Payment Schedule

For each course, Session 2 covers the second part of a two-part course.

* The tuition payments may be stopped earlier than the published date if the program has reached to its upper capacity.

** After the tuition payment deadline date, a late fee ($100 or more) will be applied to the tuition and admission can only be given if space is available.

For the class schedule, please check the course schedule.

Session 1 (Fall Session, September to December 2023) Class Dates*

For each course, Session 1 covers the first part of a two-part course.

* All class times are in the US Eastern Time Zone. In this session, each course will meet 10 times (three hours every time) for a total of 10*3 = 30 hours.

Session 2 Class Dates (January to April 2024)

For each course, Session 2 covers the second part of a two-part course.

* All class times are in the US Eastern Time Zone. In this session, each course will meet 10 times (three hours every time) for a total of 10*3 = 30 hours.

Please note that only tuition is refundable per the above policy. Other fees such as the application fee, the registration fee, and the placement test fee are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Credit cannot be transferred between different type of programs---summer, year-round, contest edge, winter contest prep, etc.

For programs of a similar type (e.g., between summer programs), we will follow the withdrawal/refund policies. For example, after tuition is submitted and before date X, we will apply the transfer in the following way (assuming space is available for the intended program): switching programs/series is considered a withdrawal from one program/series and an enrollment to another program/series, and any difference in tuition rates applies.

To request a refund and withdraw your student, please send a complete request in writing to info@ideamath.org. You must include the payee name and mailing address matching the information in the student's account in order for your request to be deemed complete and submitted. Please include "Refund Request" and the student's name in the subject line. The amount of the refund will be based on the time that a complete request is submitted; incomplete requests will not be deemed to meet deadlines for withdrawal.

If the student is ill and chooses to withdraw from the program after the refund deadlines, we can offer prorated credit (proportional based upon the second refund policy: paid tuition deducted by $300, then prorated per day) towards a future program. A note from a licensed physician is required. The doctor's note should clearly assert that the student's current medical status does not allow the student to complete the remainder of the program. The date when the doctor's note is submitted to IDEA MATH (via info@ideamath.org) is considered the initial date for the prorated refund (credit) calculation. The same policies apply if the IDEA MATH staff determine that the student must withdraw due to illness in order to protect the health and welfare of themselves or other students.

For all purposes related to this refund policy, a day shall be deemed to begin at 12:01am local time in the US Eastern Time Zone (US ET).

Academic team

Academic Director

Dr. Zuming Feng

Academic Team

Mr. Michael Curry

Dr. Yueqiang Liu

Mr. Albert Roos

Mr. Tao Tu

Mr. Marc Vincent

Mr. Steven Xu

Mr. Zhun Xu

Mr. Howard Zhong

and more, to be updated soon