The UNC Math Department will host this year’s  Orange / Durham Chapter MathCounts contest on Thursday, February 15th, 2024 from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm. The event will be held in the Great Hall of the Carolina Student Union.

This event is sponsored by the UNC Math Department.

 

What will the schedule be?

Here is an approximate timeline. Actual times may vary.

Time	Event	Details
8:30-9:00	Registration	Check-in at the registration table as soon as you arrive.
9:15-10:00	Sprint Round	30 questions, 40 minutes to complete them
10:15-11:00	Target Round	8 questions, distributed to students a pair at a time, students have 6 minutes to complete each pair
11:00-11:15	Snacks	Snacks will be provided.
11:15-11:45	Team Round	10 problems, 20 minutes for team to complete them
11:45-12:45	Lunch	Pizza will be provided free of charge to math coaches and mathletes. Some of the pizzas will be vegetarian. We encourage you to bring your own food if you have special dietary needs.
12:45-1:30	Countdown Round	Top 16 students compete in a tournament.
1:30-2:00	Awards	Team and individuals awards.

Where is the Great Hall and what is it like?

The Great Hall is located in the Carolina Student Union, which is near the corner of South Rd. and Raleigh St. in the heart of  the UNC campus. This is a great opportunity to see what life is like on a big busy college campus in the middle of a regular class day. It you have time after the competition, please consider taking your students on a walking tour of campus.

Do coaches need to let the organizers know the names of the students at my school who are participating and their t-shirt sizes?

Yes.

You need to enter the names of your students who will be participating on the MathCounts website. Login to your account (or create a new account). Once you have registered your school, you will be able to enter the names of the students from your school who will be participating. If you are not sure who will be participating yet, you can make your best guess and update the list later.

Please use this t-shirt form to estimate the number of t-shirts of each size that you will need. All coaches and mathletes will get a free t-shirt. You can use the same form to indicate if you need a parking spot for a bus.

Are calculators allowed?

Calculators are allowed for the Team Round and the Target Round. Schools will need to bring their own calculators. Any calculator that does not contain a QWERTY keyboard is permitted. For example, TI-84 graphing calculators ARE allowed.

What form do the answers have to be in?

Here are the rules for the 2022 Forms of Answers. The 2024 forms of answers are probably very similar and will be posted when available. Usually these are written on the back of each contest booklet. I encourage you to read them in advance.

Where can I park?

The Carolina Union is at the corner of South and Raleigh Roads. The Ram’s Head Parking Deck at 33 Ridge Road is about a 10 minute walk. Additional visitor parking may be available at the Raleigh Road Visitors’ Lot or in the Morehead Planetarium lot. See visitor parking for a map and details. There are also public parking decks on Rosemary Street a few more blocks away. Expect to pay about $2 per hour for parking.

Buses can drop students anywhere near the intersection of Raleigh St. and South Rd., and they can walk to the Carolina Union while you drive towards the Smith Center. The road passing in front of the Smith Center is Skipper Bowles Drive. Buses have permission to park anywhere along Skipper Bowles (on the street) for free for the day. After parking the bus, you will have a 15 – 20 minute walk to the Carolina Union. You could walk this with your students if you want to keep them with you.

How will the Countdown Round work?

Sixteen students will participate in the Countdown Round. They will be the top 16 students from the morning’s Sprint and Target Rounds, with a maximum of five students from a single school. The format will be like a 16 team basketball tournament bracket.

How can I volunteer?

We need volunteers to proctor and to grade. Please sign up on this volunteer form.

What happens next?

The top teams and individuals at the February competition will qualify for the State MathCounts finals, which will be held on March 22 at the North Carolina School of Science and Math.

Where can I get more information about MathCounts?

Please see the national MathCounts website for general information. Please contact Linda Green at greenl@email.unc.edu or bblackburn@chccs.k12.nc.us for questions specific to the contest at UNC.