CMC primarily teaches students in grades 2-8 (ages 7-13). We will also sometimes admit exceptional 1st graders, although we reserve the right to deny admission to any 1st grader for any reason.

We require students to have a placement evaluation before joining our programs. In rare cases, students are far enough behind that we determine they’d do better in another program, but generally evaluations do not affect admissions decisions. An evaluation is required for all students in any of the following circumstances: It is the student’s first time enrolling in CMC Preparatory Math classes. A returning student has not taken one of CMC’s Preparatory Math classes (formerly called our Beast Academy and Art of Problem Solving classes) for 2+ years. The student is in 1st grade and is applying for Saturday Math Circle classes. Because the material and social environment at Math Circle can be very challenging, we only admit 1st graders with strong reading and math skills. We reserve the right not to admit a 1st grader for any reason. We do not require evaluations for 2nd graders or older for the Saturday Math Circle classes. The student is a rising 2nd grader and is applying for CMC's summer program. To schedule your evaluation, simply submit your application on time and wait for a CMC staff member to contact you. If you have any questions about our evaluation process, please contact us at classes@cambridgemathcircle.org.

We require all new elementary school (5th grade or lower) children applying to Saturday Math Circle classes to submit proof of their current grade as of September of the current school year. This can be any communication from school that lists your child's name and grade, such as a report card. You will be prompted to upload proof while completing the general application (linked here). We cannot process new registrations without this documentation.

CMC does not admit kindergarteners to our classes, under any circumstances. We do sometimes allow exceptional 1st graders to join our Math Circles if they can read at a 2nd grade level.* If your 1st grader reads at a typical 1st-grade level or lower, we suggest waiting until 2nd grade. It is more important that your child has a positive experience over many years, rather than starting too early. *However, please note that our classes include students up to 3rd grade, which some younger children may find overwhelming. Please consider whether your child is prepared for that kind of environment before submitting an application or requesting an evaluation.

Need-based financial aid is available. Priority is given to families in need from Cambridge and Somerville, but everyone is welcome to apply. The financial aid application is included in the general application for classes and camps (linked here). Once we receive your application, we will email you with the details of your award.

If your child will be absent from class, we kindly ask that you notify us as soon as possible by contacting us at classes@cambridgemathcircle.org. Absences without prior notice will be marked as 'unexcused.' Please note that students with two or more unexcused absences may no longer be able to continue attending the class.

The one-time $50 registration fee is nonrefundable. This fee is waived for families on financial aid. You may receive a refund of remaining tuition if you withdraw before the 4th class. Withdrawals after the 4th class will NOT receive a refund.

There is a one-time, nonrefundable registration fee of $50 per student per academic year. This fee is waived for families on financial aid. If you have already paid the registration fee for one child earlier in the current school year, you don't have to pay it again for that child until the next school year.

Improving Accessibility and Inclusivity The Cambridge Math Circle's mission is to provide fun, engaging mathematics enrichment to all children -- with a focus on students from backgrounds commonly underrepresented in STEM: girls, Black and Latinx children, and those from low-income families. Promoting Curiosity, Creativity, and Resilience Our approach emphasizes curiosity, resilience, and creativity by exploring complex mathematical concepts through interactive games, puzzles, and hands-on building challenges. We build students' confidence and encourage them to enjoy solving challenging problems now, so they have the confidence and skills to pursue more challenging math in high school and college, and later enter STEM-related careers as adults. Our near-peer teachers, as well as guest instructors from different STEM fields, serve as role models to our students. Integrating Math with the Arts We also integrate everyday math with music, art, and other STEAM topics, offering activities that make math a dynamic part of each student's world.

Math Circles blend American and Eastern European math traditions, offering students fun, challenging problems rarely encountered in traditional school settings. Led by mathematics professionals, sessions focus on problem-solving and understanding math as a discipline of inquiry, where students make conjectures, explore, and communicate—more like a mini-research experience rather than learning set procedures. Activities are tailored to students’ current math backgrounds. CMC’s Math Circle approach makes math fun through puzzles, games, building challenges, and activities incorporating music, art, and other STEAM topics. The goal is to enhance creative problem-solving, build confidence, and reveal the beauty of mathematics. Classes start with a warm-up or building activity, followed by problem-solving and math games. Students learn to think like mathematicians, logicians, scientists, and engineers, exploring advanced topics like combinatorics, graph theory, logic, and topology, typically seen only in college STEM programs.

CMC leads classes online and in-person. Our Math Circle classes are held in-person at Harvard University and at select Cambridge Public Schools, while CMC Preparatory Math classes take place online over Zoom. We also host a yearly summer program. Our programs are open to all students in the greater Boston area. Math Circle classes use CMC’s original, unique curriculum (developed by our founders, Mira Bernstein and Nataliya Yufa). We teach math through complex, beautiful math not typically encountered in school. Students learn logic and creative problem solving by playing games, solving puzzles, and participating in building challenges while also learning how to solve math problems that would stump many adults. CMC Preparatory Math classes use material from Beast Academy and The Art of Problem Solving to reinforce and preview the school math curriculum, with the support of CMC teachers that run the class. Our highly knowledgeable math instructors teach students in small groups of 2-6, organized by age and skill levels. Our summer program utilizes much of the Math Circle curriculum while also incorporating a variety of fun and unique summer activities and field trips, including guest speakers, field trips, and more. Each week has a special theme, which influences that week's activities and field trips.

Absolutely! In our Saturday Math Circle classes, we help students develop the skills to solve complex problems using logic, creativity, and grit. We find that both students who excel in school math and those who find it difficult enjoy (and benefit from) this type of challenge. Students struggle with math class for a variety of reasons, such as believing that they're not good at math or that they're not smart enough to figure it out. Our unique approach challenges that perspective and is designed to be accessible to all students. We also offer CMC Preparatory Math classes, which reinforce and preview the school math curriculum. These classes are available to students in grades 3-8 and are offered for a variety of skill levels.

During the school year, CMC leads classes online and in-person. Math Circle classes are held on Saturdays at Harvard University and during the week at select Cambridge Public Schools. CMC Preparatory Math classes take place online over Zoom, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Click here to see our full Math Circle schedule. Click here for the full CMC Preparatory Math schedule. We also host a yearly summer program at MIT and Harvard University. Our programs are open to all students in the greater Boston area. Click here for the full summer schedule.

The main difference is that our in-person Math Circle classes teach math that students like won't learn in school, using out-of-the-box methods including logic games, puzzles, building challenges, and other hands-on activities. These classes use the original curriculum created by our co-founders, Nataliya Yufa and Mira Bernstein. On the other hand, our online-only CMC Preparatory Math classes teach math by using pencil-and-paper, workbooks, and online exercises to help students prepare for and strengthen their math skills in more traditional school settings. These classes use curricula from Beast Academy and The Art of Problem Solving, along with specialized support from CMC's teachers.

Sorry, no. Many of the activities we do in Math Circle are hands-on and are hard to replicate on Zoom. For this reason, our Math Circle classes are offered in-person only.

Most of CMC's teachers are undergraduate or graduate students from Harvard and MIT studying math, engineering, or another STEM field. Additionally, CMC frequently invites guest instructors and speakers to join our classes. Click here to view a current list of our teachers. Nataliya Yufa, co-founder and Executive Director of CMC, holds degrees in math, physics, and education from MIT, University of Chicago, and Lesley University. Alongside directing the organization, she also teaches and designs CMC's curricula. All of our instructors love math, puzzles, and learning!

Starting a new class at CMC can feel overwhelming, so we ask all first-time students to sign up for either Math Circle classes or Preparatory Math classes, but not both during their first session. If everything goes well, the student can enroll in both types of classes during the next session.

All of our programs (Math Circle classes, CMC Preparatory Math classes, and our summer program) are tuition-based. Cost varies per program; view each program's individual page to see its base tuition fee. We do offer need-based financial aid to families in need, with priority given to students from Cambridge and Somerville. CMC was founded specifically to serve students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in math. We want all children, regardless of their families' ability to pay, to have access to math enrichment.

If you or your family has a special circumstance that you would like us to know about, please contact us by emailing: classes@cambridgemathcircle.org.

Yes! CMC is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit, and you can donate here to support our mission to make math enrichment accessible and fun for all.