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Contact: Lillian Dolan Ziff
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Media Release |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Edina middle school student qualifies for USA Junior Mathematics Olympiad Valley View Middle School student, Kevin Lu, one of 500 students to compete Edina, Minn., April 14, 2010 – It is an honor merely to sit for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), but when Valley View Middle School (VVMS) eighth-grader Kevin Lu sat down to take it, he aimed high, scoring an 8 in an exam where the average score was a 4.2. Of the approximately 3,600 students who took the AIME, Lu was one of about 500 students invited to compete in the USA Junior Mathematics Olympiad (USA(J)MO). “I enjoyed the exam,” Lu said after he took the three hour, 15 question exam in March. “I enjoy the math. [I like when] there’s some type of trick to it.” Lu took the AIME on the heels of earning the second highest score at the MATHCOUNTS competition on March 13. To qualify for the AIME, a student either needs to test in the top 5 percent in the American Math Contest (AMC) 12 or top 1 percent of the AMC 10; Lu did both. Lu’s high score on the AMC 10 and his 8 on the AIME qualified him for the USA(J)MO. The competition consists of a nine hour exam with six essay/proof type questions, split between two 4.5 hour days. The first three questions are on Tuesday, April 27, and the next three are on Wednesday, April 28 at VVMS. “Kevin absolutely relishes the challenge of testing his mettle,” said Lu’s teacher, Kit Olson. “He really loves to try to beat the test.” As one of the top four scorers at MATHCOUNTS, Lu will represent Minnesota in the national competition May 6-9 at Disney World in Florida. MATHCOUNTS promotes middle school achievement in mathematics and demands accuracy and speed on the individual level, but also requires working as a member of a team. Additionally, Lu is a member of the Robotics team competing in the national competition in Atlanta in mid-April. Robotics is an extracurricular activity that provides opportunity for Lu and his teammates to apply what they learn in math and science and exposes them to physics and engineering. Lu is currently taking calculus through the University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program and looks forward to learning more in his particular interests, numbers theory and probability. About Edina Public Schools: ###  |
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