International Mathematical Olympiad vs Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams
Comparing two elite STEM opportunities. International Mathematical Olympiad is a olympiad while Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is a competition.
| International Mathematical Olympiad | Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams | |
|---|---|---|
| Prestige Tier | Tier 1 — Elite | Tier 2 — Highly Competitive |
| Type | Olympiad | Competition |
| Organization | IMO Official | Lemelson-MIT Program at MIT |
| Acceptance Rate | Extremely competitive; approximately 0.01-0.1% of high school students worldwide reach IMO. For USA: ~6 students selected from 300,000+ AMC participants annually | Approximately 8-10% (based on 8 teams selected annually; suggests 80-100+ applications per year, though exact applicant count not publicly available) |
| Applicants | Approximately 5,000-6,000 contestants from 100+ countries compete at IMO annually. USA sends 6 representatives from ~300,000 AMC 10/12 participants | Estimated 80-100+ schools apply annually (extrapolated from 8 selections) |
| Deadline | — | Rolling |
| Award | — | $7,000 |
| Cost to Apply | Free | Free |
| US Only | No / International | Yes |
| Grades | High school students only; typically grades 9-12 (ages 13-19) | High school students (9-12) |
| College Impact | Extremely positive and highly prestigious. IMO medalists (especially gold) are exceptionally rare and highly valued by top universities globally. Impact includes: (1) Gold/Silver medalists essentially... | Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams is viewed very favorably in college admissions, particularly for STEM programs. Selection as an InvenTeam demonstrates: (1) exceptional innovation and problem-solving ability; ... |