The MathILy-EST Application Form

We do not yet know whether MathILy-EST will run in 2026. This page will be updated when we receive a funding decision from the NSF.

Application materials must be received by... That includes the letters of recommendation---speaking of which, a few words of advice. REUs of all kinds expect field-specific commentary on research readiness from recommenders, so the best advocates for a MathILy-EST applicant will be instructors who have done (or continue to do!) mathematics research themselves. College faculty are more likely than high-school teachers to have the requisite experience, with instructors at summer intensives likely somewhere in the middle.

Shorter answers...

Your full name:

A working email address (that you check regularly):

Name of college you attend:

Year in college (first-year, second-year, pre-frosh, etc.):

Name of one mathematics instructor who will recommend you for MathILy-EST:

Email address of the person listed in the box just above this one:

Name of a second mathematics instructor who will recommend you for MathILy-EST:

Email address of the person listed in the box just above this one:

Longer answers...

Please list the mathematics courses you've taken and the textbooks you used.
Example. Calculus: Calculus, by Hughes-Hallett et. al.

Please list mathematics topics self-studied and sources used.

Please list prior research experiences, if any.

Shortest answer...

Please affirm that either
you are a U.S. Citizen by checking this box:
or
you are a permanent resident of the U.S. by checking this box:

Personal Statements

We suggest that you write your responses in a text editor and then copy/paste them here, so no internet weirdo blip deletes all your hard-written text.

As an early college student, it may be that your instructors don't know you well yet. Give information about the depth of your mathematical interest and experience beyond your classes.
OR
Describe an important mathematical experience you have had, and explain why you enjoyed it and how it impacted you.

Why are you interested in mathematical research?

What are your mathematical interests?
OR
Why are you interested in this year's topic, ...

What are your academic interests outside of mathematics? (If none, what are your non-academic interests outside of mathematics?)

(optional) Are you a member of a group underrepresented in mathematics? Or have you faced barriers in your educational journey? Feel free to disclose that information (or not!) here.

MathILy, MathILy-Er, and MathILy-EST are projects of the nonprofit organization Mathematical Staircase, Inc..