PROMYS Europe • PROMYS India • PROMYS Italia

Application

Student Application

“PROMYS was the first time I felt truly challenged and stimulated in a mathematical environment. Rather than just teaching me how to solve problems, it taught me how to think in a new way.” Grace E.

To be eligible, students must have completed at least 9th grade (or its equivalent) and be at least 14 years old by the start of the program, but no older than 18. Unfortunately, there is no flexibility on these requirements. Students may attend during the summer between high school and college or during a gap year; those who already attend university are not eligible to apply as students, but may apply for a counselor position. Sign up to be notified when the PROMYS 2027 application launches next January.

PROMYS strives to create an inclusive and welcoming community. We strongly encourage students of all backgrounds to apply.

Application Process

Four components of the application must be submitted by the deadline:

  1. solutions to a challenging problem set
  2. letter of recommendation
  3. high school transcript
  4. application form which includes short answers

NEW AI POLICY for 2026: PROMYS is interested in your ideas, not in solutions that you have found elsewhere. The use of AI tools or other internet answers is strictly prohibited. In order to ensure the originality of your exploration, PROMYS may interview applicants. Therefore, you should be confident in your own solutions and be able to explain your insights to us. Please keep any scratch work of your experimentation as you may be asked to demonstrate your approach to the solutions.

First-Year Student Application

THE 2026 APPLICATION IS NOW LIVE!

Applications to PROMYS are submitted through Submittable. Click on the To Apply button below and follow the simple instructions to create your password-protected account. You will be able to save your progress on the application before your final submission. The Submittable platform works best on Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. To access tech support from within the system, click on . For other questions, you can email us at promys@bu.edu.

Please give yourself plenty of time to work on the problems and to write up your solutions! Many applicants give themselves weeks to think about the problems. The application deadline is February 27, 2026, 11:59 pm (EST) – this is just before midnight in Boston, Massachusetts (USA). PROMYS will email applicants with their admissions decision by the end of April 2026.

To be submitted by the APPLICANT

1) Problem Set Solutions. Please upload your solutions (as a single PDF) with your online application. If you are handwriting your solutions, please use dark ink and wide margins so a scan of your work will be legible. You must convert JPEGs and other formats to PDFs.

2) School Transcript (or report card). Please upload your transcript with your online application. An unofficial copy (e.g. a screenshot from your student portal) is acceptable. We are not able to process transcripts that are labeled "Secured" at the top or show the lock symbol. If your transcript is in this encrypted format, please send us a scan or screenshot. Homeschooled students should please upload a description of courses and studies undertaken.

3) Online Application Form. In Submittable, you will be asked to upload your problem set solutions and school transcript with your application. There are several short answer questions regarding your personal experiences and interest in the program. You will also be asked to summarize your problem set solutions in text boxes on the form. We encourage you to type your responses into a word document from which you can cut and paste into the application form.

To be submitted by the APPLICANT'S TEACHER

4) Teacher Recommendation Form. Please ask a current or former mathematics teacher (or a mathematics coach, professor, or mentor) to submit a recommendation form on your behalf. You will be asked to enter your recommendation writer’s name and email address on the application form. When you click “Send Request Now,” Submittable will email your recommendation writer a link to the recommendation form.

We strongly recommend that you click the "Send Request Now" button NOW without waiting until you submit your application. Please inform your teacher that the link to the form will come from notifications@email.submittable.com and not PROMYS.  The submission deadline for teachers is March 3. Your application will not be considered until your recommendation form has been received.

Within the Submittable portal, the recommender field of your application form will note whether a response has been received from your teacher. If you have already submitted your application, the Submittable system will notify you by email when your recommendation form has been received (please check your spam folder as well as your inbox).

Please note: It is your responsibility to request a recommendation and to follow up with your teacher as needed.

To be submitted by the APPLICANT’S PARENT (if applicable)

5) Financial Aid Application. To be considered for financial aid, please have a parent or guardian complete the financial aid form by March 15. On the Financial Aid question towards the end of the application form, you will be asked to enter your parent's email address. When you click “Send Request Now,” Submittable will email your parent a link to the financial aid form. We strongly recommend that you click the "Send Request Now" button NOW without waiting until you submit your application form. Please inform your parent that the link to the form will come from notifications@email.submittable.com and not PROMYS. Your application will not be considered until the financial aid form has been received.

Other PROMYS Programs

PROMYS Europe

Pre-university students who are 16 or older and ordinarily resident in Europe are eligible to apply to PROMYS Europe at the University of Oxford in England. Students may apply to either PROMYS or to PROMYS Europe (but not both) for the same summer.

PROMYS India

For an update on PROMYS India 2026, click here.

Yongren (永仁) Fellowships for Students in China

Students in China are invited to apply for a Yongren (永仁) Fellowship if they would be unable to attend PROMYS without financial assistance. Yongren Fellowships provide a full scholarship to PROMYS covering tuition, visa fees, round-trip travel, room and board, and books. For more information, visit the Yongren Fellowships page.

 

 

For students in India:
Now that PROMYS India has been launched at IISc Bangalore, Mehta Fellowships will no longer be available for students in India. Students in India who would need financial assistance to attend PROMYS should apply to PROMYS India instead.

Policy of Nondiscrimination

PROMYS does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability in the operation of its programs or in its admissions, hiring, or financial aid decisions.