Quants rule the fintech food chain. And at the peak of the quant pyramid sit the Olympiad elite.
Skim any quant job ad. Past the fine print, one line always jumps out:
Priority: ACM, IOI, IMO medalists.
Why this obsession?
The Olympics aren't just for athletes. The Olympiads of the mind—math, physics, and informatics competitions—are just as intense. And their medalists? They're the top choice for the quant world.
1.The Academic Olympics: Mathematics
1） CMO (Chinese Mathematical Olympiad)
Organizer: Chinese Mathematical Society
Participants: Middle and high school students
Registration: Through provincial-level competitions, typically organized by schools via the local education bureau.
Timeline: Varies by region.
Competition Process:
- Preliminary: Organized by provinces, usually from May to July.
- Provincial League: Held around mid-September with two exams to determine provincial first, second, and third prizes. Top winners form the provincial team for the national finals.
- Finals (Winter Camp): Held in November-December to decide national first, second, and third prizes. Top winners often get direct admission to Tsinghua or Peking University and qualify for IMO training.
2） IMO (International Mathematical Olympiad)
Organizer: Rotating host countries.
Participants: Middle and high school students
Date: Annually in July.
Awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze medals. Chinese teams have been dominant in recent years.
Note: The 63rd IMO saw the Chinese team achieve a historic perfect score, with all six members winning gold.
3）CUMCM (China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling)
Participants: University students worldwide.
Date: Annually in September.
Awards: Separate first, second, and third prizes for undergraduate and junior college divisions.
4）MCM/ICM (Mathematical Contest in Modeling / Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling)
Organizer: Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP), USA.
Participants: University students worldwide.
Date: Annually in February.
Awards: Includes Outstanding Winners, Finalists, Meritorious, Honorable Mentions, etc. Cash prizes are awarded to the top four teams overall.
2.The Academic Olympics: Informatics
1）IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics)
Participants: Middle and high school students worldwide. China has a stellar track record.
Frequency: Annual.
Competition: Two days of computer programming focused on solving algorithmic problems.
2） NOIP / NOI (National Olympiad in Informatics in Provinces / National Olympiad in Informatics)
Organizer: China Computer Federation (CCF).
Participants: Middle and high school students.
Competition Process:
- Provincial Contest (NOIP): Held simultaneously across provinces.
- National Contest (NOI): Winners from the provincial level compete here.
- IOI Selection (Winter Camp): The top 20 from NOI undergo intensive training and selection, with the final top 4 representing China at the IOI.
3） ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest)
Organizer: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
Participants: University students worldwide.
Competition Process:
- Regional Contests: Held across continents, typically from September to December. Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are awarded to roughly the top 10%, 20%, and 30% of teams.
- World Finals: Held the following March to May. The world champion team receives the trophy, and top-10 teams are often awarded significant scholarships.
3.The Academic Olympics: Physics
IPhO (International Physics Olympiad)
Organizer: Rotating member countries.
Participants: Students under 20, typically secondary school level.
Date: Annually in July.
Awards: Awarded based on participant percentages.
- Gold medals: Awarded to top 8% of participants.
- Gold or Silver medals: Awarded to top 25%.
- Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals: Awarded to top 50%.
- Honorable Mention: Awarded to top 67%.
- Absolute Winner: Receives a gold medal and a special prize.
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