Harwood students take part in UVM Math Exam Competition

May 9, 2023  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

Harwood seniors Adam Porterfield and Astrid Kahn were among the top finishers in the 2023 UVM Math Contest. Courtesy photo

Nineteen students from Harwood Union High School recently took part in the annual University of Vermont Math Contest with two earning honors for their results. 

Senior Astrid Kahn placed 7th overall and senior classmate Adam Porterfield placed in the top 10% of all students who competed. 

Formally known as the Vermont High School Prize Examination in Mathematics, the event has been held at the UVM annually since 1958 making it what is believed to be the longest continuously running high school mathematics contest of its kind in the United States, according to the contest website. 

The competition is open to Vermont secondary students with prizes awarded to the top eight students in the state and to the top two students in each of four regions of the state. Students placing in the top 10% and to the student who submits the best paper in each school receive a merit certificate. 

The competition involves a challenging two-hour exam created by UVM’s Math and Statistics Department with questions covering a range of topics in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, set theory, probability, counting techniques, and general reasoning. 

Astrid will be honored at a ceremony at the University of Vermont during its Math Day celebration on May 17. Adam will receive a certificate of merit.

In announcing their results, Harwood Co-Principal Megan McDonough said, “We are all incredibly proud of all of our students who participated.” 

A list of all of the contest winners as well as the exam itself (and the answers) is posted online on the UVM site.