Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs | AoPS Academy Virtual Campus
Do Virtual Campus math classes cover a full year of curriculum?
36 weeks is a full year curriculum for each level in the program. Levels 8+ are presented as a 36-week full-year curriculum. For all other levels, a student would take two semesters, Part 1 and Part 2, to take advantage of the full-year curriculum.
What is the difference between Honors and Scholars Math?
For Math Levels 6-8, we offer two course tracks: Honors and Scholars. At Level 9, the two tracks merge into a single Scholars track. The Honors track is appropriate for students who excel in school and are ready for math of greater depth and challenge. In Honors courses, topics are covered 1-2 years ahead of traditional school curriculum and students are presented with novel problems that help them develop creative, rigorous mathematical thinking. As students move through the Honors track, there are multiple opportunities for them to join the Scholars track.
The Scholars track is appropriate for students who are already comfortable with Honors-level complexity and want to push their mathematical thinking to new frontiers. Scholars courses involve a greater emphasis on rigor and abstraction, less time spent on preliminary treatments of topics, and more time spent on deeper and/or more challenging facets of topics. The Honors and Scholars version of each course will share roughly 70% of the exact same content, and both courses have the same core learning objectives. However, Scholars courses often go faster through, or skip entirely, preliminary treatments of topics.
For placement into the Scholars track, students should pass the requirements indicated on the placement test.
Do Virtual Campus language arts classes cover a full year of curriculum?
36 weeks is a full year curriculum for each level in the program. Level 8 is presented as a 36-week full year curriculum. For all other levels, a student would take two semesters, Part 1 and Part 2, to take advantage of the full year curriculum.
Our language arts curriculum is specifically designed for high-performing students, as we challenge students to think deeper about the material than the typical curriculum. Through long-form unit projects, students work towards a goal with intermediary steps and instructor feedback allowing them to think critically and apply their knowledge to challenging assignments. We help students develop the important analytical and communication skills necessary for success at top universities and competitive careers.
Are Virtual Campus math classes a good fit for my student?
Although our math courses were developed with advanced learners in mind, we see success across motivated students ages 7-18 with a wide range of abilities. Students who are building number sense get to explore how math works, while students who might not usually be interested in math are inspired by the engaging puzzles and problems. And, of course, excited math lovers will find plenty of challenges to sustain their interest.
What material is covered in Virtual Campus math classes?
For Honors Math Levels 2-5: Find grade-level standards here. We cover grade-level standards in greater depth than other elementary math programs, and our Beast Academy curriculum is also loosely based on the Common Core standards.
For Honors and Scholars Math Levels 6+: Find all our math courses here. Each course’s enrollment page includes the syllabi and additional details about the course.
How is AoPS Academy Virtual Campus different from AoPS Online School?
AoPS Academy Virtual Campus courses use videoconferencing technology, so instructors and students can communicate face-to-face. Our AoPS Online School classroom does not have video or audio—all communication is via text and images. These alternative communication methods help encourage participation from all types of students.
In addition, the Online School does not offer language arts courses or elementary-level math courses. Visit the AoPS Programs Comparison for a more detailed explanation.
See a full breakdown of AoPS Academy Virtual Campus versus the AoPS Online School.
How is AoPS Academy Virtual Campus different from Beast Academy?
AoPS Academy Virtual Campus provides live online instruction week by week, with expert instructors teaching 10–16 students per class. Beast Academy is a full elementary math curriculum that offers engaging, comic-style books and a Beast Academy Online subscription. Students can learn with Beast Academy either independently or with the guidance of a parent.
Courses in Honors Math levels 2-5 use Beast Academy materials, including Beast Academy Online, for homework and administering tests. A subscription to Beast Academy Online for the duration of the course is included in the tuition. Further, students receive the added benefits of an interactive learning environment, exemplary instruction, and an outstanding peer group.
What is the difference between Honors Math and Scholars Math?
For Math Levels 6-8, we offer two course tracks: the Honors track and the Scholars track.
The Honors track is appropriate for students who excel in school and are ready for math of greater depth and challenge. In Honors courses, topics are covered 1-2 years ahead of traditional school curriculum and students are presented with novel problems that help them develop creative, rigorous mathematical thinking. As students move through the honors track, there are multiple opportunities for them to join the scholars track.
The Scholars track is appropriate for students who are comfortable with Honors-level complexity and want to push their mathematical thinking to new frontiers. Scholars classes provide deep class focus on extra challenging problems most often seen in elite competitions, and extended exploration of key ideas and advanced topics rarely seen in standard curricula.
Is there an age requirement for your courses?
There is no age requirement. It is more important to ensure your student is enrolled at the right level and that they can maintain focus and engagement for the class duration. In general, our courses are designed for advanced students ages 7-15+.
We recommend enrolling at grade level for our language arts courses. For our math courses, we recommend taking a placement test to ensure the right fit.
How many students are there in each class?
There are about 10–16 students per class, depending on the course level. Honors Math 2 classes are limited to 14 students, while our other classes are limited to 16 students. Our curriculum is designed to keep students active and engaged throughout class, and small class sizes lets our instructors focus on helping individual students.
Do courses include homework and exams?
Each year-round class has about 1–3 hours of homework per week. Depending on the course, students might have one or several exams to evaluate their learning. Language Arts courses at the Virtual Campus do not have exams. Instead, students complete a long-term project in each 9-week unit. They receive in-class and written feedback from their teacher that assists in revisions and provides a final rubric score.
Please note that our summer camps are designed as enrichment and do not have homework or exams.
Will I receive student progress reports?
Parents can stay connected with their student’s progress in a few ways:
- Instant Solutions - Students receive instant feedback and have access to detailed solutions after finishing each problem.
- Progress Reports - Our homework platforms have built-in performance tracking.
- Weekly Emails - Parents receive reminder emails that link to their student's progress report.
Since this is a challenging program, what type of progress/performance should I expect?
We don’t expect students to earn 100%, as that would indicate they understood the class material already. Instead, we encourage intellectual risk-taking and extending knowledge through challenging problems and assignments.
What if I need to drop a class?
Visit our Tuition page to learn more about our drop and refund policy. Please email virtual@aopsacademy.org if you need to drop a class.
What if I need to switch classes?
A student can switch into a different section in most situations, as long as there is still space available in the desired class. Please email us at virtual@aopsacademy.org if you need to change enrollment.
What happens if my student misses a class?
We understand that students might occasionally miss class. If your student misses a lesson, they can catch up by watching the class recording and completing the tasks listed on the handouts. Both the class recording and handouts are available on the course homepage; the recording expires four weeks after the lesson. If your student has any follow-up questions, we encourage them to join the virtual classroom 15 minutes before the next class to talk to the instructor.
Can I speak to the instructor directly?
Of course! If you or your student would like to speak to the instructor directly, send a private Zoom chat message to the instructor near the end of the lesson. We have a 15-minute time period after the class set aside for instructors to be available to meet with parents and students individually. This allotted time gives students and parents an additional opportunity to ask the instructor questions about class material or discuss student progress.
What should I do if my student gets stuck?
We include challenging problems in our courses to help students develop a deeper, richer understanding of mathematics. Our instructors and curriculum also offer several strategies for building problem-solving skills and productive struggling.
Here's our advice for what to do when your student gets stuck:
- Make sure your student knows that challenging math problems take time—they aren't bad at math just because they are struggling to solve a hard problem.
- Suggest to your student that they review past material and examples to find inspiration.
- Encourage your student to ask thoughtful questions and ask for hints. They can come to the classroom 10–15 minutes before the class starts or stay 10–15 minutes after each class to talk to the instructor individually.
- Remind your student that it's always okay to take a break and come back later with fresh eyes.
Can I speak with someone to learn more?
Absolutely! Please see our Contact Us page for more information. We strive to respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible within our standard business hours, which are Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM PT (excluding holidays). We also monitor for urgent submissions in a more limited capacity over the weekend.
