No single score captures mathematical curiosity. Our selection process gives you more than one way to show how you question, explore and communicate an idea.
Each stage reveals something different. The process begins with an open application, moves to a mathematical exploration for 100 shortlisted students, and concludes with a cohort of 30.
A concise application helps us understand your mathematical interests, the ideas that have stayed with you, and how you approach learning with others.
One hundred shortlisted applicants develop an accessible exploration of a mathematical idea, problem, theorem, phenomenon, application, or open-ended question that genuinely interests them.
Thirty applicants are invited to form the inaugural VGS cohort, based on the strength of the application and the depth, originality, reasoning, and clarity shown through the exploration.
A short interview may be used where a submission is difficult to evaluate or where a conversation would help us understand an applicant's mathematical thinking and interests more fully.
The exploration is an opportunity to show what you notice, how you reason, and how clearly you can communicate an idea. Mathematical substance matters more than production polish.
Article · Essay · Proof · Interactive visualisation · Computational exploration · Video
Choose the format that best serves the mathematics. A polished video is not inherently stronger than a clear proof or a thoughtful written exploration.
Number Theory · Algebra
Geometry & Topology
Combinatorics · Graph Theory
Calculus & Analysis · Probability & Statistics · Algorithms & Computational Mathematics
Mathematics & Physics · Mathematics in the Real World · Open-Ended Mathematical Exploration
VGS is primarily intended for students in the first or second year of undergraduate study, while exceptional high-school applicants may also be considered. Prior competition experience is not a prerequisite.
Genuine intellectual curiosity matters more than the prestige or quantity of prior achievements.
A thoughtful exploration of one mathematical idea is valued more than a long list of superficial accomplishments.
We value willingness to explore unfamiliar ideas, revise a line of thought, and engage seriously with another perspective.
How deeply the applicant engages with the underlying mathematical idea.
Whether the argument is thoughtful, coherent, and developed with care.
Evidence of independent exploration, experimentation, or perspective.
How effectively the applicant communicates the mathematics and the choices behind the approach.
