The Princeton University Explorers Competition (PUEC) runs from June 19 to July 3, 2024. Registration closes June 18. Here is a summary of key facts, a few strong recommendations, and an open call for anyone who wants to team up.
Key Competition Facts
- Dates: June 19 – July 3, 2024
- Registration deadline: June 18, 2024
- Team size: 1–6 participants
- How to register: physicsu.org/explorer → find the Twitter or Facebook page → open the Google Form and submit
- Fee: There appears to be a $15 fee this year; last year participants who did not pay were still admitted
- Format: Organizers release a lengthy packet containing material beyond standard high school curricula, along with a large set of problems. Participants read, learn, and answer simultaneously, then submit a report of roughly 20 pages
- Why it matters: For physics-track students, PUEC is a way to build a visible connection to Princeton — useful for applications
Personal Recommendations
Do not register through ASDAN
Until ASDAN provides a credible explanation for the pattern of identical triple scores shown above, I would strongly advise against registering through them for any competition. The PUEC 2023 official site also did not publish scores — which, in my reading, is connected to the situation with the China domestic bracket. (I was subsequently asked to re-judge domestic papers; the scores I assigned were meaningfully higher than what had been recorded.)
Use LaTeX
The simplest setup is Overleaf combined with Mathpix. LaTeX-formatted answers look clear, professional, and structured. For handwritten derivations, photograph them and use Mathpix to convert — this is fast and produces clean output.
Treat it as a learning exercise
The competition content is flexible and open-ended. Much of what you need is available online. The whole experience is closer to a structured literature review — learning new material as you go, then demonstrating that learning through the problem set. That framing makes it less intimidating and more useful.
Looking for Teammates
Last year my student won Gold. Because I was judging, I only provided Q&A support — the students did the work themselves. This year I am open to helping with team formation. If you want to register but need teammates, feel free to reach out directly.