Shef Scholars produced 6 IMO contestants

Join the
Shef Scholars
Competitive Math Academy

Learn how to think when solving math problems. Attend live lectures held by former competitors, do problem sets, learn problem solving techniques, and meet mathlethes from around the world.

Math students collaborating

Early Bird Discount Ends In:

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Choose Your Track

Groups A and B are the same classes at different times of the day

Choose Your Experience

Regular

$700 $480

Apply before the early bird deadline for over 30% off

  • ✔ Single-track access + recordings
  • ✔ Monthly proctored test
  • ✔ 54 live classes + recordings
  • ✔ 54 problem sets
  • ✔ Feedback on 3 problem sets
  • ✔ 30-min parent consult (before Nov 1 2025)
  • ✔ Bonus university-level lectures*
  • ✔ Bonus “Life after contest math” talks*
  • ✔ Bonus "The Math Mindset" talks*

Accountability

$2700 $2100

7 spots remaining

  • ✔ Single-track access + recordings
  • ✔ Monthly proctored test
  • ✔ 54 live classes + recordings
  • ✔ 54 problem sets
  • ✔ Feedback on every problem set
  • ✔ 30-min parent consult (before Nov 1 2025)
  • ✔ Weekly 50-min 1-on-1 with a former mathlete
  • ✔ Bonus university-level lectures*
  • ✔ Bonus “Life after contest math” talks*
  • ✔ Bonus "The Math Mindset" talks*
BEST VALUE

Premium

$6000 $5000

3 spots remaining

  • ✔ Access to all tracks + recordings
  • ✔ Monthly proctored test
  • ✔ 432 live classes + replays
  • ✔ 216 problem sets
  • ✔ Feedback on every problem set
  • ✔ 30-min parent consult (before Nov 1 2025)
  • ✔ 2 × 50 min weekly 1-on-1s with the Shef
  • ✔ Monthly 80 min custom lecture
  • ✔ Bonus university-level lectures*
  • ✔ Bonus “Life after contest math” talks*
  • ✔ Bonus "The Math Mindset" talks*

Bonus Lectures/Talks & 14-Day Money Back Guarantee

14-Day Satisfaction Guarantee: If you withdraw on or before 15 August 2025 (23:59 CEST), have attended all scheduled sessions for your track during the first 14 days, and have submitted your work for all required problem sets before each class, 100% of the Program Fee will be refunded to the original payment method. Eligible refund requests must be emailed to shefscholars@gmail.com by the deadline; refunds are processed within 14 business days. Access to all Program materials terminates immediately upon refund issuance.

*Bonus Lectures/Talks: The exact number of bonus lectures/talks will be at least 1. There is no guarantee that there will be more than 1 bonus lecture/talk. If more are held, they will be announced at least 48 hours in advance, open to all the tracks, recorded and made available to all students.

Meet Our Instructors

Why Choose Shef Scholars?

Proven Track Record

In just three test iterations we helped 6 students get to the IMO and win 2 Honorable Mentions, a Bronze, and a Silver Medal.

Expert Instructors

Learn from the Shef himself and other former math competitors. No matter the track you choose, the Shef will be teaching at least 14 of the classes over the course of the program.

Intensive Program

Immerse yourself in 27 weeks of focused, high-level math training. Learn the necessary theory for competitive math success and practice with problem sets designed to challenge you.

Join a Thriving Community

Connect with like-minded peers who share your passion for competitive mathematics. Collaborate, solve problems together, and build lifelong friendships.

Massive Value for $

Given this is our first competitive math school that will take 27 weeks, we are offering a massively discounted price at less than $20 $10 per hour of class time.

Beyond Competitive Math

Learn about life after competitive math, including university math, career paths, and how to leverage your math skills in various fields.

What Our Students Say

Hello, I am from Azerbaijan and my name is Ismayil. I felt like I learned a lot of tricks and tips in combinatorics which encouraged me to do some imo sl problems I think the way of taking lessons from IMO champion is just different from others because you get lessons by deeply experienced person. We socialized by each other we learned by mistakes in our solutions which is different than getting lesson and explanetion by someone else (the group consists only imo level students which is good for improving) I got selected for summer camp for imo (which is due to my imo score top 20) If you want to stduy individual and got help by experienced olympians it would be great and taking lectures is the best way to study. I wish i take program again :)"

- Ismayil Ismayilzade, Azerbaijan

"My name is Arleth, and I’m from El Salvador. Thanks to Shef Scholars, I’ve learned new principles and techniques for tackling Math Olympiad problems. This program stands out from others I’ve taken because of its personalized approach. It has also given me the chance to connect with people who are on the same path of competing in Math Olympiads. Thanks to Shef Scholars, I qualified for the Iberoamerican Math Olympiad and obtained an Honorific mention on APMO 2024. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in math competitions and looking to be part of a cool community."

- Arleth Karolina, Iberoamerican Math Olympiad competitor, 7th in El Salvador 2025 TST

Mingdao talks about how the program helped him prepare after failing the Team Selection Test and how helpful the program was in helping him prepare in two weeks.

- Mingdao Zou Zhong, Sweden, International Mathematical Olympiad Honourable Mention

Besnik talks in depth about the program and why it was helpful to him

- Besnik Haziri, Kosovo Team for IMO 2025

"Shef Scholars is a wonderful initiative. I joined in 2022 with just the hope of getting some ideas as to how I should approach math problems. Shef gave a lot of problem sets and also organized meetings to correct these problems in group, which definitely gave useful insights as to how one should tackle a math olympiad problem. Furthermore he organizes some one-on-one meetings in which I had the choice of going over any math question I wanted. The real perk of Shef Scholars is in my opinion just the way Salko explain his mathematics. He's a fantastic teacher and will give you just the right amount of help and insights to solve problems. What I improved the most, other than just overall better problem-solving skills, is endurance, i.e. wanting to solve the problem, rather than solving it as quickly as possible. I definitely recommend this program to any student who aspires to become a better problem-solver."

- Luka Sebbag, Belgium, International Mathematical Olympiad Honorable Mention

Frequently Asked Questions

The Shef Scholars Competitive Math Academy is designed exclusively for students aged 14-19 who have a good foundation in mathematics and are looking to develop their skills more.
To be a Shef Scholar and join our Competitive Math Academy you need to have a decent foundation in mathematics. If you are able to solve at least 50% of the problems from the beginner reference problems, you are qualified to be a Shef Scholar and join the Shef Scholars Competitive Math Academy. Anything less than that and you are not ready for the program yet.
Students are placed into tracks based on their preferences, test evaluations, and in some cases interviews. We suggest you look at the reference problems and apply to the track in which you can solve 50% of the reference problems. Do not worry too much about picking the right track. If we believe you've misplaced yourself, we can suggest a move to another track in which you will find the most growth in.
To help make sure everyone gets the attention they need in the lecture, is called out at least once a month (unless the studet is very averse to being called out), and has a chance to ask questions, we limit the number of students per group to 15.
Yes it is, make sure you submit the application form and the paying in installments form at roughly the same time. Also please make sure your name, email match exactly on both forms. You can find the paying in installments form here or by copy pasting this link https://forms.gle/HocHKTgteXfENjD3A
If you're unsure which level to pick, there are reference problems for each level that you can find at www.shefscholars.com/reference_problems.pdf or here
Not at this time. However, if you're very motivated, we encourage you to fill out the application to the best of your ability and then fill out the paying in installments form. Fill out the custom plan option and explain your situation. Make sure you submit the application form and the paying in installments form at roughly the same time. Also please make sure your name, email match exactly on both forms. You can find the paying in installments form here or by copy pasting this link https://forms.gle/HocHKTgteXfENjD3A . Note that we would love to be able to offer financial aid to the most motivated students that have a need for it, but we are a small organization and we are not able to do so at this time.

Ready to Join the Shef Scholars Competitive Math Academy?

Don't miss this opportunity to accelerate your math skills and join a community of exceptional young mathematicians.