The MATHCOUNTS state competition will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2016, in the UCI Student Center's Pacific Ballroom and Crystal Cove Auditorium from 9 a.m. until about 3 p.m. 

Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1983, MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide program designed to boost the math competency of middle school students in the public school system. The program features a series of competitions with elimination rounds based on team and individual effort. Competitions start at the regional level, leading to a statewide competition and concluding with a national competition. MATHCOUNTS has been a very popular and exciting event for both the students and their parents.

The UCI Math Department (and earlier, the School of I&CS) has hosted the Orange County Regional and Southern California State competitions since 1992, and this is one of math department's major outreach efforts. The department does everything it can, from raising funds from corporate sponsors, recruiting speakers and volunteers, to arranging facilities and coordinating detailed logistics, to make it one of the best regional and State MATHCOUNTS events in the country. Many department faculty and staff members have made significant contributions in various aspects of this event.