Lexington High School students pursue a wide variety of STEM-centered extracurriculars—including PRIMES, considered one of the most prestigious math programs for high school students.

MIT PRIMES and PRIMES Circle are programs catered towards high school students living a commutable distance from Boston. PRIMES Circle students meet weekly from February through May to solve math problems and present their solutions to peers, focusing on literature and specific areas of math. 

PRIMES Circle’s sister program, MIT PRIMES, is a yearlong research program where selected high schoolers also meet weekly to specifically delve deeper into their interests by researching various STEM topics computational biology and computer science in addition to math. Students already participating may choose to reapply to stay in the program for the following year. (Starting in 2025, however, new admissions are possible only in the Math section of MIT PRIMES.)

A common trait among participants in MIT PRIMES and PRIMES Circle is their participants’ shared enjoyment of math and their academic curiosity. Participants who apply to these programs are fueled by their passion for problem-solving. 

“[I’ve] been doing math since middle school, and what I like about math is the sense of fulfillment I get when I actually prove… or solve something,” Larine Ouyang, a senior at LHS, said. 

PRIMES students often accomplish much more than what is taught in the normal high school curriculum. Participants said that the program environment fosters openness to new ideas, creating an environment where math lovers can freely express their unique ways of thinking—a major factor that encourages students to apply. 

Niyathi Srinivasan, a PRIMES participant and senior at LHS, emphasized the importance of conveying a genuine passion for math in the application. 

“Be patient and continue thinking about the problems every day. Also, in your personal statement, showcase your interest in math by talking about books you’ve read about math, puzzles you like solving, and how you interact with math concepts outside of math competitions or school,” Niyathi Srinivasan, a senior at LHS, said. 

PRIMES participants stated the program allowed them to foster genuine interests in their respective subjects, and they now hope to continue to pursue similar research as undergraduate students.

”Participating in MIT PRIMES has pushed me to think of problems as an ongoing task and one that doesn’t just have one correct answer,” Maya Kalai, a senior at LHS, said.