Hillsdale College Students Place Third in Michigan in William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition
Thousands of students across the United States and Canada take the exam each year.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Hillsdale College placed third in Michigan in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition hosted by the Mathematical Association of America. Thousands of undergraduate students on hundreds of campuses across the United States and Canada take the exam each year, competing for cash prizes awarded to the top-scoring individuals and teams.
“The Putnam is arguably the most prestigious math competition for undergraduates,” said David Gaebler, chairman and associate professor of mathematics. “These placements are a testament not only to Hillsdale’s math program, but to the passion and dedication of our students.”
“The Putnam is arguably the most prestigious math competition for undergraduates.”
The six-hour exam consists of twelve problems worth 10 points each. This year’s median score was only 2, with almost 40% of participants scoring zero. Students work on the exam individually, and an institution’s three highest individual scores are combined to determine its team score.
Andrew Schmidt ’27, who holds Hillsdale’s record Putnam score of 41, ranked in the top 10% this year with a score of 32. Liam Swick ’26 scored 20, beating Ben Becker’s previous record of 18 to become the second highest Putnam scorer in Hillsdale history. A score of 9 by Levi Dittman ’28 brought Hillsdale’s team to 61 points, the third-highest team score in Michigan.
Matthew Tolbert ’27, Ben Bassett ’27, and Adela Horsting ’29 also participated in the competition.
Hillsdale College offers majors in both mathematics and applied mathematics and ranks among the top institutions nationally for the percentage of students majoring in mathematics.
Mathematics students participate in various competitions including the Michigan Autumn Take-Home Challenge, the William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition, and the Lower Michigan Math Competition. Hillsdale’s Problem-Solving Seminar, coached by Gaebler, meets weekly during the fall semester to practice for these competitions and discuss problem-solving techniques.
Outstanding mathematics students may join the Kappa Mu Epsilon mathematics honorary, which hosts special lectures, game nights, movie nights, and other events on campus.
For more information about the competition, click here. For more information about mathematics at Hillsdale, click here. For photos from a Hillsdale College math class, click here. For photos of Hillsdale College, click here. For a high-resolution copy of the Hillsdale College clocktower logo, click here.