Boston University Academy junior Elizabeth Synge won $20,000 earlier last month for finishing first in a national math competition for high school girls.’ ‘ The Advantage Testing Foundation Math Prize for Girls, which consisted of a 20-question test, was held at New York University on Nov. 14.’ ‘The questions were all really fun and challenging,’ Synge said. ‘It was all high school math, so there was no calculus, but the problems were very complex, much harder than those on the SATs. You really had to understand how different areas of math fit together.” Synge answered 14 of the 20 questions correctly, giving her the highest score of all the contestants. Synge has also competed at the 2009 China Girls Mathematical Olympiad as a member of the U.S. team. She received a silver medal.’ The winnings were awarded as a monetary prize and not a scholarship.’ Synge said she has not yet decided how she will spend the money. Though she plans to pursue mathematics in the future, she said she has not made any plans for college.’ BUA, which is located on the Charles River campus, allows high school students to take classes at BU. Since her freshman year at BUA, Synge has taken only university math classes.’ ‘ ‘ Her current Differential Geometry professor Steve Rosenberg said she is a very advanced student.’ ‘I am currently teaching Elizabeth in MA563, Introduction to Differential Geometry,’ Rosenberg said. ‘This is a difficult course, with an even mix of undergrads and grad students. It is remarkable that a high school student like Elizabeth is able to do so well in this course. She is very gifted in mathematics.” Synge said her BUA education helped to indirectly prepare her for success in the competition.’ ‘I really like that I’m able to go into BU and take math classes,’ she said. ‘The opportunities that BUA has given me have been so great to learn so much more than I could have otherwise.” Head of BUA James Berkman said although BUA does not officially prepare its students to compete in national competitions, the school’s math program without a doubt helps students to achieve success inside and outside the classroom.’ ‘We do have teachers who are always happy to work with individuals,’ Berkman said. ‘When individuals go off on their own they are always there to help if a student asks. The best preparation is excellent teaching in our math program and the university’s math program. Elizabeth took great courses from great professors.” Berkman said although successes like Elizabeth’s do not occur often, there are always BUA students who achieve outside of school.’ ‘We certainly have kids every year who enter one competition or another, be it in Boston, national or international,’ he said. ‘We don’t encourage kids to be competitive, but we are pleased when they are capable of and interested in doing it on their own.” Berkman said other ways BUA encourages its students to challenge themselves include the advertisement of summer enrichment programs and a focus on team competitions such as Robotics Club and Math Club.’ ‘ ‘There are a variety of ways by which we encourage kids to stretch themselves mentally,’ Berkman said. ‘It’s not about winning prizes, but about stretching their minds.’