If you have attended an MBL camp before, the application process is vastly different from that for new participants.
You have already completed the Qualifying Quiz and demonstrated the required mathematical background,
so there is no need to do it again.

Instead, we want to learn:
What you gained from your previous MBL experience?
How you hope to benefit from another camp?
What has changed since we last saw you?

You are also very welcome to say how you would like to contribute to the MBL vibe —
for example by proposing to run Evening Activities, Camper Talks or even Mathematical Classes (see Semi-tutors below).

One application for all camps

There is one main application deadline for alumni, covering all three MBL camps in an MBL year.
Most alumni places will be allocated in this main round.

In this application, you will be able to specify which camps you are interested in, rank them in order of preference, and add any relevant notes or constraints. All alumni applications are reviewed together, and we will try to match participants to camps as well as possible.

After MBL Balkans, there will be an additional supplemental alumni round. This round is open both to participants who have just attended MBL Balkans and to previous alumni who missed the main deadline. Applications submitted in this round may be considered for MBL UK and/or MBL Poland, depending on availability and stated preferences. Since most alumni admissions are made in the main round, we expect significantly fewer places to be available at this stage, and the process will be more competitive.

While attending MBL Balkans makes you eligible to apply as a returning participant later in the same MBL year, the default expectation remains that most participants will attend at most one MBL camp per year. Acceptance to a second camp is possible only in limited circumstances and subject to availability.

How many camps can alumni attend?

By default, successful alumni will be eligible to attend one camp per MBL year.
In some circumstances, we may be able to accept a small number of alumni to two camps.
Among successful applicants, we will prioritise more participants attending at least one camp before accepting someone to attend twice.

Semi-tutors

As a returning participant, you may apply to be a semi-tutor, which means running at least one full mathematical class on your own.
A typical class runs for three days, with 80-minute sessions each day. Semi-tutors are expected to prepare handouts in advance and to practise their class with an experienced mentor before the camp. You will be asked to submit one or more class proposals as part of the application.
If one of your proposals is selected, you will be accepted as a semi-tutor, and if not, your application will still be considered for a regular participant spot. This is a good option if you would like to take a more active role in shaping the mathematical content of the camp and sharing topics you care about with other participants.

Deadlines

There is one main application deadline for alumni: January 31st. The majority of alumni places will be allocated in this round.

There will also be one supplemental alumni round, with an application deadline of April 30th, intended for participants who missed the main deadline or whose first-ever MBL was the recently concluded MBL Balkans. We expect very limited availability in this round, as most alumni admissions decisions will already have been made.

To maximise your chances of being accepted, we strongly encourage applying by the main deadline.

If you have additional considerations (for example, being flexible between camps, or wanting to attend the same camp as a friend), you can include them in the notes section. Please keep in mind that the process is already quite constrained, and we may not be able to satisfy all requests.