Anonymous wrote:Other than for the experience, does this help with anything else? (College apps?)
Directly, doing well on AMC10/12 qualifies a kid for AIME. Doing well on AIME qualifies a kid for USA(J)MO. Kids who do well enough on that are invited to a free math summer camp program that prepares kids for participating in the IMO (international math olympiad) or EGMO (European Girls Math Olympiad). The top handful of kids in the country make it on these teams.
Otherwise, scores are used to access various summer camps or elite programs. They also can be used for college apps.