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Art of Problem Solving

Engaged Employer

A great company to work for if you have no other options - Anonymous employee Art of Problem Solving Employee Review

2.0
Aug 13, 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The dress code is loose, so much so that people will walk around in pajamas or without shoes. The environment is also relaxed, and they love to tell you they don't micromanage. (Although that's easier to believe before you see the CEO come down on a new employee for bringing too many snacks to share.)

Cons

The money could be a lot better. It doesn't start off well, and raises that outpace inflation are rare. They'll keep you going with the promise of a bonus at the end of the year, but when it comes, it's disappointingly small. According to the CPO, they don't pay competitively because they want unhappy employees to not feel locked in. (She was silent about the effect of this strategy on happy employees.) For a company that so loudly declares itself family-friendly, you'd think that they'd have a generous benefits package that included the whole family, but you'd be wrong on both counts. The claim also rings hollow when you see that the only people who have any upward mobility in the company are the ones who will literally report in for work the day after the birth of their first child. And of course that puts women at a disadvantage. Every woman I worked with at AoPS, to the person, told me she felt like she wasn't taken seriously and had fewer opportunities at the company due to her gender. The leadership refused to pursue reports of a hostile workplace because those accused of causing it had too much seniority. The surest way to find favor at AoPS is to be the CEO's sycophant. He loves being told how smart he is, and equally important, how dumb everyone else is. Quality of work, years of experience, and new ideas are irrelevant, and sometimes counterproductive. That's how you see, for example, a CPO hired straight out of school with no HR experience whatsoever. According to them, they care more about people reflecting the company's values than anything else. But what are those values? When the company released them as an internal memo, at the top was a declaration that they were the "mightiest minds on the planet". It said nothing about the power of learning or the value the company would bring to its customers. That tells you everything you need to know - AoPS does not exist to promote education, it exists to feed the ego of the CEO and his inner circle. In fairness, there is free coffee in the break room.

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Art of Problem Solving Response
3y
At AoPS, half our executive committee, half our VP and Director-level roles, and more than half of our Campus Director roles are filled by women. Our compensation and promotions are based on employee, team, and company success, not seniority. We strongly encourage our team members to fully utilize paid family leave. We were excited to roll out our company values in 2021, but may have engaged in a bit too much hyperbole in our opening value. Thanks for pointing that out. We've now removed the opening clause and the value reads, "We're students: We’re much more interested in learning what’s right than being right. We’re curious, eager lifelong learners who strive for deeper understanding. We humbly ask questions because we know how much we have to learn. That’s why every AoPSer enters conversations with an open mind, excited to learn with and from their colleagues." Learning is integral to both our mission and our culture. Lastly, we offer a variety of healthy(ish) snacks in our HQ lunchroom, and are always excited when people bring in yummy treats to share!

Explore other reviews about Art of Problem Solving

5.0
Jul 1, 2026
Anonymous intern
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing office space filled with kind and intelligent people who all care about what they do!

Cons

Can't come up with any downsides honestly

1.0
May 14, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice campus in a great location

Cons

Though I was hired there in late July 2025 as a Language Arts Instructor, I never got to work in this capacity. After interviewing, coming in for a teaching demonstration, and completing a mountain of paperwork, I was informed that they did not actually have any class/es to offer me, but that I was "welcome" to say on in a substitute capacity. In the nearly year that followed, exactly one substitute opportunity matching my skill set and schedule became available but was snapped up before I could take it. I also received a lot of marketing emails and one webinar invite, as well as an alarming letter from their corporate HR, asking why I had not worked for them yet -- as if I had any control over this! If they wanted to know why I had not worked there, why not ask the person I'd been in contact with, who kept feeding me all these lies? To add insult to injury, in March of this year, they posted another vacancy advert for the same post I had applied for in 2025; when I enquired why, if they did not have anything for me in summer of 2025, they did not offer me this post when it was available, I was given some BS about how they were advertising for their "current campus needs" and thanked me for "understanding" No more "understanding," and I advise everyone else to steer clear of them; they're nothing more than an expensive, fancy version of Phoenix University.

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