> my impression is current math clubs and competitions have been taken over by kids just wanting credit for college I work directly with students in this field

> my impression is current math clubs and competitions have been taken over by kids just wanting credit for college I work directly with students in this field and my experience is that most are involved for the interest, challenge, or social aspect. If you are involved with “pay to play” programs like AoPS, you probably see more resume-grooming. Nobody I know would continue to donate their time if they perceived it was primarily fluff.