Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: Difference between revisions
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
IMSA consistently ranks at the top of the nation in standardized test scores (of roughly 200 students in the senior class, about 50 are National Merit Semifinalists), as well as in the prestigious Siemens-Westinghouse and Intel Science competitions. The class of 2005 produced six semifinalists for each Siemens and Intel. There was also one finalist for the Siemens competition, and three finalits in the Intel competition. |
IMSA consistently ranks at the top of the nation in standardized test scores (of roughly 200 students in the senior class, about 50 are National Merit Semifinalists), as well as in the prestigious Siemens-Westinghouse and Intel Science competitions. The class of 2005 produced six semifinalists for each Siemens and Intel. There was also one finalist for the Siemens competition, and three finalits in the Intel competition. |
||
Because of the relative youth of the institution when compared to schools such as the [[Philips Academy]] of [[Stuyvesant]], IMSA does not have a long standing connection with any Ivy League universities. Nevertheless, IMSA students annually gain admission to the nation's best universities, including [[Harvard]], [[Yale]], [[Princeton]], and of course, the [[Massachusetts Institute of |
Because of the relative youth of the institution when compared to schools such as the [[Philips Academy]] of [[Stuyvesant]], IMSA does not have a long standing connection with any Ivy League universities. Nevertheless, IMSA students annually gain admission to the nation's best universities, including [[Harvard]], [[Yale]], [[Princeton]], and of course, the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. IMSA students have tremendous success in gaining admission to [[MIT]] in particular; out of 197 students in the class of 2004, 18 were admitted to MIT. |
||
===History=== |
===History=== |
||
Revision as of 04:44, 5 February 2005
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, or IMSA, is a three-year, residential, public high school of approximately six hundred thirty students (the school has only sophomores, juniors, and seniors). IMSA is located in Aurora, Illinois, about one hour due West of Chicago. It is modeled on the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and has a primary focus on mathematics, science, and technology, although a plethora of other subjects are studied. Some of its early staff members previously worked at the North Carolina school. IMSA is a residential school created by the state's General Assembly that is open only to residents of Illinois. Currently, IMSA is the largest school of its kind in the nation in terms of both budget and student population. It is the second oldest; the North Carolina School was founded a few years before IMSA. It is a member of the NCSSSMST.
Overview
IMSA is a boarding school which accepts students from across the state. It is also a public school, and students are not charged tuition, though a facility's fee ranging from the low hundreds to two thousand dollars is charged (sliding scale basis). It is funded from the Illinois General Assembly through the Board of Higher Education. The total amount spent per student for tuition and room & board is estimated to be around $26,000, although different reports suggest amounts as low as $15,000. IMSA currently does not accept students from other states or from abroad, but is considering changing this policy. If accepted, these students will pay full tuition and room & board. Due to the funding from the General Assembly, matriculating students must prove their residency in the state of Illinois with two pieces of documentation.
Entrance
Prospective students, who are usually freshmen in high school but sometimes students in eighth grade, must fill out an extensive application to gain admission to IMSA.
The applications consists of the SAT I, several essays totaling roughly four to five pages, three teacher recommendations (Science, Mathematics, and English), and a list of awards and extra-curricular activities. As such, IMSA has a strong academic reputation. Since it draws the best students from across the state, it is sometimes considered a magnet school. (As of late, several Chicago magnet schools have been drawing away many Chicago-area students.)
Though IMSA does not disclose the numbers, there are generally over 1,000 applicants for 240 places each year. The average score on the SAT for incoming sophomores (the test is taken while the students are freshmen) is 1200. This compares to an exiting average score of aroung 1400.
In order to facilitate greater numbers of applications, IMSA has an extensive outreach network run by The Center@IMSA. Some students who are invited to attend IMSA are admitted on the condition that they successfully complete a three-week, intensive preparation course named EXCEL over the summer.
Due to the residential program for students who are fifteen or younger, IMSA has a fairly low graduation percentage. Incoming sophomore classes are roughly 240, but graduating classes are only about 205. The reasons for this range from the difficulty of the IMSA curriculum to disciplinary issues.
Academics
IMSA consistently ranks at the top of the nation in standardized test scores (of roughly 200 students in the senior class, about 50 are National Merit Semifinalists), as well as in the prestigious Siemens-Westinghouse and Intel Science competitions. The class of 2005 produced six semifinalists for each Siemens and Intel. There was also one finalist for the Siemens competition, and three finalits in the Intel competition.
Because of the relative youth of the institution when compared to schools such as the Philips Academy of Stuyvesant, IMSA does not have a long standing connection with any Ivy League universities. Nevertheless, IMSA students annually gain admission to the nation's best universities, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and of course, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. IMSA students have tremendous success in gaining admission to MIT in particular; out of 197 students in the class of 2004, 18 were admitted to MIT.
History
Nobel laureate Leon Lederman, director emeritus of nearby Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, was among those to first propose the school in 1982 - 1983, and together with Governor Jim Thompson led the effort for its creation. The school was established by the Illinois General Assembly in 1985, and first opened to students in 1986. The Academy is housed in a building (naturally expanded for on-site housing) originally constructed as the north campus of West Aurora High School. Lederman gave its first commencement address in 1989.
The current and only president of the school is former Batavia Superintendent Stephanie Pace Marshall, who serves on the board of several non-profits and for-profit institutions, such as Tellabs Inc. The current principal is Eric McClaren. McClaren went to school in the building that became IMSA. Though the school received a budget cut in FY 2002, its budget has increased recently, largely due to the support of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R, Oswego).