Acclaimed Illinois STEM Academy Expands Enrollment to Non-Illinois Students

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Will Now Accept Out-of-State Applicants

AURORA, Ill., Nov. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA, imsa.edu) is announcing – for the first time in its 36-year awarded history – that it will open up a limited number of new academy spots to out-of-state, tuition-paying students.

The acclaimed Aurora-based academy, with notable graduates, like YouTube Co-Founder Steve Chen, enrolls 650 Illinois-based 10-12 graders and is internationally recognized for inspiring, challenging, and nurturing students to enhance their abilities to improve people's lives. "The balance of independence and guidance provided by IMSA was fundamental in planting the seeds of innovation that eventually led me from Aurora to Silicon Valley. As globalization continues, I'm so excited by this important and developmental leap forward by IMSA in building this interconnecting bridge with the rest of the nation," says Chen.

IMSA will accept a small group of out-of-state students for paid tuition enrollment of $53,790 for the 2023-2024 school year. Out-of-state students admitted to IMSA will not take the spot of an Illinois student. Out-of-state students will join IMSA's native Illinois student body, whose academic and residential fees are covered by the State of Illinois. All IMSA admissions are based on academic performance, extracurricular activities, essays, teacher recommendations, and SAT scores.

"Opening enrollment to those outside Illinois helps our Academy build a more robust population of cross-cultural students who are thoughtful inquirers, integrative thinkers, ethical leaders, and problem solvers inspired to invent and test new ideas," says Dr. Evan Glazer, IMSA President and CEO.

Expanding enrollment to out-of-state students solidifies IMSA's standing as a top STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) school in the U.S. IMSA continues to be among the top high school programs in the nation for placing graduates in Ivy League and highly selective universities.

IMSA alumni represent a wide swath of achievements and garner numerous academic, research, leadership awards, and scholarships including Fulbright, Marshall, National Science Foundation, Rhodes, and more.

"Growing our enrollment with out-of-state students aligns with our mission to ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition," adds Glazer. "Welcoming students outside of Illinois only increases and enhances our diverse community that promotes curiosity and exploration."

Applications are being accepted now and can be found here. 

About Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: IMSA is the world's leading teaching and learning laboratory for imagination and inquiry and an esteemed three-year residential high school. Nearly 650 Illinois 10-12 graders currently live at the academy in Aurora, Illinois. Students hail from across Illinois and are enrolled in tuition-free, rigorous college preparatory classes. Graduates are leaders in the business, education, scientific, and civic sectors. Notable technology alumni include YouTube Founder Steve Chen, PayPal Co-Creator Yu Pan, Yelp Co-Founder Russell Simmons, SparkNotes, OkCupid Co-Founder Sam Yagan, and Hearsay Social Founder, Clara Shih. IMSA is proud to be named among the top 40 public and private college preparatory institutions in the world by The Wall Street Journal. It was the 2009 winner of the Intel Schools of Distinction Star Innovator Award and has been profiled by NBC-TV's Dateline, CNN's Science and Technology News, USA Today, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

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SOURCE Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy