Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA)

Center for Innovation and Inquiry at IMSA
Address
1500 Sullivan Rd. Aurora , Illinois 60506-1000 United States
Coordinates	41°47′13″N 88°21′17″W / 41.78694°N 88.35472°W / 41.78694; -88.35472
Information
School type	Public residential magnet
Motto	To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific minds that advance the human condition
Established	1985
Founder	Leon Lederman
President	Evan M. Glazer
Chairperson	Erin W. Roche
Principal	Angela Rowley – Principal and Chief Academic Officer
Faculty	52
Grades	10–12
Gender	Coed
Enrollment	650
Student to teacher ratio	14:1
Campus type	Suburban
Color(s)	Navy Pacific blue
Athletics conference	Little Ten Conference
Mascot	Titan
Team name	Titans
Accreditation	Cognia (education)
Newspaper	The Acronym
Yearbook	Gallimaufry
Endowment	IMSA Fund for Advancement of Education
Annual tuition	Free
Nobel laureates	1

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, or IMSA, is a special public high school in Aurora, Illinois. It's a place where about 650 students live and learn, focusing on math and science.

Students usually join IMSA in their sophomore year (10th grade). However, younger students who have completed a year of algebra and 9th-grade science can also apply. Getting into IMSA is competitive. The school looks at your grades, essays, and scores from tests like the SAT or ACT. About one-third of students who apply are accepted. Since it's a public school, there's no tuition, room, or board fees. There is a small yearly student fee, but it can be lowered or removed for families who need help. IMSA is often ranked as one of the best high schools in the country for math and science. Many of its graduates become leaders in different fields.

History of IMSA
How to Join IMSA
What Students Learn at IMSA
- Student Research Projects
Programs for Other Students and Teachers
Student Life at IMSA
Student Leadership
- Student Council
Awards and Achievements
Famous People Who Went to IMSA
See also

History of IMSA

IMSA was founded in 1985. The school's first president was Stephanie Pace Marshall. She helped create the school's original laws and its motto. She retired in 2007.

How to Join IMSA

Front entrance

B-Wing Science Lab Classroom at IMSA

Students who want to attend IMSA usually apply when they are in 9th grade. Sometimes, even 8th graders can apply.

The application process includes several steps:

Your school grades from the last 2.5 years.
Scores from the SAT or ACT tests.
Two essays written by you.
Letters from your science, math, and English teachers.
A list of any awards you've won or clubs you've joined.

Some students who are accepted might need to complete a special three-week summer course called EXCEL. This course helps them get ready for the challenging classes at IMSA. Most students stay at IMSA until they graduate, but some might leave if the classes are too hard, they miss home, or their family moves.

What Students Learn at IMSA

IMSA offers challenging classes that prepare students for college. All classes are taught at an advanced level. Students need to earn a certain number of credits in different subjects to graduate.

Besides classes, IMSA has many clubs. These clubs are for different interests, from religious groups to volunteer work. They are approved by the Student Council.

Student Research Projects

Most Wednesdays are called "I Days" at IMSA. "I" stands for "inquiry." On these days, junior and senior students often work on research projects as part of the Student Inquiry and Research (SIR) program. This program also runs during the summer. It allows students to explore different research topics.

Programs for Other Students and Teachers

IMSA also has special programs for students and teachers across Illinois. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) helps manage these programs. They focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills.

Some CTL programs for students include:

IMSA Fusion program
Summer@IMSA
Funshop enrichment programs
An online research course (RISE) for all Illinois students
ALLIES, where high school students help lead STEM programs

CTL also offers training for teachers. These programs help teachers learn new ways to teach math and science. CTL especially helps students who might not have many chances to learn about math and science.

Student Life at IMSA

School Newspaper

The Acronym is IMSA's student-run newspaper. It used to be printed on paper but became an online newspaper in 2008. In the 2022-2023 school year, The Acronym started printing again while still having online articles. They also launched a mobile app that year.

Sports Teams

IMSA is part of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which organizes most sports in Illinois. IMSA's sports teams are called the Titans. They joined the Little Ten Conference in the 2021–2022 school year.

IMSA has sports teams for both boys and girls, including:

Girls can also play badminton. The school also has a dance team.

Competitive Teams

IMSA has strong competitive teams that have done very well in state championships:

Chess: They have won the state championship six times, including in 2016–17 and 2017–18.
Scholastic Bowl: They have won the state championship many times, most recently in 2021-2022.

Student Leadership

Student Council

The Student Council at IMSA helps students and school leaders work together. They help make changes at the school based on student ideas. The Student Council also approves new clubs and helps them get money for events. They gather student feedback throughout the year to make sure student voices are heard.

Awards and Achievements

IMSA students often score very high on standardized tests. Many students are named National Merit Semifinalists, which is a big honor. IMSA students also do well in important science competitions like the Siemens and Intel Science competitions.

Several math teachers at IMSA have won the Edyth May Sliffe Award for their excellent teaching. An asteroid, 21441 Stevencondie, is even named after one of these teachers, Dr. Steven Condie!

Famous People Who Went to IMSA

Many IMSA graduates have gone on to do amazing things:

Ramez Naam (1990) - A software developer and author who helped create Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Outlook.
Steven Johnson (1991) - A professor of Applied Mathematics and Physics at MIT.
Scott Gaudi (1991) - An astronomer and professor at Ohio State University who hunts for planets outside our solar system.
Yu Pan (1995) - One of the people who helped create PayPal and was the first employee at YouTube.
Sam Yagan (1995) - He helped start SparkNotes and OkCupid, a large online dating site.
Steve Chen (1996) - A co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of YouTube. He also worked early on at PayPal.
Clara Shih (2000) - A bestselling author and co-founder of Hearsay Social. She is also on Starbucks' Board of Directors.
Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski (2010) - A brilliant theoretical physicist who studies high energy physics at Harvard University.

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy facts for kids

Contents