Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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 – Interim 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, also known as IMSA, is a special public high school in Aurora, Illinois. It's a three-year school where students live on campus. About 650 students attend IMSA.

Most students join IMSA in their sophomore (10th grade) year. However, younger students who have finished a year of algebra and 9th-grade science can also apply. Getting into IMSA is competitive. The school looks at your grades, teacher recommendations, essays, and SAT scores. About one-third of students who apply are accepted each year.

Since IMSA is a public school, there are no costs for tuition, room, or food. However, there is a yearly student fee. This fee can be lowered or removed based on your family's income. IMSA is often ranked as one of the top high schools in the U.S. for math and science. Many of its graduates become leaders in different fields. It's also ranked as the best public high school in Illinois by Niche.com.

School History
How to Get In
What You Learn
- Student Inquiry and Research
Programs for Everyone
Student Life
Student Leadership
- Student Council
Achievements and Awards
Famous Graduates
See also

School History

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

The school's budget has grown over the years with support from leaders like Tom Cross.

How to Get In

The front entrance of IMSA

A science lab classroom at IMSA

Students who want to attend IMSA usually apply during their freshman year of high school. Sometimes, even eighth graders can apply.

To apply, you need to submit your school grades from the last two and a half years. You also need scores from the SAT I or ACT tests. Two essays written by you are required, along with three recommendations from your science, math, and English teachers. You also list any awards or activities you've been involved in.

Some students who are accepted to IMSA must first complete a special three-week summer program called EXCEL. This program helps them prepare for the challenging courses at IMSA.

Not all students who start at IMSA stay until graduation. About 85% of students complete their studies there. Reasons for leaving might include the tough classes, missing home, or family moving away.

What You Learn

Students at IMSA take challenging college-level courses. All classes are taught at an honors level. IMSA has its own unique curriculum and does not follow the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Students must earn a certain number of credits in different subjects to graduate. Each class that lasts a semester usually counts for 0.5 credits.

Besides classes, IMSA has many clubs. These clubs range from religious groups to volunteer organizations. The Student Council approves all clubs and helps them get money for events.

Student Inquiry and Research

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

Programs for Everyone

IMSA offers special programs for teachers and students across Illinois. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) runs these programs. CTL helps students improve their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

CTL offers programs like IMSA Fusion, Summer@IMSA, and Funshop enrichment programs. They also have an online research course called RISE, open to all Illinois students. ALLIES is a program where high school students lead STEM activities. CTL also provides training for teachers. These programs especially help students who might not usually have many opportunities in math and science.

Student Life

School Newspaper

The Acronym is IMSA's student-run newspaper. It covers general school news. For a while, it was only online, but in the 2022-2023 school year, they started printing copies again. They also launched a mobile app for the newspaper.

Sports Teams

IMSA is part of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which oversees 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 boys and girls in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Girls can also play badminton. The school also has a dance team.

Competitive Activities

IMSA teams have done very well in state championships:

Chess: They have won the state championship six times (1986–87, 1987–88, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2016–17, 2017–18). They have also placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th many times.
Scholastic Bowl: They have won the state championship 12 times (1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2021-2022). They have also placed 2nd, 3rd, and 4th many times.

Student Leadership

Student Council

The Student Council at IMSA helps connect students with the school's leaders. They work with administrators to make changes at the school. The Student Council website shares information about their projects. They also approve new clubs each year and help them get money for events. The council gathers student ideas throughout the year to make sure student voices are heard.

Achievements and Awards

IMSA students consistently score very high on standardized tests. Many students are named National Merit Semifinalists each year. IMSA students also do well in major science competitions like the Siemens and Intel Science competitions. For example, in the class of 2009, five students were finalists and ten others were semifinalists in the Siemens competition.

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 Graduates

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 exoplanet hunter and Professor of Astronomy at Ohio State University.
Yu Pan (1995) – One of the co-creators of PayPal and the very first employee at YouTube.
Sam Yagan (1995) – A co-founder of 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 well-known theoretical physicist who studies high energy physics at Harvard University.