The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts announced a new commitment to Arkansas students while launching its search for the Class of 2019 on Monday.
The ASMSA upwARd Promise is a new articulation of the school’s longstanding commitment to providing transformational experiences for students with economically, racially and geographically diverse backgrounds from across Arkansas. It includes a five-point commitment that outlines ways the school creates opportunities to help elevate talented and motivated students to excellence.
Beginning with the students in the Class of 2019, the promise includes:
• An opportunity to prepare for and take the ACT during their sophomore year at no cost. Students with a demonstrated financial need who complete their application for admission by Dec. 7 will receive a fee waiver for the February ACT test. A competitive ACT or SAT score is required for admission to ASMSA. Students will also receive access to prep tools to improve their understanding of the exam.
• The opportunity to minimum of 30 hours of college credit while finishing high school. All students take college-level courses while attending ASMSA with recent graduates averaging 45 hours — or three full semesters of college study — during their two years at the school. The courses save families roughly $13,000 in tuition and fees. The annual concurrent credit assessment is waived for students with financial need.
• Students pay no additional fees for housing, meals and textbooks. Students with demonstrated need receive a fee waiver for the residential assessment and are assigned a laptop computer during their time at ASMSA. All students have access to computers and specialized technology throughout campus, including the highest per-student broadband allocation in the state.
• The opportunity to participate in ASMSA’s Global Learning Program, which provides opportunities to study abroad, participate in cultural exchanges and language immersion trips and other programs. All ASMSA students are eligible tor receive a $750 Global Learning Program grant. Students with financial need may apply for a full-cost grant. More than 200 students have had the opportunity to travel abroad as part of the program.
• College planning and coaching is provided for all students that positions them to compete for admission to top universities and for major scholarships. ASMSA alumni have been offered more $200 million in scholarship offers. Students with financial need are positioned to compete for need-based scholarship programs such as QuestBridge Scholars and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship Program.
About a third of ASMSA’s enrollment qualifies for need-based assistance. ASMSA Director Corey Alderdice said ASMSA upwARd Promise reinforces the school’s dedication to providing all Arkansas students the opportunity to grow and succeed at the school and prepare them for their future educational endeavors.
“ASMSA has always maintained a strong commitment to promoting both access and success for students from diverse backgrounds,” he said. “As such, ASMSA leads its 16 benchmark institutions in the number of students who qualify for school meal programs and doubles the national average of its peers.
“There are some people under the misconception that ASMSA is a program for students who have already had the benefit of tremendous opportunities for learning both in and beyond the classroom. Being a successful student at ASMSA is not about innate talent; instead, our goal is to identify students with a passion for learning, a strong work ethic, and a clear commitment to continual growth.”
Valerie Carpenter, director of admissions, said the opportunity for students to prepare for and take the ACT during their sophomore year at no cost is an important step in the ASMSA application process.
"With the addition of our new program, the upwARd promise, I expect to see an increase in student applications,” she said. “It is not uncommon to meet students who are interested in our program who have never taken the ACT or wait to take the ACT their junior year — all because it is free. By providing these students with the resources they will need to apply, I can only hope this better prepares them for the admissions process."
Students apply to ASMSA through a competitive admissions process that evaluates high school coursework, ACT/SAT scores, responses to essay questions, letters of recommendation, and other accomplishments. Finalist candidates are invited to attend Interview Weekends in April. The process is similar to application at selective colleges and universities.
Students must submit their completed online application, test scores, and letters of recommendation no later than March 1, 2017. Eligible students must be a resident of the state of Arkansas, be a current 10th-grade student, submit an ACT composite and subscores of 19 or higher, and a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.25.
To learn more about ASMSA’s application process, visit asmsa.org/admissions/application.
Throughout the fall semester, admissions representatives will visit schools and communities across Arkansas to present the opportunities available to talented and motivated Arkansas students who complete their junior and senior years of high school in residence at ASMSA.
The school will also host a series of Preview Weekends on Nov. 12, 2016, and Jan. 28, 2017.
Preview Weekends present a unique opportunity for prospective applicants and their families to meet with current ASMSA students and their parents, visit the Student Center, and gain a better understanding of student life at ASMSA. Topics will include the role of the ACT and SAT in the admissions process, suggested courses for sophomore year and qualities of a strong applicant. Students will also participate in hands-on sessions guided by ASMSA faculty members in a topic of their choice.
Focus Weekends will be an addition to the slate of admissions activities planned by the school this year. Special events for students interested in careers in French (Oct. 7-9, 2016, Biomedicine (Oct. 28-29, 2016), Arts (Nov. 18-19, 2016 and Feb. 3-4, 2017), Math (Dec. 2-3, 2016), and Engineering (Jan. 13-14, 2017) will include an overnight stay in the Student Center and activities that highlight the depth of opportunities available at ASMSA in these disciplines.
Families may RSVP online at armathsciarts.eventbrite.com.
Carpenter encouraged all prospective students and their families to visit ASMSA in person through one of the school’s many outreach events.
“A visit to our campus allows students the opportunity to ask questions and get more familiar with the campus while engaging in conversation with current students, faculty and staff. A tour of the facility also helps students get a firsthand view of the campus that will aid in the decision-making process,” Carpenter said.