Alabama School of Math & Science Story By Allyson McMaken Photos Contributed By ASMS
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SMS offers tuition-free premier science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M.) education to Alabama 10th, 11th and 12th graders on its residential campus. ASMS was founded by the legislature in 1989 as Alabama’s first, fully public and residential high school for sophomores, juniors and seniors seeking advanced studies in math, science, computer science and the humanities. ASMS removes barriers to educational opportunity by providing a tuition-free, premier S.T.E.M. education to high school students from all 67 counties in Alabama with all levels of socioeconomic status. ASMS is set apart by its academic rigor, residential learning environment, leadership opportunities and research focus for students. Students can pursue college-level coursework, conduct original research with expert faculty members and forge their own academic path through unique electives. ASMS is a school for students who are ready for an accelerated learning environment that challenges them to maximize their potential beyond what might be available at their home school.
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Students graduate from ASMS excelling on every level, inside and outside the classroom. On average, ASMS students increase their ACT score five to seven points from when they enter to when they graduate. The average ACT score for graduates is a 30 — one of the highest in the state. Students often graduate with full-tuition scholarships to in-state institutions or are admitted to out-of-state institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Georgia Tech, Columbia and more. For 30 years, ASMS has had a transformative effect on student success, supporting students to be the very best version of themselves. Each year, ASMS opens its admissions application for current ninth and 10th graders to apply for the following school year. In addition, the school offers summer programs for rising seventh through ninth graders with a drive to develop knowledge in S.T.E.M. and leadership skills to gravitate to the top of their field one day. More information about the school and its offerings is available at asms.net or by calling 251-441-2100.
A YEAR TO REMEMBER