Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Reviews

373 reviews

I recently had the unfortunate opportunity to experience the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), and I must say that from the outset, it was clear that the institution's reputation far outweighed the reality of its offerings.
The institution's emphasis on competitiveness seems to overshadow the well-being of its students. The intense pressure to excel academically creates an environment of constant stress and anxiety. The administration failed to address the mental health concerns of students. Rather than providing support and resources to help students cope, IMSA seemed more interested in maintaining its reputation as a prestigious institution at the expense of the emotional well-being of its attendees.
As a place that should foster growth, learning, and personal development, IMSA left me deeply disappointed and disillusioned. I cannot recommend this institution to anyone seeking a truly enriching and supportive educational experience.

I have had a lot of great experiences at this school, I have made many memories, made many discoveries about myself, and have been able to develop some independence as I live there. I have met people who I think I will be lifelong friends with. Unfortunately however, I have had some run-ins with staff members and peers who were not professional and respectful towards me regarding issues that arose, and this did deter my enjoyment of the school. I would like to see staff members be more open to students and their issues, and be more understanding of extenuating circumstances as well.

I attended the EXCEL program for sophomores and they completed lied to my parents. I was put under recommendation to leave but they’re reason contradicted each other. My dismissal was likely due to my anxiety and PTSD symptoms. The teachers treated me poorly and my trauma was not taken into account in any interactions with me. I felt very disrespected by staff. Everything I said or did got twisted around when my parents were spoken too and they straight up made stuff up about me. They claimed I threatened a teacher despite me fearing and hating violence especially violence in front of me. The only reason I gave it two stars and not one is because they’re were some really nice students there that I will continue to be friends with. I do not recommend this school for anyone and my entire family will never recommend it due to how I was treated.

Review Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

IMSA is a great school that provides a different and more challenging approach to learning. The classes are far more advanced than my old school's courses. I find the courses fun and educational while still being a challenge. The dorm life is also a new and great experience. It allows me to collaborate with my peers, which is a key part of IMSA. The staff at IMSA strive to make it an inclusive community for everyone and I have seen how this can make a huge difference in people's lives.

It can be stressful but the inexperience here has been absolutely invaluable. It’s allowed me to challenge myself and learn many thing I never would have other wise.

I don't think the administration/bts of IMSA are its best aspects but things are looking a little better for residence counselors/others that work there. As for the teachers, there are a lot of different kinds you can experience at IMSA. The best instructors I've had were from IMSA but there were a couple that simply couldn't teach too well. There's office hours and peer tutors. The students were some of the most motivated young people I ever met. In public schools you don't really get to walk down the halls and have all the people walking in the opposite direction be just as smart if not smarter than you. The people made it worth it. Also, the food is not bad but the students who say the food was terrible were probably used to better food at home. The newer dorms are better than a lot of college dorms, as long as you keep it clean. I hope athletics gets more attention in the future, it was my favorite part. Attend if you're ready for a challenge. Overall, glad I didn't drop out.

I like living on campus. The campus is nice and the dorm rooms do the job. I wish they could bring day hall monitors back so that we can access our halls during the off periods

IMSA has taught me a lot about personal skills that cannot be learned anywhere else at your typical high school. I enjoyed having people in the same boat at me learning along the way and the people there truly made IMSA worthwhile along with my studies.

It's been absolutely amazing and I feel like I've really connected with the community and culture of IMSA. The teachers are absolutely amazing (although they're really strict sometimes!) and you can tell they care a lot about what they do.

Pros:
-The school has excellent extra-curricular academics, with clubs like Robotics, Code Society, and SIRs providing very practical experience for all students to apply their skills to real world projects.
-The curriculum is very extensive, especially the math, chemistry, and computer science departments have courses far beyond regular high school levels.
-Office hours and good peer tutoring programs for students to learn content outside of classes
-Student body is very motivated and friendly
Cons:
-High stress environment for students due to all the difficult classes resulting in problems with sleep and general well being.
-A lot of extra useless activities and programs created by admin that interferes with the students' schedules and time
-Food is not particularly tasty, which is more of a problem at a boarding school

This school will get you more than ready for college. The academics are rigorous and the teachers are top-notch.

I'm currently in my second year at IMSA. I've had a lot of questionable experiences. IMSA is a school I've come to know as having a tendency to cover up things. I've had 4 people I know get sexually assaulted/harassed on campus and nothing was done about it. We've had intruders on campus this year, one of which was in my wing on campus, and whom I had a conversation with. I have also now been on medical leave for a month and a half and was supposed to be allowed to do Zoom classes, however, administration and my teachers are not being responsive to emails regarding this and have not received any help with this from anyone. I've just been told, "We'll send a reminder" and still, nothing gets done. I've had other experiences of admin incompetence that I could tell of, however, that all wouldn't fit into this 1000 character limit.

IMSA has a great student community and an excellent stem program. There are so many different clubs and extracurricular activities to join. The dorm buildings could use some maintenance, but other than that it's a very fun and exciting place to be. Once again the stem program is really exemplary, they offer courses that teach college level content, and that you couldn't get at any other high school.

Overall, IMSA is a great school, it provides tremendous opportunities in STEM studies, and the community created by the residential aspect is unmatched. Despite many frustrating policies and decisions by administration during my stay, made worse by the handling of the pandemic, I am glad I attended, and I owe a lot to what I got to do there.

Admin is actually atrocious, they are nice but they are just incompetent and stubborn. However the residential life at IMSA is well worth it, these are some of the best friends I could have asked for. The amount of work is ludicrous but the teachers make up for it with most classes being fun. The food is not terrible but it isn't great either. Clash of the halls is fun and so is the hoco and prom.

I enjoyed attending IMSA. I graduated this past year and I feel that it prepared me well for college.

IMSA is a fantastic school for students who want to take their education to the next level. The diversity and academics are excellent, and the shared culture between the students is incredible. That being said, the high workload causes many students to encounter mental health challenges. Lack of proper nutrition, hygiene, and sleep are more common at this high school than at others. Most students get an average of 3-4 hours of homework per day, which can be difficult to balance with mental health, clubs, and other commitments. There is a club for practically every interest a student could have, and there is always something to do on campus. The residential environment allows for deeper connections with peers and establishes lifelong relationships. The biggest issue at IMSA is the administration, which routinely makes questionable decisions that clearly do not consider student input. Overall, IMSA is one of a kind, and the positives of the school definitely outweigh the negatives.

Review Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

The school community is like no other, I enjoy meeting new people and connecting through the student ran events, so everything is cultivated for you. With all this in mind, the administration is underwhelming, with lack of support from admin, and teachers can be less understanding with some students issues (there are exceptions, some teachers are amazing).

Choosing to apply for the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Some of the best professors I have ever met and they are all praying on your success. The residential format is also very good allowing the percolation of ideas among peers to better the human condition.

I like how advanced the classes are but the teachers need to get with the times. There have been so many teachers who won't respect students. Two of the teachers have made me cry over things that aren't even school related. But I met my best friend here so it is a great experience. If you are in a bad school district it's definitely a better place but there are way better schools if you're rich.

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