Application

Check that you meet all Eligibility Requirements.

8th-grade applicants must also be enrolled in at least Algebra 1 and a high school-level science course and must have at least 50% of the course completed by the application deadline (February 17th). If their school does not offer these courses, they will need to find supplementary courses through an accredited institution to meet this requirement. Here is a list of popular program choices among our applicants.

To begin the application process, access the admission application online by clicking here.

The IMSA application has no application fee. The application consists of the following:

• Demographic and School Information
• Two Essays
• List of STEM Activities and Achievements
• Parent Statement
• Three Teacher Evaluations from Current Teachers
• School Counselor Form
• Last 2.5 years of Official Grade Reports
• Official SAT or ACT Test Scores

The “Optional Statement” can be utilized to provide additional clarity on any part of the application or include information that you feel would be important for you or your child’s success at IMSA.

Applicants are required to submit two essays each 300-500 words answering the prompts provided in the application. Students will need to upload their essays to the application directly.

Students have the option of taking the SAT or ACT. All scores must be official and sent to Admission directly from the testing company. All test scores must be submitted before the application deadline (February 17th). Any scores received after the deadline will not be accepted. It is important to note that the admissions department will not accept the SAT scores from March 8th, as it falls after the deadline.

SAT

• Students can register for the SAT through CollegeBoard.org.
• Students should take the standard SAT, Math, and Evidenced-Based Reading & Writing sections without essay.
• When registering, please use IMSA’s SAT school code #3027 to ensure that we receive a copy of your test results.
• Please note, that we do not accept the PSAT.

ACT

• Students interested in taking the ACT can register through ACT.org.
• Students should take the standard ACT without writing.
• When registering, mark IMSA as your current school (code# 140177) to ensure that we receive a copy of your test results.

Virtual SAT Official Practice Test with Northwestern's CTD

• Eligible applicants can take a virtual SAT official practice test that is offered through Northwestern’s CTD Program. Click HERE for instructions.
• Eligible applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• • If your family demonstrates financial hardship and/or you qualify for the Federal Free & Reduced Lunch Program, you may qualify for the fee waiver.

    • To request the fee waiver, please fill out this brief Google survey.

  • If you started your application after November 2.

  • If your scheduled exam date gets canceled.

  • If you are unable to find an exam within 45 minutes of your residence (email a screenshot showing the nearest options to admissions@imsa.edu before signing up for the exam)

Applicants are required to submit 3 Teacher Evaluation Forms from the following subjects:

• Math Teacher
• Science Teacher
• English Teacher

Starting December 2nd, students can send the Counselor Form to the current counselor (or school administrator who oversees transcript requests). It's important to note that counselors will need to upload official transcripts from the last 2.5 years and instructions on how to send official transcripts are included on the evaluation form. As a reminder, IMSA cannot accept transcripts from students or their families, all transcripts must come from the school itself. If you have sent the request to your counselor and they have not received it, visit our Application Troubleshooting FAQ’s page for assistance.

Before February, connect with the Office of Admissions to ensure all your application materials have been received. You can contact the Office of Admissions by email at admissions@imsa.edu or by phone 630.907.5028.

Students should log into their student account to view their Admission Tracker checklist. You will see a list of materials needed. Materials received will have a green check mark by them. The admission staff is working to update all checklists, which are done manually, so we appreciate your patience.

Learn more about IMSA’s exceptional learning experiences,  residential program, and admissions process. All admission events are posted on our Visit IMSA page. Please be sure to register for our events as spaces do fill up quickly. Event registrations are opened the month prior to the event and close two days before the event date. Once the application has closed, students will not have an opportunity to visit campus until decisions have been made and students sign up for orientation. We highly recommend visiting IMSA before the application deadline.

To get notified of our events, sign up for our Admissions Newsletter! We send the newsletter out once a month starting in August through March.

2024-2025 Application Timeline for Class of 2028

September 23rd: Application Opens

September - February: Complete Application Materials

December 2nd: Teacher Evaluation and Counselor Forms Available

January: Follow Up with Admissions

February 17th: Application Closes

April 24th: Decisions Released

May 5th: Student Responses Due

June: Attend Orientation (All Admitted and Waitpool students are required to attend Orientation. Exact dates will be released early spring semester. Please plan vacations accordingly).

To view the full list of enrollment dates and deadlines, click here.