- How competitive is the application process?
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For the summer of 2008, we received over 350 applications and 80 students were selected as finalists. Of those finalists, 39 were accepted into the program. This is an admit rate of 11%. This should not discourage students to apply instead it should reinforce that you should put a lot of time an energy into filling out the full application
- What are you looking for in applicants?
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We look for students who are:
- Interested in math and science
- Willing to put long hours into their studies
- Willing to live away from home
- Motivated
- Self starters
- What are your admissions criteria?
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There are several criteria that we consider in the application process. Among them are:
- Students must currently be attending a public school.
- Students must have a demonstrated financial need.
- Students must be from one of the three groups served by the program.
- Student must demonstrate genuine interest and aptitude in math and science.
- Students must be from one of the cities we serve. The exception to this are Native American students, who can come from anywhere in the US.
- What cities does the program serve?
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Currently we accept applications from students who live in: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Fort Worth, Lawrence MA, Louisville, Memphis, New York City, Washington DC. In addition Native American students can apply from any part of the country
- I live don’t live in one of the cities names above, can I apply to the program?
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No. At this time, we can only accept application from students who live in the above areas
- If am accepted and I decide to go, do I have to attend for all three summers?
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Yes, it is the expectation that students who are accepted into the program are making the commitment to attend for all three summers. This is very important for two reasons. First, our curriculum is based on the fact that you will be at Phillips Academy for the full length of the program. Leaving early would mean you are not taking full advantage of all that (MS)2 has to offer. Second, there are hundreds of students interested in attending the program for all three summers. Since we only accept scholars during their ninth grade year, if a student leaves early, that scholarship cannot be used by another student
- If I want to apply, what is the first step?
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If you are interested in applying the first thing you should do is download the pre-application and mail it as soon as possible but no later than December 10th. Once we receive the pre-application we will mail out the full application. Do not leave this till the last minute since no late pre-applications will be accepted
- What happens once I get the full application?
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The full application has a series of forms that you, your parents/guardians, and your teachers need to fill out. Make sure you read the instructions carefully. Once everything is completed, make sure you mail it to us by January 14, 2009. No late applications will be accepted
- Once I submit my application, how will I know if I was selected?
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Once your application is submitted, it will be reviewed by the admissions committee. Out of the applicants a group of finalists will be selected and notified via mail in late February. This group of finalists will then enter the last phase of the application process. Each of these finalists will be interviewed in person by the director of the program. The director will fly out to each student’s home city and interview them there. Once, all the interviews are complete, candidates will be informed in late March if they have been selected to be (MS)2 scholars.