The Academy for Science and Design hosted its first admissions information session for the year on Thursday, Sept. 24, with a plan to have two more later this fall. The news is out about ASD’s outstanding high school rankings, so the number of applicants who wish to enroll has increased this school year.

Recently, Newsweek magazine ranked ASD as the No. 1 high school in New Hampshire and the 50th best high school in the United States. Because of this, the number of applicants looking to enter ASD in higher grade levels has hit an all-time high. More than 350 applicants and their families registered for the first information session, and many more have registered for the upcoming dates of Tuesday, Oct. 27, and Monday, Nov. 30.

"ASD has seen an increase of approximately 12 percent in the total number of applications we received for the same time frame last year," said Amy Bewley, coordinator of admissions, marketing and communications at ASD. "The biggest difference is the number of high school applicants we are seeing. The number of applicants for grade 9, for example, has more than tripled from this time last year.

"I believe that this is because applicants realize that graduating from a high school that not only has incredibly rigorous academic requirements, but is also ranked as one of the top 50 high schools in the country is a huge benefit to them when it is time to apply to colleges. Right after the article was published, we had colleges who had not visited us previously call to schedule visits with our juniors and seniors."

"I recognize that all of our New Hampshire public schools struggle with funding limitations, but the fact that ASD is able to achieve this national recognition with less than half of the funding received by district schools … that is quite an accomplishment," said Jennifer Cava, director of the Academy for Science and Design. "What it shows me is that perseverance, commitment, and a good dose of creativity and optimism makes for a pretty incredible little school."

At each information session, ASD high school students give tours to applicants and their parents. The ASD students answer questions about the academy’s rigorous curriculum and many extracurricular activities. Many prospective students who wonder about the requirements are informed that, starting in seventh grade, students who plan to stay at ASD through 12th grade prepare by taking integrated biology and chemistry, physics, advanced math classes, and many other higher-level courses. By the time ASD students reach high school, they are ready for many of the college-level courses that the academy offers.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to enter ASD as a high school student, because many schools do not offer the rigorous prerequisites that all ASD students are required to take in middle school. This should not discourage any student interested in the sciences who would like to apply. Anyone who strives to put in the extra effort can acquire an amazing education at the Academy for Science and Design.

Ian Ayer is a sophomore at the Academy for Science and Design.