▁over ▁the ▁summer . ▁I MS A ▁has ▁a ▁fairly ▁low ▁ret ention ▁rate ; ▁the ▁average ▁ret ention ▁rate ▁per ▁class ▁is ▁ 8 5 %. ▁The ▁reasons ▁for ▁this ▁may ▁include ▁the ▁difficulty ▁of ▁the ▁I MS A ▁curr icul um , ▁home - s ick ness , ▁discipl inary ▁exp ulsion , ▁student ' s ▁family ▁moving ▁out ▁of ▁state , ▁and ▁the ▁in ability ▁for ▁Illinois ▁students ▁to ▁mat ric ulate ▁to ▁I MS A ▁after ▁their ▁s oph om ore ▁year . ▁ ▁Academ ics ▁Stud ents ▁at ▁I MS A ▁take ▁rig orous ▁college ▁prepar atory ▁courses , ▁with ▁all ▁classes ▁being ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁hon ors ▁level , ▁though ▁I MS A ▁philosoph ically ▁sp urn s ▁the ▁Advanced ▁P lacement ▁curr icul um . ▁Each ▁student ▁must ▁ful fill ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁specific ▁cred its ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁gradu ate . ▁This ▁set ▁of ▁cred its ▁is ▁broken ▁down ▁by ▁academic ▁subject . ▁Each ▁sem ester - long ▁class ▁counts ▁for ▁ 0 . 5 ▁cred its , ▁unless ▁it ▁meets ▁with ▁greater - than - normal ▁frequency . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁academic ▁program , ▁I MS A ▁also ▁offers ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁clubs ▁r anging ▁from ▁religious ▁clubs ▁to ▁volunte er ▁organizations ▁. ▁All ▁these ▁clubs ▁are ▁char tered ▁by ▁the ▁Student ▁Council , ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Stud Co . ▁ ▁I MS A ▁b ills ▁itself ▁as ▁an ▁" ed uc ational ▁labor atory ", ▁and