▁approximately ▁ 6 5 0 ▁students . ▁ ▁En roll ment ▁is ▁generally ▁offered ▁to ▁incoming ▁s oph om ores , ▁although ▁younger ▁students ▁who ▁have ▁had ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁one ▁year ▁of ▁Al gebra ▁and ▁a ▁ 9 th ▁grade ▁science ▁equivalent ▁are ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁apply . ▁All ▁applic ants ▁under go ▁a ▁compet itive ▁adm issions ▁process ▁involving ▁the ▁review ▁of ▁gr ades , ▁teacher ▁evalu ations , ▁student ▁ess ays , ▁and ▁S AT ▁scores . ▁Histor ically , ▁approximately ▁one - third ▁of ▁applic ants ▁in ▁any ▁given ▁year ▁are ▁admitted . ▁Due ▁to ▁its ▁nature ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁institution , ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁charges ▁related ▁to ▁tu ition , ▁room ▁and ▁board ; ▁however , ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁annual ▁student ▁fee ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁reduced ▁or ▁wa ived ▁based ▁on ▁family ▁income . ▁I MS A ▁has ▁been ▁consist ently ▁ranked ▁by ▁News week ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁ten ▁high ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁math ▁and ▁science , ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁gradu ates ▁have ▁moved ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁leaders ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁fields . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁top - r ated ▁public ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁Illinois ▁on ▁N iche . com . ▁ ▁History ▁Nobel ▁la ure ate ▁Leon ▁Led erman , ▁director ▁emer it us ▁of ▁nearby ▁F erm i ▁National ▁Acc eler ator ▁Labor atory ▁in ▁Bat avia , ▁Illinois , ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁propose ▁the ▁school ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁and ▁together ▁with ▁Governor