▁Tell abs . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁school ▁received ▁a ▁budget ▁cut ▁in ▁financial ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁its ▁budget ▁has ▁since ▁increased , ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁House ▁Minor ity ▁Le ader ▁Tom ▁Cross . ▁I MS A ' s ▁chair person ▁is ▁Dr . ▁Pa ula ▁O ls zew ski - K ub il ius . ▁ ▁Ad mission ▁ ▁Pro s pective ▁students , ▁who ▁are ▁usually ▁fresh men ▁in ▁high ▁school ▁but ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁may ▁be ▁e ighth ▁grad ers , ▁must ▁complete ▁an ▁application ▁to ▁be ▁considered ▁for ▁ad mission ▁to ▁I MS A . ▁ ▁The ▁application ▁process ▁consists ▁of ▁an ▁official ▁trans cript ▁of ▁the ▁student ' s ▁last ▁ 2 ½ ▁years ▁of ▁school , ▁scores ▁from ▁the ▁S AT ▁I , ▁four ▁student ▁ess ays , ▁three ▁teacher ▁evalu ations ▁in ▁science , ▁mathematics , ▁and ▁English , ▁and ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁awards ▁and ▁ext rac urr icular ▁activities . ▁ ▁Historic ▁ad mission ▁statistics ▁ ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁draw ▁greater ▁numbers ▁of ▁applications ▁and ▁" transform ▁teaching ▁and ▁learning ," ▁I MS A ▁has ▁an ▁out re ach ▁network ▁run ▁by ▁The ▁Center ▁for ▁Ad van cement ▁and ▁Ren ew al ▁of ▁Learning ▁and ▁Te aching ▁( The ▁Center @ I MS A ). ▁Some ▁students ▁who ▁are ▁invited ▁to ▁attend ▁I MS A ▁are ▁admitted ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁they ▁successfully ▁complete ▁a ▁two - week , ▁int ensive ▁prepar ation ▁course , ▁known ▁as ▁EX CE L ,