After their sophomore year, many students make the difficult decision to move from their hometown to the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs

ASMSA has a variety of courses students can take. Of all the courses offered, the school excels in mathematics and science. This school is difficult to get into because of all the students that apply, few of them actually get accepted.

“I feel like it’s a step ahead of Bryant and ASMSA is more advanced and its people who are willing to learn and want to be there,” sophomore Kaitlin Johnson said.

Currently there are 246 students who attend ASMSA, and out of about 200-350 students who apply only about 120-130 get accepted each year.

Applying for the school is a long and tough process. To apply you have to fill out and application and write four essays. You also have to send in you ACT and SAT scores. They also have to go to the school for a day and shadow a student who attends there.

“You go to the school and shadow a student and you have stay with and experience the life of the student there,” sophomore Julie Joo said.

Joo and Johnson have two very different ides of what they want to be. They will be applying for their junior and senior year. For Joo, she would like to pursue a career in science. Johnson would like to pursue mathematics.

They both said they are nervous to leave their family and friends like most of the people feel when they go there. They also said they are excited to get to experience something new.

“I feel like it will be a bigger challenge and I think its like experiencing college two years before you go,” Joo said.