Admissions

The Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School was chartered by the Massachusetts Department of Education in February 2004 and opened in September 2005. AMSA’s teaching model is centered on rigorous college-oriented education for all students. AMSA’s teaching philosophy involves starting challenging abstract learning, typically expected for high school students, early in the middle school grades.

The Founders of AMSA believe that children with a wide range of abilities can achieve a world class education if given the opportunity to apply themselves diligently. AMSA’s goal is to bring quality education, typically available only at exclusive private or exam schools, to an all-inclusive public school setting where children of diverse backgrounds can participate.

AMSA is chartered for up to 966 seats for grades 6 through 12. Applications are accepted for students in grades 6, 7, 8 and 9. Students entering in grades 7-9 are fulfilling backfilling regulations.

AMSA Charter School’s application process is not integrated with that of our chartered districts (603 CMR 1.05(11)).

AMSA Charter School holds a lottery for open seats for each school year. Applications for the lottery are accepted during a specified time period during the preceding school year. Public notice of application deadlines is made at least one month in advance of the application deadline. AMSA Charter School posts deadlines for accepting student applications in the Admissions section of the AMSA Charter School website and on the AMSA Charter School official calendar.

APPLICATIONS DO NOT CARRY OVER FROM YEAR TO YEAR. If you do not receive a seat and want to apply the next year, you must re-submit an application, even if you are on the waiting list. The waiting list is not held from year to year.

Once a student is accepted, they need not reapply, as their seat is protected for as long as they attend school.

AMSA uses a web-based Admissions process. We encourage all applicants to read our complete Enrollment Policy (in Portuguese, in Spanish).

The lottery is held in late February - early March after information on the Net School Spending Cap (NSS cap) has been received from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The new report is posted on the AMSA website once received.

Students are admitted into AMSA on a space-available basis with preference given first to siblings of current students, then to those applicants from our four core charter towns, which are: Marlborough, Hudson, Maynard and Clinton. In such cases where there are fewer seats than eligible applicants who reside in the region of service, or who are siblings of students already attending AMSA, the charter school shall hold a lottery for all such applicants.

Acceptances are conditional on the completion and verification of all admissions and enrollment material in the Student Registration Package. 

If you have any questions, please email admissions@amsacs.org. We appreciate your interest in AMSA and look forward to hearing from you soon.

All information in the application and enrollment registration form, such as special education or 504 plans, is not intended to be used to discriminate, M.G.L. c. 71, §89 (m); 603 CMR 1.06 (2).

The Notice of Rights to Access and Equity of Educational Services explains the educational rights of students with disabilities to attend Massachusetts charter schools and to receive appropriate special education services in those charter schools.

The Notice of Rights to Access and Equity of Educational Services explains the rights of children who are English language learners to attend and receive language support and other services in Massachusetts public charter schools. As defined in state law, an English language learner is a student who does not speak English, or whose native language is not English, and who is not able to do ordinary classroom work in English. 

Important information for Marlborough residents

AMSA Charter School was notified by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) of a limit on the number of applicants from Marlborough in the 2020-2021, 2018-19, and 2017-18 school years because of the net school spending (NSS) cap. Marlborough resident applicants were included in the lottery and placed on the waitlist but were ineligible for enrollment when the cap was in effect unless they were a sibling of a current AMSA student.

We have been informed that the NSS cap will have an effect on Marlborough lottery applicants again this year. After consultation with the Department regarding AMSA's 2024-2025 lottery, and to comply with 603 CMR 1.05(10)(b), all Marlborough residents who apply by the application deadline will be included in the lottery but offers of admission will be limited to siblings of currently attending students and to twenty-five non-sibling Marlborough residents. All remaining non-sibling Marlborough residents will be placed on the waitlist but will be "skipped over" and not eligible for enrollment. If the Marlborough Public School District no longer is at its NSS cap, and a vacancy occurs, a Marlborough resident applicant from the waitlist might become eligible for enrollment.

Further information regarding NSS caps can be found on the DESE website.