What is CAMS?

The California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in the city of Carson. The Academy, a regional magnet school, seeks out and admits students with talent in and passion for math and science.

Who can apply?

Public and private school students who are currently in the eighth grade. They must attend one of the middle schools in the consortium of school districts that make up the CAMS attendance area or live within the attendance boundaries.

What middle schools are in the consortium?

Any middle school in the Compton Unified, Hawthorne, Inglewood Unified, Lawndale, Lennox, Long Beach Unified, Lynwood Unified, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, Torrance Unified, Wiseburn, and the following middle schools in the southeastern portion of the Los Angeles Unified School District: Bethune, Carnegie, Caroldale, Carver, Clay, Curtiss, Dana, Dodson, Drew, Edison, Fleming, Gage, Gompers, Harte, Mann, Markham, Muir, Nimitz, Peary, South Gate, White and Wilmington. Private school students who live in the attendance area of the middle schools in the consortium are also eligible to apply.

What are the admission requirements to enter CAMS?

A strong academic record—that is, very good grades (especially in math and science), above average test scores, excellent behavior record and recommendations. Those students who gained admission to CAMS over the past years earned at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in middle school and B’s or A’s in their math and science classes. Their  test scores in total math, reading and language are usually at the 70^th percentile and higher. Additionally, admitted students demonstrate a genuine passion for math and science.

How do students apply to CAMS?

A CAMS faculty member will visit the public middle schools in the consortium to make a presentation to selected eighth graders sometime in the fall (usually in October or November). After the visit, students obtain a CAMS application from their middle school counselor. Private school students may receive an application by calling or visiting the CAMS main office, starting in October.

Students must complete a CAMS application that consists of a student and parent information section plus student essays. The middle school counselor submits the

student’s grades and standardized test scores. Three recommendations are required—one each from a math teacher, science teacher and school counselor.

Once a student completes the application, he or she returns it to the middle school counselor to complete the counselor’s recommendation and record the student’s grades and test scores. The middle school counselor sends it to CAMS before the established deadline.

When is the deadline for applications?

Applications must be received or postmarked by end of November. (Check the deadline on the current application)

How many students apply, and how many are admitted?

The Academy receives 900 to 1,000 applications each year and starts the year with 167 ninth graders.

What happens next once the application is submitted?

The admission committee reviews the applications. The committee identifies 300 semi-finalists who will receive an invitation for an interview, the next step in the application process. Interviews are held on one Saturday per month  in January, February, and March.  Since the Academy receives 900-1,000 applications each year and interviews no more than 300, not all students will be interviewed.

How can students prepare for the interview?

Semi-finalists need to bring a recent math or science project to share with the interview committee, which is made up of a CAMS faculty member, parent and student. It is very important for students to be on time to the interview and bring their parent.

Why are students not interviewed or accepted?

Many qualified students apply to CAMS each year.  In fact, the Academy receives more applications from qualified students than it has openings. On average, two to three students are selected for admission from each consortium middle school. Occasionally, as many as five students may be offered admission if a middle school has an exceptionally strong applicant pool that year. On the other hand, sometimes no student is admitted from a school because the admission committee believes the applicants are not qualified.

Why are students put on the wait list?

Applicants put on the wait list are admissible, but CAMS lacks an opening at that time.  When openings occur after all first-round decision are made, the admission committee reviews the files of those students on the wait list and then offers admission to them.

How are students ranked on the wait list?

The admission committee does not rank the students on the wait list.  It is considered a “wait list pool” with no individual ranking.

When are wait-listed students offered admission?

The admission committee begins to review files of wait-listed students in June. Some wait-listed students may receive an offer of admissions anytime in June, July or up until the first day of the fall semester in August.

How can a sixth grader prepare for CAMS?

Students need to develop a strong academic record that will be reflected in their application. They should also develop and nurture a love for math and science and join the middle school math and science club, Math Counts program or participate in the school’s science fair.

May students apply as ninth, tenth or eleventh graders?

CAMS used to accept applications from students other than those in eighth grade, but found that these students did not do well academically. Therefore, the Academy now admits more students initially and restricts admissions only to incoming ninth graders.

What is the percentage of students going on to college?  Where do they go?

The Academy’s first class of seniors graduated on June 11, 1994.  Of all the CAMS graduates, about 95% have attended four-year colleges and universities right after graduation. They were admitted to and attended major colleges in the nation: Caltech, MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Cornell, Stanford, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, to name a few.

What is the average class size?

The average class size for core classes (math, science, English and social science) is 34, while the electives, including foreign language, average in the mid-twenties.

What is the required curriculum for CAMS students?

All CAMS students take math, science, English and social science each year.  Graduates from the Academy complete five years of science and four years of math, which includes university calculus.  Students take a specialized math program called the Interactive Math Program or IMP, for short. Students taking IMP learn about algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, probability and logic each year through an integrated approach. After three years of IMP, students are prepared for university calculus in their senior year. The Academy also requires two years of the same foreign language and recommends the completion of a full four years so that students submit highly competitive academic records when applying to college.

      Specifically, ninth graders take IMP, Integrated Science, English, engineering, Careers/Study Skills, foreign language (Japanese or Spanish), Physical Education and one elective.  The Academy offers a wide selection of electives, including computer classes, math and science electives, dance, art, music, yearbook, journalism and student council.

How much homework does the student have?

The amount of time each student spends on homework varies, but students should expect an average of about two to three hours per night plus weekend homework.

When can a CAMS student take university classes at CSUDH?

Students begin to take university classes once they are juniors and have maintained a B average in their CAMS classes the semester prior to university attendance. Students are not charged for tuition but are responsible for the purchase of textbooks and payment of minimal university fees (usually less than $5).

      CAMS students have done very well in university classes and on average earn 22 transferable university units by the time they graduate from high school.

What types of sports, clubs and extracurricular activities are offered at CAMS?

The sports program at CAMS is limited but provides an opportunity for all to participate. Team sports include cross-country, tennis, basketball and volleyball.  Dance club is offered year round

Students may join any of the numerous service and social clubs available at the Academy. Students are welcome to start a new club on their own with the approval of student council. Extracurricular activities take place throughout the year; for example, the Multicultural Fair, Winter Formal and Senior Prom.

How do students get to CAMS?

CAMS has been providing bus service for a per semester charge.  However, due to increasing costs this service is NOT guaranteed in the future.  Families who show financial need have the bus fee reduced by the principal or vice-principal. Students eligible for the free or reduced price Federal lunch program are among those who qualify for reduced bus fare.

Other students have their parents drive them to school and are dropped off at the front entrance. Families who live near one another form carpools on their own.

      Some CAMS juniors and seniors earn their driver’s licenses and drive to CAMS on their own or with other students. They pay a fee to park in the university lots.

What are the school hours?

The school day begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:35 PM.  

When does the school year begin and end?

The CAMS school year follows the university calendar. The school year usually starts during the last half of August and ends in early-June. The Academy observes traditional school holidays with the noted exception of an extended winter break of three weeks.

Do CAMS students wear uniforms?

Uniforms are not required at CAMS, but the school has a dress code and enforces it.