For Middle School Students

New Students

This information is for STEM Academy Ignite (grades 6-8).

Visit the high school program page for grades 9-12.

Interested in taking an Ignite course for the first time? All students who are new to our program must apply for acceptance.

Contact stemacademy@jhuapl.edu with any questions about the application or the application process.

Application Process

The application period for the fall 2025 sessions will begin on August 15, 2025.

The Ignite application is for new middle school students only. The application for Ignite focuses on STEM curiosity, problem-solving, perseverance, and teamwork. The application must be completed in a single session (meaning you cannot save a partially completed application and return to finish it later), so read the following carefully before applying.

Note: 8th-grade students moving to 9th grade must apply for the high school STEM Academy program as a new student. However, they will receive priority consideration as a result of their participation in prior APL STEM programs.

Before You Apply

Now You Are Ready to Apply!

Complete and submit the online application. The application link will be provided here when the application period opens.

Students are responsible for answering the questions asked in the application themselves with minimal help from an adult. Parents/guardians, please check to ensure students spell email addresses and contact information correctly.

After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email letting you know when you will hear back regarding the status of your application.

Application Review Process

All applications will be reviewed after the new student application period closes. Students are not accepted on a rolling basis.

To maintain fairness, we follow a very strict selection process. The selection of applicants is based on the answers within the student application, previous and current participation in APL STEM Program Management Office programs, and class availability. Student applications listing no previous experience with APL programs are weighted equally with those listing participation in non-APL STEM programs.

New student slots will be reserved in all courses for those students who meet course requirements. After all new student slots are filled, the next five students requesting a specific course will be placed on a waiting list based on application score (not application date) and notified by email as openings become available. The application process will end after the first week of each session. All students, regardless of acceptance, will be notified of their status via email at that time.

Because of the large volume of applications we receive, please only call if you have a technical issue with the application.

Acceptance

After the application period ends and all applications have been evaluated, students accepted into a STEM Academy Ignite course will be notified via email with their course placement or waitlist notification. A PayPal invoice will also be sent via email to the primary parent email address listed on the application (please be sure that email addresses are spelled correctly on your application). If your adult does not receive the invoice within 24 hours of your acceptance email, please check your junk mail/spam folder or email us at stemacademy@jhuapl.edu.

Contact stemacademy@jhuapl.edu with any questions about the application or the application process.