Month: September 2025

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is the top public high school in Arkansas for the fourth consecutive year in the 2026 Niche.com rankings.

Niche.com is a website that provides in-depth profiles of thousands of colleges, K-12 districts and individual schools across the nation. Parents and students use Niche’s information to find the right school for them.

In addition to being No. 1 on the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas list, ASMSA is ranked in the top half percent of public high schools in the nation. The school is No. 55 out of almost 20,200 public high schools nationwide. It is the only public high school in Arkansas ranked in the top 150 nationally. ASMSA is also rated as top in the state in Niche.com’s Best College Prep Public High Schools in Arkansas list.

ASMSA earned an A-plus Overall Niche Grade as well as A-plus grades in the individual categories of Academics, Teachers, College Prep, and Resources and Facilities. It achieved an A grade in the Administration category as well as the Clubs and Activities Category. To view ASMSA’s profile, visit https://asmsa.me/nicheprofile.

“What makes these rankings meaningful is that they aren’t just numbers,” said ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice. “Instead, they are rooted in the reviews and stories of the students, alumni and parents who experienced ASMSA firsthand. That’s the strongest endorsement of school choice we could ask for.”

ASMSA is a public high school with both residential and online programs school for talented and highly motivated students in the 10^th through 12^th grades who have an interest and aptitude for mathematics and science as well as a passion for creativity and the arts. ASMSA is the early college campus of the University of Arkansas System. Students from across Arkansas choose to attend ASMSA for advanced academic opportunities that may not be available at their local school.

The school also ranked No. 14 on Niche’s Most Diverse Public High Schools in Arkansas. Niche uses demographic data to determine the ranking, including student racial diversity, gender diversity and percentage of economically disadvantaged students. About 42 of ASMSA students are from families who qualify for federal school menu programs, and about 38 percent identify as students of color.

The data reflects an effort by the school to meet the demand for school choice for Arkansas students and their parents. As the State of Arkansas focuses on providing students and parents access to quality education no matter their ZIP code, race or family income, Niche’s ranking reflects ASMSA’s commitment to ensuring those opportunities exist for the state’s most talented and motivated students.

“Thanks to the vision and support of the State of Arkansas, ASMSA’s residential program ensures that geography is never a barrier to opportunity,” Alderdice said. “Empowered parents and motivated students can choose a world-class education right here at home at no cost to them.”

Grades, ratings and rankings for each school are determined by information provided to Niche by the U.S. Department of Education, self-reported information from each individual institution as well as reviews by students, parents and alumni of the school. To see a full list of the 2026 Best Public high Schools in Arkansas, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/s/arkansas/.

Nine students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts recently earned the Computer Science Students of Distinction Award.

The award recognizes Arkansas high school juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in computer science. Award winners are chosen based on several criteria including computer-related academic achievement, competitive achievement, personal achievement and service achievement.

ASMSA students who were recognized include students who are currently enrolled as well as recent graduates. They are:

• Nathan Allred, a senior from Harrison;
• Andrew Archer, a senior from Camden;
• Paul Boerwinkle, a senior from El Dorado;
• Benjamin Dong, a senior from Arkadelphia;
• Jun Park, a senior from Maumelle;
• Kavan Patel, a Class of 2025 graduate from Sherwood;
• D’Kirrah Ragland, a senior from North Little Rock;
• Riley Raymick, a Class of 2025 graduate from Sheridan; and
• Mason Vaden, a senior from Dardanelle.

The program is facilitated by the Arkansas Computer Science Initiative and administered by the Arkansas Academy of Computing. AAoC is comprised of more than 201 members who have demonstrated a significant impact on computing in Arkansas.

Students with the highest overall scores were forwarded to a final AAoC selection committee which made the final determination as to who was recognized as Computer Science Students of Distinction. Winners received a certificate and recognition on the Students of Distinction Alumni page.

Six students at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts have been named 2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corp. announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 71^st annual National Merit Scholarship Program on Sept. 10. The students, all members of the Class of 2026, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

The ASMSA seniors named Semifinalists are:

• Aarush Goyal of Bentonville;
• Tristan Henson of Maumelle;
• Anna Le of Fort Smith;
• Catherine Van Dorple of Cabot;
• Faith Wesley of Hot Springs; and
• Kaiyan Yu of Benton.

To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as a junior. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of anticipated graduating seniors.

Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist standing, including a detailed scholarship application that includes information about a Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four batches in the spring and summer of 2026. Winners will receive scholarships sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Program, national corporations and businesses, and colleges and universities across the nation.

University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria has announced the names of a 12-member advisory search committee set to help the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences & the Arts (ASMSA) identify a new executive director at one of the nation’s top residential high schools in Hot Springs.

Current ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice announced in June his plans to step down in December after 13 years of leadership at the school. Michael Moore, Ph.D., the UA System’s vice president for academic affairs, will chair the search, working with the committee to advise Silveria as he seeks a candidate to recommend to the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas for final approval.

“Anyone who’s ever stepped foot on the campus at ASMSA or has interacted with its students knows the caliber of quality Director Alderdice has grown at the institution,” Silveria said. “The campus has an outstanding trajectory and tremendous momentum moving toward the future, and I thank Dr. Moore and all of the members of this committee for volunteering their time and efforts in ensuring the campus will be in good hands moving forward.”

The committee members include representation from the institution’s board of visitors, campus faculty and staff, parents of students, alumni and community stakeholders. Moore said his initial goal will be to create a web presence through the institution to keep students, parents and the public informed of the process, and that he is eager to get started.

“It goes without saying that we’re entering this process with student success and wellbeing in mind so the Hot Springs community and the state can continue relying on ASMSA being a high- quality institution that fosters the growth and education of some of Arkansas’s brightest learners,” Moore said. “I look forward to working with the search committee, listening to the needs of all ASMSA stakeholders, and finding the next leader to advance the legacy of ASMSA.”

The ASMSA Advisory Executive Director Search Committee Includes:

• Dr. Michael Moore, Vice President for Academic Affairs, UA System
• Dr. Marlene Battle, ASMSA Class of 1997, Director of Education for the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, ASMSA Board of Visitors Chair
• Dr. Alicia Cotabish, ASMSA Parents Advisory Council, parent
• Dr. Jack Waddell, ASMSA Class of 1999, ASMSA faculty, physics Instructor of Excellence
• Dr. Zac Cowsert, ASMSA Class of 2008, ASMSA faculty, history instructor
• Stuart Flynn, ASMSA Dean of Academic Affairs
• Dr. Patrycja Krakowiak, ASMSA, Chair of the Science Department
• Dr. Mary Leigh, ASMSA, Chair of the Arts and Humanities Department
• Maddisyn Karn, ASMSA, licensed social worker
• Brandi Brazil, ASMSA, Director of Human Resources and Campus Culture
• Eric Jackson, Senior Vice President, Oaklawn
• Donnie Sewell, ASMSA, public information specialist

About the University of Arkansas System (www.uasys.edu)

Since its inception, the University of Arkansas System has developed a tradition of excellence that includes the state’s 1871 flagship, land-grant research university; Arkansas’s premier institution for medical education, treatment and research; a major metropolitan university; an 1890 land-grant university; two regional universities serving southern and western Arkansas; eight community colleges; two schools of law; a presidential school; a residential math and science high school; and a 100 percent-online university and divisions of agriculture, archeology and criminal justice. As the premier higher education system in the state, it enrolls more than 70,000 students, employs more than 27,000 employees, and has a total budget of more than $4 billion. An intrinsic part of the texture and fabric of Arkansas, the UA System is a driving force in the state’s economic, educational and cultural advancement.

About Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (www.asmsa.org)

The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is one of 17 public residential high schools in the country specializing in the education of academically gifted students with a STEM focus. Located in historic downtown Hot Springs, the school is the early college campus of the University of Arkansas System. For more information about ASMSA, visit asmsa.org or call (501) 622-5100.