| Academic Magnet High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 5109-A West Enterprise Street (formerly 1525 Avenue B South) North Charleston, South Carolina, United States |
|
| Information | |
| Type | High School |
| Established | 1988 |
| Principal | Judith Peterson |
| Number of students | 600 |
| Color(s) | Green and Black |
| Mascot | Raptor (Romulus) |
| Newspaper | EnRAPTORed |
| Website | http://amhs.ccsdschools.com |
Academic Magnet High School (AMHS) is a high school (grades 9-12) in North Charleston, South Carolina. The school requires students to join through an admissions process based on middle school grades, test scores and a written essay.
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Academic Magnet High School was established in 1988, and the first class graduated in 1992. The school was originally located as a separate sub-campus of Burke High School in downtown Charleston. It then moved to the Charleston Naval Base. A new campus has since been built and is in use as of 2010. This new campus is part of a recent effort by the Charleston County School District to upgrade its facilities.[1]
Academic Magnet is home to over 600 students in this 2011-2012 school year and this number has grown ever since. Compared to an average South Carolina high school, there is a considerably higher Asian population, and a considerably lower African-American population at Academic Magnet.
The school's SAT scores have been consistently the second-best in the state since 1998, surpassed only by the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics.[2] Graduates from AMHS must complete an original thesis in their senior year in order to receive an AMHS diploma in addition to a state of South Carolina diploma. Because of the curriculum of the school, students are significantly well prepared for college and are admitted into top schools, including Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, The University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, Duke University, Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, Stanford, Dartmouth College, Brown University, Vassar College, Swarthmore College, Washington and Lee University, etc.
Academic Magnet is composed entirely of students from Charleston County and is part of the Charleston County School District 20.
Students must fulfill a 90-hour service requirement in order to graduate.[3] Students must also complete at least four advanced placement (AP) courses throughout their high school career in order to graduate from the Academic Magnet. Another requirement is the Senior Thesis. Students take one year to work with a mentor and teacher adviser to pursue a research project on a topic of their choice.
The Academic Magnet High School is recognized as one of the foremost secondary schools in South Carolina and in the nation. In the May 19, 2008 Newsweek cover story, Academic Magnet High School was ranked 7th among national public high schools based on an index consisting of the quotient of AP exams taken by all students and the quantity and quality of graduating seniors.[4] It is now also recognized as the #1 Magnet high school in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.[5]
The current principal is Judith Peterson. She succeeded Michael Tolley as full time principal, as he moved to Seattle to become an administrator in that city's school system. Ms. Lucy Pinkney recently became the school's assistant principal after coming from Military Magnet Academy.
The Raptors have enjoyed success on the athletic fields. The school won its first state championship in 2010 in golf. The Raptor football team is still searching for its first winning season in its history, although it did have a 5-5 record in the 2010 season. Academic Magnet enjoys a rivalry with the Military Magnet Academy.