BEAM is designed to support students who are underrepresented in STEM careers. Our primary admissions criteria are mathematical (are you ready for BEAM's math classes?) with priority given to those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to similar programs. How does BEAM define access?
Economic access
Historically, the median family income for students attending BEAM is $32,000 per year. As a rough guideline, a student from a family of 4 with income above $70,000 would be unlikely to be admitted without other special circumstances. See the “Additional Information on Income” section for a chart that adjusts that this approximate income ceiling for a range of family sizes.
BEAM does consider extenuating circumstances when making eligibility decisions. We gauge family income, savings, debt, and other circumstances to get a full picture of whether your family could afford a program like BEAM at full (or any!) cost. There is a place to include this information in the financial eligibility form.
Please call or email BEAM if you have any further questions about financial eligibility.
Parent education
We understand that doors to STEM education and careers are more open to students who have parents with college degrees. For that reason, we prioritize students who are in the first generation in their immediate family to attend college.
School access
We take into consideration that different schools provide different enrichment opportunities to students, such as after school clubs, math teams, and tailored STEM instruction. We prioritize students attending schools that either don’t provide these opportunities or can’t access those opportunities because of additional enrollment or participation costs.
Additional information on income
As stated under the “Economic Access” section, a student from a family of 4 with income above $70,000 would be unlikely to be admitted without other special circumstances. The chart below adjusts that this approximate income ceiling for a range of family sizes.
| Family Size | Annual Income Approximate Ceiling |
|---|---|
| 2 | $49,000 |
| 3 | $62,000 |
| 4 | $75,000 |
| 5 | $88,000 |
| 6 | $100,000 |
| 7 | $114,000 |
| 8 | $127,000 |
| For each additional family member over, add | $13,000 |
| Family Size | Annual Income Approximate Ceiling |
|---|---|
| 2 | $49,000 |
| 3 | $62,000 |
| 4 | $75,000 |
| 5 | $88,000 |
| 6 | $100,000 |
| 7 | $114,000 |
| 8 | $127,000 |
| For each additional family member over, add | $13,000 |
This page was last updated January 2024 and reflects BEAM’s policies for admissions to summer programs for summer 2024.