Hello everyone! Are any of you considering applying to NCSSM next year (Class of 2019)? I know this is early in the process but it is never too early to begin talking about stats, the application process and getting to know each other as applicants If you are a future or former applicant/alumni, please post! You are welcome to post your stats/chances, CD, questions, concerns, and your reasons for applying or whatever else you want (as much or as little).
It would be great if past applicants could post to shed some light on the app process and provide tips. It would be AWESOME if alumni/current students would post to give info about NCSSM.
Go Class of 2019!
-Got this introduction from a past discussion, no plagiarism intended
I haven’t really heard about the competitiveness of CD 1, but looking at the new proposed map it didn’t change much. It’ll probably be as competitive as it was before.
My child is a few years away from applying to NCSSM but we live in the same district as you do. It looks like CD 13 should be a bit less competitive than our previous CD. Good luck to you!! How many kids got into NCSSM from your school this year?
Unfortunately no one even applied at my school. I asked how many students have gotten in since the school opened and turns out only 4 other students have ever gotten into NCSSM
I’m also a freshmen planning to apply to NCSSM Class of 2019. I’m not sure which CD I’m in (I’m in Greensboro, Guilford County). I’m hoping my district isn’t too competitive.
Right now I’m taking Biology Honors, Spanish 3 Honors, Band Honors, English 1 Honors, Math 3 Honors, and PE. I have to take Civics sometime later in high school since I recently moved to this state. (Will that affect anything? Does NCSSM require you to have courses completed?) Straight A’s so far in my transcripts.
Next year I will be taking AP Spanish (taking Spanish 4 over the summer), AP World, APES, Pre-Calc Honors, Chem Honors, and English 2 Honors.
For my extracurriculars, I play an instrument and I’ve been entering some competitions, and I have won awards over the 5 years I’ve played. Also, I made a club at my former school for students in need of arts education, and I am still working with them electronically. I am (continuing to be) in a Biology club that competes in competition back in my former school. I am planning to volunteer at the hospital over the summer, and start volunteering at a local science center. Since I am still getting settled into this state, I will join some more clubs in my sophomore year.
My SAT scores are what bothers me. They don’t reach at least 1600, and I am going to prep more over the summer.
These are my plans (to be extended in the near future) to try to get into NCSSM, since my school i’m in currently does not push me enough, and I’d like a challenge.
And for the essays for the applications, are the topics same for each year or do they have specific topics? What do you usually write about?
@ramen01 It looks like you have a great resumé. As for the Civics class I don’t really know, you should contact NCSSM. And part of Guilford County might actually be part of my district, CD 13.
Currently I am taking Honors Civics, Spanish 2, Honors PE, Honors Pre-calc, Honors Bio, Honors English 1, and Honors band.
Next year I am taking AP World, Honors Spanish 3, AP Calculus AB, AP Earth, Honors Chemistry, Honors English 2, and Honors Band.
For my extracurriculars, I participate in Debate Club, Math Honor Society, President of the Student Council, President of Crosby Scholars, President of the High School Health Careers CLub, and I am on a Teen Advisory Board. I shadow my local Oral Surgeon frequently and this summer I am going to study abroad in Morocco to study Arabic and culture, I also got to participate in the NCSSM Research symposium a few weeks ago with the Step up to STEM program.
I also agree with you about the SAT’s, I really need to prep over the summer. Also my current school doesn’t really like to challenge their students either and I would love to accept the greater challenge.
The essays I am not sure about though, it seems that they reuse them but I’m not sure. Usually past NCSSM students told me they wrote in a way that showed that they really need NCSSM and that they were extremely interested into STEM.
Oh about the essays - I’m class of 2018 (still a shock wow) there’s nine of them and I’m not sure if they change each year or not but don’t stress too much about them right now - everyone I know wrote them over winter break and they’re pretty short (1,500 character limit so like 2-3 paragraphs) and I wrote like 4 in one night. Right now I would focus on extracurriculars and starting projects to benefit your community and SATs so you have stuff to write about in the essays! They’re basically just assessing your character in terms of independence and leadership and interest in stem.
hello I am also class of 2018. Please feel free to contact me about essays, SATs, and, once I am there in the fall, campus life. The best way to contact me is to DM me on instagram. My instagram is m.c.k. If you don’t have instagram, then probably direct message me on here; however, I only check this site about once a month. I should also add that you will get more quality information regarding admissions and campus life from people on twitter, instagram, etc. Just search for photos taken at NCSSM and DM those people that posted the photos. Slide right in there.
And do you guys know anything about the discovery day tests? I heard somewhere that you need to take a chemistry one or something… Isn’t it just math? And do they count for anything in our application?
oh rip. Hey y’all! As a Class of 2017, here are my answers. @ramen01 Discovery Day is just a math test to see if you can math. It’s not that bad if you’ve taken precalc. It’s a part of the application process. Welcome Day is when you take placement tests after you get in. @plainpotato and @smathstress Welcome to NCSSM, juniors. I hope you have joined all the facebook groups lmao.
I’m considering applying to NCSSM but I’m not sure whether I’d attend if I actually got in. I’m in CD4, is that a competitive district? About how many applicants do they take from each district?
Im planning on applying too!
I’m also in guilford county, not really sure what district.
This year as a freshmen, I took: AP world, Honors English 2, Honors Biology, Honors Civics, Honors math 3, Honors Precalc, AP Psychology, and PE
I managed to get straight As all of freshmen year
Next year I will take: AP US History, AP English, AP Environmental Studies, AP Calculus AB and BC, Honors anatomy, and Advanced PE
I’m worried because I haven’t done much volunteering or extracurriculars. I’m hoping to fix that this year and join a lot of clubs. I also haven’t taken the SAT yet, but I took the PSAT and only scored around 1250.
@SomeGuy9 Wow you have a very impressive transcript with lots of advanced classes and all A’s. I thought mine was good but yours is amazing. I’d be very surprised if they did not take you.
Thank you @oralsurgery01,
Your resume is also really impressive. You have a lot of extracurricular, many advanced classes, and leadership roles in clubs. I think you have a great chance of getting in too.