Hi! I’m a sophomore in North Carolina CD2 and plan on applying to NCSSM this year. I visited the school for a state-level MathCOUNTS competition in eighth grade and have been set on attending it ever since. I’m a very good student, among the top of my class, and want to know how I can increase my chances of getting in now that the pandemic has derailed my sophomore year. The following is a summary of my high school performance.
Freshman Year, Semester 1: I took Honors Earth and Environmental Science, Honors English I, Vocal Music I, and Health and PE. I received straight As with my lowest semester grade being a 98.
Freshman Year, Semester 2: I took Honors Math 2, Theatre Arts, Vocal Music, and Honors Word History. I received straight As and my lowest semester grade was a 97.
I was also a Freshman SGA Representative, Drama Club Ambassador, and I participated in Mock Trial. Unfortunately, a lot of my plans were cut short due to the pandemic. My school has no Science Olympiad or Math team. When I inquired about starting one, I was told that they didn’t exist already because no teacher would take on the task of supervising and not enough students were willing to join.
Sophomore Year: I am currently taking Honors English II, Vocal Music, Peer Tutoring I, and Honors Civics. I’m schooling online, and it’s only been a few weeks, but I can already see my grades suffering. I have trouble focusing and completing my work. My lowest grade right now is an 89.
Next semester, I will take Honors Biology, Honors Math 3, Peer Tutoring, and AP U.S. Government.
I am also SGA Sophomore Class President. I had plans to join Mock Trial, Key Club, C.H.A.N.G.E. Club, Drama Club, Cross Country and Track this year, as well as to do some MathCOUNTS tutoring at my local middle school, but all of this is no longer and option due to the pandemic.
I cannot take the SAT; which is okay, as the NCSSM website says they’ve waived it and won’t be considering it as part of the application process for the Class of 2023
Every core class I have taken so far has been the highest level course available to me at my school. My GPA is a weighted 4.25, which looks low only because of the way my school weighs things: Standard classes receive a 4 for an A, Honors classes get a 4.5, and AP classes get a 5, as opposed to the standard 4:5:6 weighing scale. Unweighted it is a 4.0
What are my chances?