Going to NCSSM or staying at home school?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m applying to NCSSM, and given that I get in, I have to make a tough decision. Do I go to NCSSM or do I stay at my current school? Here is some background on both of the schools:

Current School:

  • 1200 kids in the whole school, 350 in my grade. I am currently 1/350.
  • In small town, school is not very well off.
  • I am on free lunch at this school.
  • They only offer 10 or so AP classes, and require you take Gym/Computer Class.

NCSSM:

  • Boarding school in Durham, 11/12, 680 kids.
  • Decently well known, receives numerous awards, etc.
  • Free tuition, and hundreds of courses offered.

Now that that has been laid out, let me give you some information about myself and my plans for college.

I am a sophomore, and I come from a poor family in a small town. At the current school I’m at, I’ve made all A’s, I am Valedictorian, Class President, President of Numerous Clubs, Band Section Leader and 1st Chair, All County and All District, etc. I play Trombone, have lots of leadership experience, and am involved in local politics. I plan on applying to some Ivy’s and other good colleges. (Yes I know, this all sounds very typical.)

Anyway, here is the issue. From what I have heard, NCSSM is a very challenging school. Many people struggle to make A’s and settle for a mediocre school life. They have hours of homework, and little time for much else. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) So, why should I leave my current school where I am doing wonderful to go to NCSSM where I may not do as well? I would have to start fresh, make new friends, run for offices again, etc. Are the extra classes at NCSSM worth it? Now personally, I believe NCSSM is worth the change, and I should go for it. But, my opinion doesn’t include how it will affect my chances in college. As I said before, I hope to apply to some very top level colleges, and I was wondering how this could affect me.

I guess I mean to ask this: Will (insert college) pick the kid who went to NCSSM and hopefully did okay, or will they pick the kid who stayed at his home school and continued what he was doing. As it is, I will run out of classes fairly soon at my current school. I can take online courses, but they aren’t the same. I do believe I could do well at NCSSM, but is it hard to stand out at NCSSM?

TL;DR: Do colleges compare you to the people you go to school with? Should I stay at my current school and be top dog, or go to a better school where I may be lackluster?

2

This is a question we are considering with regards to my son although we have a few years before he must decide. From your description, you are doing very well and seem to have a lot of self-motivation, whereas my son performs much better when he is pushed by others who are doing very well/better. Are you primarily interested in science and math, I could not tell from your post.

I think as far as having the best shot of getting into a top 20 university then you might be better off staying in the high school you are in, however the issue then is once you get into a top university, how will your skill set compare to others from top high schools? Presumably the online courses you mention are through NCSSM online so those should be very good. Also, what if you do not get into a top university - would you have been better off to have gone to NCSSM and gained the experience/knowledge they can offer?

Best of luck, I look forward to reading others views and thanks for posting this question.

3

Hi jwani,

Sorry this is a bit of a late response, but I’m guessing you’re still not for/against NCSSM so I guess I’ll jump in!

As a current NCSSM student, I would advise you to think carefully about the caliber of coursework you are prepared to handle at NCSSM. Before NCSSM, I was a top student at one of the top 10 high schools in North Carolina, but my prior high school education did not come close to preparing me for the level of the classes at this school. Many students from other parts of NC (particularly rural areas) have problems with this as well. There is a price students must pay for attending one of the top schools in the state, or even the nation. In addition, NCSSM places students in classes based on placement test scores rather than by looking at your 9-10 courses, so you might find yourself having to take classes you have already taken or classes with a lower GPA weight. This won’t look good on your transcript.

Of the students that have been accepted to the Ivies so far, virtually all (or perhaps all) came from prestigious high schools and took the most challenging courses offered at NCSSM. And with regards to the whole research/special opportunities thing: it’s really hard to get into those programs if you’re not from a high-achieving high school to begin with, so definitely don’t bank on the whole STEM research thing to pad your college apps.

All in all, from a purely college acceptance standpoint, I would honestly encourage you to stay at your home HS. If you stay at home, colleges won’t see that you chose not to go to NCSSM – they’ll just see a strong leader who excelled in the courses they were able to take. On the other hand, if you go to NCSSM and have a lackluster transcript/resume,

HOWEVER!!! NCSSM is about more than just college acceptances. First, living with your best friends is an experience not many high schoolers get to have. And outside of the dorm life aspect, the courses I have taken over two trimesters at NCSSM have taught me more that two years of honors/AP courses at my home high school. Even if you don’t get into the research/mentorship programs, the STEM education is the best you can get in North Carolina. NCSSM has helped me find myself and mature in amazingly unexpected ways. Based on what you’ve posted about yourself/your transcript/your ECs, it seems like you’re on track to get into a decent university (UNC, NC State) with or without NCSSM, so maybe consider the other parts of the decision beyond acceptance and rejection letters.

I would say it looks like you’ve got a good shot at acceptance to SSM, so this is probably a decision you’re going to have to make soon – best of luck!

P.S. You might also want to consider NCSSM Online! I’m sure you’ve heard about it already; it seems like it would be a good option for you!

4

@ncssmstudent123

Thanks a bunch for the reply!

I’ve been thinking more about this, and however odd this sounds, I want to go to NCSSM for the Humanities and social aspect, not the Math and Science. At my current school I’ve already taken AP Stats and Precal, so I’d most likely take the AP Calcs then be essentially done with math there. As for science, I’ve got a few more to cover, but not much. And I know that sounds strange- going to a school of Science and Math for humanities, but from what I can tell, the experience is worth it. I play trombone in Band, and being honest, that is one of my biggest passions. The band director at NCSSM just won a Grammy, and if that isn’t qualified, I don’t know what is. Besides that, I’m not planning any kind of career in Math/Science, as far as I know, and to me me, NCSSM is my best opportunity right now.

I’ve also thought more about the college thing, and I do believe that I should just go where I feel I’m given the most opportunities, and not worry about what colleges think for now. Besides, Ivy Leagues like a well rounded student, perhaps all the humanities I want to take, and clubs I want to join will show I have a little bit of that.

I honestly have no idea how hard the courses are at NCSSM, particularly the Humanities courses, but as of now, I am leaning towards going. This may change, but if you have the time, I’d enjoy your input on this. Like, I said, I want to appreciate all aspects of the school, especially embracing ECs and Humanities. Do you think this would work out for me?

Thanks, jswani.

5

I can’t speak to the coursework there, but NCSSM students at least have time to participate in sports - they field competitive teams in many different sports. They’ve won a number of state championships and have been recognized at the conference and state level several times in the last few years. Somewhere these kids are finding time to practice and compete and still do their work.

D considered applying, but ended up choosing not to for one of the reasons you’re concerned about - having to start all over. But all the kids there are in the same position. D was at a very strong private school though, and had no risk of running out of classes and was around students all day who challenged her to be better, so I was fine with her not applying.

You sound like you could benefit from the environment at a school like NCSSM. And please, don’t plan your life around the possibility of getting into an Ivy League school. No matter what you choose, the odds of Ivy acceptance are slim - focus on what will make you the best person, and look to colleges that will be a good overall fit, not just that have Ivy name recognition. You sound like you have a great head on your shoulders and have a strong chance of success wherever you end up attending college.