We have known several that have gained admission to NCSSM over the past several years and for the most part you could generally predict who would get in. We knew a kid previously that was not accepted that seemed very odd but we knew that it was a particularly competitive year at the high school they attended so assumed it was just bad luck.
This year we know of one kid that did not get in that is incredibly qualified and must be one of the very top math kids in the state, as evidenced by performance on AMCs, Comprehensive test, etc.
Are others seeing NCSSM trending more towards holistic admissions? It is odd to see some of the kids that are performing exceptionally well in competitive contests that have also “maxed-out” on STEM courses by 10th grade then not get into NCSSM. I am aware of the requirement to split admissions by CD and this does not explain what I have seen.