<p>Your post comes from the perspective of someone who already had a good academic fit, and perhaps NCSSM was not the best place for you. I also knew students from district 4- the most competitive and the most opportunities- who felt that NCSSM was the best place for them. My son was not happy and not challenged at home, and felt that NCSSM benefited him in many ways as did many kids from our district- some of who had top SAT scores too. The “smart” kids may not always be the popular kids at home and NCSSM is a tolerant community. This was a good thing. I am glad that my son is accepting of people who may be different from him.
I will add that there are also very intelligent students who did not want to leave our area- and they have also been accepted into good schools. There is no school or situation that is ideal for everyone, however, NCSSM was ideal for my child. So the bottom line is to look carefully at all your options, be honest about what is best for you, and make the best choice possible for you.</p>
<p>I think for the most part, NCSSM’s students are tolerant, but I think they could benefit from a gay right’s group. A lot of kids who come here don’t have previous experience with gays or even minorities. Near the beginning of the year, some kids put together a powerpoint presentation at a school function that ridiculed Blacks, Mexicans and Jews and supposedly they were punished for it, but I never heard anything more about it. Some kids specifically put on their roommate applications that they do not want to room with gays, which is amazing to me because I didn’t realize that would be an issue or that people even knew to do that. </p>
<p>I wanted to ask you, when your son was here, did his grades fall? The teachers don’t teach the material in most of my classes. Most kids scramble around buying AP study guides or trying to find someone who had the class before to try to help them with their homework. Is that something new or was it like that for your son, too? Did it affect where he was accepted into college?</p>
<p>My son’s grades did not fall really. I think he stumbled on the first test or so, getting the hang of it. I don’t think it affected college admission at all. That said, we were not in the mindset of him having to be at an Ivy or MIT. His reason for attending NCSSM was not to get into a certain school, but to get the education he could not get at home. While he was at the top of the class here, he knew he would not be at NCSSM and was OK with that.
I don’t recall anyone having a problem with gays or other differences, but since we have gay family members, it would not have been an issue for him. I do know that the school strives to be a safe environment for everyone, and it seems to be. I am sure some kids are more tolerant than others, but people do seem to be accepting of others. I do know that at college orientation they do go over tolerance as well. If anything, the kids would get this two years earlier at NCSSM.
Yes, if one is at the top of the class at their home school, and can make straight A’s- then that will be a factor at college admissions. The other big one is the SAT.
Again, it depends on your goal when it comes to college and determining your best chance for admission.
But something happens to a kid who is not challenged, a kid who thinks outside the box, who wants more than what is being taught to them. That can be frustrating. If high school is basically a stepping stone to college admission- then do what you have to do to get in. However, my son would have been happier getting a B and learning than getting an easier A. He is very thankful for the chance to attend NCSSM.</p>
<p>At my old high school, there was a gay straight alliance club and there were like three gay kids in our whole school, so it did surprise me that with so many gay kids here, I’ve never heard of any support group. I think someone should start that because I did see a gay kid harrassed who ended up leaving around mid-year. It sometime seemed like consensual harrassment though, so maybe even the gay kids would benefit from understanding what is acceptable and unacceptable physical contact. </p>
<p>I think B’s are fine if they represent the best effort of teacher and student, but not when they represent a failure to teach. I’d rather learn than anything, but I don’t want to NOT be taught and get a bad grade, too. That’s what makes it so frustrating for me. I came here wanting to learn more, but because of some of my teachers, I’ve learned less. It’s like I was punished twice. Lower grades and less learning.</p>
<p>Your son must have graduated a long time ago or I think he would tell you that this is common, especially with juniors who don’t know which classes to avoid.</p>
<p>Don’t they have Spectrum? I believe that support exists for any student. The Durham/CH area is very tolerant.
I am sorry it was not a good experience for you. I hope that the various posts will help others make the right decision, whatever that decision is. No school is perfect, or perfect for everyone. We had a very positive experience, and apparently you did not. I hope that prospective students will look at all their goals and options carefully, ask questions and come to the best conclusion for themselves. I hope they will also look beyond the posts on this board and not rely on a few opinions.
I certainly hope that college is a good experience for you now.</p>
<p>Your experience at NCSSM is what you make of it. I’ve had a few terrible teachers this year, being a junior. I have never taken Chemistry or Physics (or had any physical science experience) prior to attending, and both of my first trimester Chemistry and Physics teachers were new teachers. One read off other teacher’s power points. The other made off hand jokes that were not relevant to class, and I remember making a range of grades like 0’s to 60’s. Halfway through the trimester, I had to admit that I’m not everything I thought I was. I went to teachers after school and during free blocks. They appreciated my willingness to learn and adjusted their teaching style so that I could understand the material better. Overall, they were more understanding than I thought. Currently during 3rd trimester, I still have trouble with a certain Biology teacher, but after asking her for help after school, things improved. So, it’s basically how much effort you put into it. I was a straight A’s student, and I made my first B here in first trimester of Physics, but through working hard, I was asked to be a Physics TA at the end of 2nd trimester. If you feel like you won’t like NCSSM, don’t force yourself. If you come here and decide you don’t quite like it, don’t hang around and decide to leave after Labor day. I know there are a lot of wait-listed people who would love to come here.</p>
<p>So. Thank you everyone for the awesome advice. You may not have known it but your little debate has made me think over some things and evaluate my true reasons for coming to ncssm. </p>
<p>But this discussion about classes. Many of my classes at my current school are like this. But there I had 4 years to figure out what teachers suck and what subjects to stay away from. Not the same with ncssm, especially with a new set of graduation requirements to fulfill. So if any of you have any advice for a rising junior, do share. Life, classes, teachers, anything at all will be helpful. I am bit nervous at how little they tell us. All hear about ncssm is how great of a school it is and all the cool classes, but asking around, especially asking current students, I get a very interesting image of ncssm. And nothing specific is ever said. It’s like a mirage, dissipating at the slightest touch.</p>
<p>As to going being a bad decision, who knows. Only time will tell for me.</p>
<p>You weren’t everything you thought you were or the teachers weren’t everything NCSSM promised they’d be?</p>
<p>Your chemistry, biology and physics teachers all sound horrible and as you well know, your experience is not isolated. Almost every kid I know agrees that the quality of the teachers at NCSSM is below the quality of their home schools, and yet the kids are all made to feel like the fault for low grades is all theirs. I know which physics teacher and chemistry teacher you are talking about – don’t you wonder why they are still at NCSSM? How is it possible they can be there when they teach so poorly? Why aren’t you upset that you were cheated academically? You were a straight A student and it’s your fault you’re making zeroes??? How do you figure that? It’s great that you had the time to run down your teachers and they supplemented what they failed to teach you in class, but if you have 3-4 classes like that, plus elective classes that you specifically left home to take, there isn’t always enough time to get that extra help. It’s just a fact that sometimes going to class is a complete waste of time and students would be better off staying in their rooms with their textbooks. Why is that okay with anyone at a school that’s supposed to advance kids?</p>
<p>People should know this. I wish I had known it. I wish those bad feelings I got from the teachers standing in front of the room not having a clue how to solve the problems translated into me leaving NCSSM, but I was just so brainwashed by what I’d wanted the school to be and so sure it was going to be great and so dumb to think sticking it out was the “right” thing to do. And oh, I never got my medal. </p>
<p>True that if you arrive next Aug and your schedule isn’t quite as good as you’d hoped it would be and your teachers aren’t quite as good as you think they should be, you aren’t imagining things. Don’t wait around for it to get better. It doesn’t, at least, not on the school’s end. Don’t give up that seat at your base school until you are sure. The worst feeling in the world is knowing you are trapped for two years by your fondest wish of finding a school that will value and nurture you academically and having it turn to dust. </p>
<p>As Penny says, people really need to ask very tough questions. Listen carefully to the answers. They’ll make it sound like only “problem” students have issues, but it’s a majority of students. </p>
<p>I’m not diametrically opposed to RU’s position. I agree that NCSSM is ultimately what you make of it, but you’ll have to overcome obstacles you can scarcely imagine to make it work for you. You’ll work five times as hard just to keep even with what you might very well have been able to do at your base school. Whether that’s worth it or not is an individual decision and certainly not the Kumbaya - we all love NCSSM - guarantee you’ve been given.</p>
<p>As one kid said to me on Welcome Day when the new kids arrived, “Should we tell them?”</p>
<p>And if you’re on the waiting list - remember, someone left to give you that space. If you’re told, “Oh, (he, he) it was because they got homesick (he, he)” be afraid.</p>
<p>It is an almost guarantee that you will work harder. What are you going for and what are you giving up? Can you meet your educational goals at your home school?</p>
<p>For us, our home school was particularly limited- academically and socially. If one doubles up on any math/science classes, then by grade 10 you are done with what they offer, that is, if they let you. That changes each year depending on the principal- who also changes constantly as most of them don’t stick around. So every year the rules change. My son was not allowed to double up, but students ahead of him and behind him were. Then, to accommodate the budget, they cut the higher math classes out. There are some amazing teachers at home, but NCSSM is academic utopia from our point of view.</p>
<p>Nobody can prepare you for the changes ahead. Some thrive and some struggle. You may be a big fish at your home school, but you will swim with big fishes now, some probably much much bigger than you are. My son thrived with friends as motivated as he was, and at times he ate humble pie when meeting students more accomplished than he was. </p>
<p>You may be used to teachers who teach you everything you need to know for the test, but now some will expect you to learn on your own. You will love some of your teachers and others, not so much, probably much like home. Are there schedule glitches and conflicts? Sometimes. Just like at home and also- yes this will happen- at college where you could end up with a schedule you are not entirely happy with, but most of the time it will work out. Yes, you risk the familiar for the unknown. But being limited was depressing to my son and he wanted the challenge. Nothing is perfect- there is good and bad in everything and there are some trade offs- so depending on what you have at home, the trade off is different. </p>
<p>But no one is fooling you or luring you. I think it is impossible to guarantee that you will love it or not. Everything is, in part, what you make of it, your personality, goals, etc.</p>
<p>Teachers have tutorials, and they are for everyone- not like at home where only kids with problems go for help. Guidance counselors are there for homesickness or anything else. Yes, there are strict rules, for goodness sake- 600 teenagers need rules. </p>
<p>In the end, by attending, you have to be willing to take a risk, after learning all you can about it. That is life- really- almost everything new that you do will be a calculated risk- which college, new job… I know kids who went off to their dream college, and in a year were home wanting to transfer while others thrived. I will try to refrain from further parental lecture. I guess my interest is that NCSSM is an opportunity, and this discussion led me to present a longer term view.</p>
<p>But like Shanidar says- if you are happy with your home school, the opportunities, your position academically and it meets your needs, and you don’t want to change your life at 16, then you should not be forced to. My son was biting at the bit to attend NCSSM and we are glad that he got to go. He took the risk- with its potential ups and downs, and is glad he did.</p>
<p>Hey, Ice. </p>
<p>I’m one of those people who believe one needs information from both sides in order to assess risk properly. </p>
<p>To begin with, there’s working harder because you love learning, because you want to be the best in your field, because you want to take every opportunity that comes to you and run with it…and then there’s working harder to compensate for the teachers who don’t work hard enough. </p>
<p>Yes, for kids coming from low opportunity schools, NCSSM can represent more opportunity. If 30% of the kids come from the bottom half of NC high schools, well that’s 180 kids right there who are going to be reasonably happy with the academics. And rightly so. My family moved and my parents commuted for an hour each way so I and my siblings wouldn’t be in one of the worst high schools in the state. I totally get this. If this is you, COME TO NCSSM, but come with your eyes open. </p>
<p>Waaaaayyyy too often, there’s a sigh and then “Well, not everyone is up to the challenge at NCSSM” or, sigh, “Some people just can’t get used to the rigor here.” That’s baloney. The majority of kids who come to NCSSM have proven over and over and over again that they are smart, hard-working and ready to consume information ravenously, but I cannot count how often I’ve heard those sentiments repeated whenever anyone makes a negative comment about the school. There’s also an endless supply of blame, and I mean absolutely endless, directed toward the student when anything goes wrong. </p>
<p>And this, ice sparrow, is what you’ve so eloquently noted in your post. What part of NCSSM is real and what is a projection of what you want the school to be and what the school wants you to believe it is? Did you ask the administration? Did I? No, because isn’t it thick in the air that if you ask, if you doubt, then you are not “a true believer”? And of course that would mean, you don’t belong here. </p>
<p>I think though, that the answer is relative. For me, NCSSM is more illusion than reality. It’s a pathetic outline of an unfulfilled promise. For Penny’s son, it was the real deal. For RU, it appears to be fine.</p>
<p>Here’s my guide to getting the most out of NCSSM:</p>
<p>1) The best thing about the school, hands down, is the students. Accomplished like you wouldn’t believe. A few crazy-acting people in the beginning, but you get used to them and they get used to you and in the end, you’ll be surprised by whom you end up thinking is really cool. Make smart friends. They’ll help you with your classes. Make friends with the upper classmen-they’re a wealth of information and will be happy to commiserate with you regarding certain teachers. Sometimes, it’s just nice to vent to them. </p>
<p>I don’t want you to think everyone is great. Sometimes, it gets a little coarse. It’s all supposed to be cool-- “a girlfriend with rape privileges”…other jokes of a sexual nature…porn, of course… drugs. If you’ve been raised conservatively, your eyes will be wide open after two years here. For the kids who are fifteen when they arrive, it’s a bit of a shock. It isn’t like a regular high school where you can put distance between yourself and people you might not be comfortable with associating. You’re sleeping next door to folks…sharing bathrooms. </p>
<p>I can just hear it now, “You’ll experience this in college.” Yes. That’s right. When you’ve been alive for 18 years, not just 15. </p>
<p>Just be prepared. Not everyone at NCSSM is a studious, dedicated nerd.</p>
<p>2) Student Life - There are a ton of rules, but oddly, kids are loosely supervised. If you’re inclined toward trouble, you’ll find it, even at NCSSM. Sadly, that awesome gym you toured is closed on Sundays, which doesn’t make sense because the weekends are when kids can most use the facilities, but meh, that’s how it is. I guess they’d rather have the kids in their rooms doing God knows what all day long. </p>
<p>The most important thing you can do to be happy over the long run is get a roommate who keeps similar sleeping hours to yours. As far as I can tell, the biggest source of conflict is between roommates who have different bedtimes. Some kids like to study with the radio on, and even though there’s supposed to be no internet after 1…well, these are smart kids aren’t they? Makes it hard to sleep. Tired leads to sick, sick leads to grouchy, grouchy leads to the dark side. As boring as it sounds, find a roommate who shares your sleep pattern.</p>
<p>3) Cafeteria - the food is hit or miss. Sometimes, amazingly good. Sometimes, unimaginably bad. The milk always tastes funny. The fruits and vegetables are sketch. Sometimes, the eggs are weird. Lots of carbs and fried food. Not too much protein. They’ll give you tiny amounts of food when you go through the line, but you can ask for seconds if they don’t run out. Have a fridge if you can afford it and stock it with healthy choices. Lots of kids eat out. People will say, “Oh, you are so horrible to complain when the food is free.” It isn’t free. Nothing is free. Someone is paying for it. </p>
<p>At welcome day, I’m sure they made it sound like only the super fussy people hated the cafeteria (blame the student!), but I like almost everything and there’s some things I won’t touch there. Don’t take utensils from the cafeteria. Lots of kids do it, but the rules are not uniformly enforced. They came down ridiculously hard on one girl for a fork in her room. Pretty sad when you can walk by any garbage can in any dorm and see silverware thrown away.</p>
<p>4) Your schedule - what is so sad to me is people who leave their home schools thinking they’ll get a tougher or higher quality schedule. They’ll test into a higher class, and then guess what? No room in the class or it can’t fit into your schedule. NCSSM, because of its block schedule, has a hard time accommodating all students. When you love a certain class and would love to have it every day, it’s bad enough you only get it 3-4 times per week, but when they say, "Oh, too bad. Looks like we can’t schedule you for all the classes you wanted, well, there’s nothing worse than that, ESPECIALLY when you know you could have taken those classes at your home school.</p>
<p>The admin. also changes their minds about things quite often, so ask two or three people about what you want before you give up. </p>
<p>It really isn’t at all like college when you think about it. Your high school transcript is an assessment tool for college admissions. At a school like NCSSM, you’ll be judged by the classes you don’t take. (Call your target college and ask them. They want to know what the most difficult level of classes are at the school. If you don’t take them, “I couldn’t schedule them” sounds weak when the people around you who also want to go to your target college did take them) And because classes have pre-requisites, if you don’t get what you were led to believe you would get, the entire sequence is disrupted. </p>
<p>So PLEASE, before you come to NCSSM, sit down with someone who can plot out your schedule over the next two years. I KNOW they do this at some high schools for all four years. Why can’t the supposedly hardest core academic school in the state do it? It’s only fair that you should see how many or few of those amazing classes in the catalog are actually available to you. You’ll be able to compare and make a smart choice, not just assume that because it is NCSSM, it will automatically be better in every possible way. (like I did) You should know what you are buying before you come here. The school isn’t free if it ends up costing you in opportunity. </p>
<p>Just try a little test: Call a counselor and ask someone if they’ll do this for you over two years. See what they say.</p>
<p>5)Teachers - Sadly, my liberal arts teachers have easily outpaced my STEM teachers. I’m not going to identify any one bad teacher–it really isn’t the fault of the teacher that NCSSM retains them–it’s administrative. Bad teachers should be fired. They aren’t. What can you do about it? Ask around when you get here in Aug. You’ll have time to change classes if the schedule permits. DO IT!!! Ms Stefan is good in physics. Rest easier if you have her. </p>
<p>6)The two year time frame - Clever Ice Sparrow. You’ve hit upon NCSSM’s ace up their sleeve. Juniors get here and don’t know a thing. Once they know, they don’t say a thing, even if someone is gnawing on their leg each night. Why? Because junior year is your last big push before college. You need those recommendations, even from that horrible chemistry teacher if you want to do research or from that horrible math teacher if you want to get into a summer program, and of course, into the college of your choice. Is the threat of retaliation worth it? Who’s going to complain about a teacher when grading is subjective? Partial credit makes it so easy to take off three points here, five points there. We’re smart. We all know what happens to people who snitch. NCSSM students develop incredibly thick skins. We learn how to “man up.”</p>
<p>7) Facebook - people are addicted to it here. In class, in the middle of the night, everywhere you look, Facebook. Be careful. It’s a time suck. </p>
<p>8) Self-study: code word for do it yourself. You will hear this all the time and it sounds honorable and driven, but it really means that the teachers are washing their hands of you. The admin. will say, “You can self-study for all the AP courses you want,” or, when you don’t get the class you want, “You can self-study for that and try to get into the class next trimester/next year,” or “If you are failing a course, it’s because you need to self-study more.” </p>
<p>Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone at your current high school say such a thing? Learn it yourself? Why bother leaving home then? Why don’t we all just stay at home and learn everything ourselves? If someone starts saying, “Self-study” to you, you might want to call in your parents. But be ever so nice though, you don’t want to risk retaliation. </p>
<p>8) It isn’t you. Student after student after student will tell you they do every homework problem exactly right, write down every word the teacher says, study for hours, and still fail the tests. It isn’t you.</p>
<p>9) Always expect the worst: The internet is down all the time. Some social events are mandatory. There are lame events scheduled at the worst possible time. Teachers don’t coordinate major tests with each other - it’s like they don’t have a clue what’s going on in any department other than their own. Obviously, they don’t care…otherwise, they’d know when you already have two or three upcoming tests or projects, wouldn’t they? Do not get behind in your work in any class. Good advice at any school, but especially at NCSSM.</p>
<p>10) Teachers have tutorials - but you’ll be giving up something else to attend them. Perhaps one of the core classes you left home for, perhaps one of the electives, perhaps a sport. Classes are from 8 - 4:15 and there are night classes as well. You can bet the tutorial you need will interfere with another activity. The very best thing is to latch on to one of the many smart kids who are willing to help. I was absolutely saved this way. And it had the added bonus of this kid telling me that my teacher was a moron! </p>
<p>I’ll repeat: If you come from a low opportunity high school, if you’ve maxed out on all your high school classes, if you hate your home life or the social life at your school, if you want to compete in research competitions, NCSSM might be just the place for you. </p>
<p>If you come from a competitive high school, love your friends, have access to strong extra-curriculars - consider what you’re giving up. It might not be so easily replaced. </p>
<p>I guess that’s everything. Keep asking questions, please, please talk to the CURRENT NCSSM students from your district, and most of all, stay frosty.</p>
<p>Hey everyone, I’m glad to say that I got into NCSSM and went through the Welcome Day and everything, but…I’m also at the crossroads here. I just received my placement tests back and I’m really starting to wonder why I was even accepted in the first place. I’m from a really rural town where education is a joke and hardly anyone cares to even learn, so naturally getting into NCSSM is a gigantic opportunity for me, but even at my current High School, i’m not even ranked number one, but rather number 11. My SAT scores were horrid too. I scored barely above “average” with a 1660.</p>
<p>So back to my original statement, I received my placement tests and I have Physics-Inq, Chemistry-Inq, and Algebra III. All the classes I am placed into are beginner classes which really crushed me. I can understand taking Physics and Chemistry Inq considering I have never taken either of the classes but when I was placed into Algebra instead of Pre Calc, I was crushed.</p>
<p>So here I am, wondering why I was accepted into NCSSM. No doubt I will try my best because I know there is no way I could ever get a decent education at my current high school, but I’m also wondering if I can actually handle it. I wasn’t number one at my horrible school, and now I’m placed in the lowest classes at NCSSM…Which only leads to me asking myself…Why would I come to NCSSM, not be top notch and possible fail, when I could stay here at my high school, as bad as it is, take all the AP classes I want, and still come out on top.</p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptance to NCSSM and on your willingness to look objectively at your situation. Youre already better off than a slew of juniors and seniors currently at the school who wish they had put their egos aside and evaluated their academic situations as carefully.</p>
<p>First off, the whole testing thing is extremely shady, so dont feel crushed. If you come here, youll discover it is actually a harbinger of things to come. </p>
<p>To answer your question though, start by thinking of your decision beyond a two year time frame. Think of it in terms of three years at leasttwo more years of high school, college apps, and your freshman year of college. This is really hard, I know. I didnt think like that. Not even close. I was like, Yippee! Im in. Im special. Now I can finally get away from my boring high school and colleges are going to be lining up at my door. </p>
<p><em>sigh</em> </p>
<p>Consider your transcript: Will enrolling in NCSSM and taking those inquiry classes be a step down from what youd take your junior year at your base school? Were you already approved by your base school to take Pre Calc? Is NCSSM saying you need to repeat your sophomore year of foreign language and therefore preventing you from moving into a third year of that language for your junior year? If yes, thats two big steps backward. You really, really need to compare your junior year schedules from each school side by side. You will be applying to colleges on the strength of your junior coursework and, of course, upon your grades. Does your base school schedule look more impressive? Get your parents and sit down with your base high school counselor and plot out your coursework for the next two years. Compare it to NCSSMs with as cold and clinical an eye as you can. Pretend you are a college admissions counselor! Are you on track to be in Calc AB your senior year? Versus what at NCSSM? If you are planning on applying to an engineering college, this might be something to look at closely. </p>
<p>You need to remove from the equation any thought that the NCSSM teachers will automatically be better or that you will learn more at NCSSM. While there are good teachers at NCSSM, there are an equal number of bad ones. If you get a bad one, and the odds are that you will for physics or math, this will affect you in so many ways that Im not even going to list them. Endless opportunities at NCSSM, in spite of the shiny, happy people appearing on the website, will be unavailable to you, and the bad grades you make as a result of these bad teachers will derail your academic progress, follow you to your college apps, and depress the heck out of you. </p>
<p>Colleges will ask the high school guidance office what the most challenging classes are at their school and whether or not an applicant took those classes. At NCSSM, youll be at the bottom. You are the exact same wonderful student, with the exact same potential, maybe even the exact same grades, but at NCSSM, youll look worse. </p>
<p>Me - I now look worse than kids from my old high school who were twenty spaces behind me in the sophomore rankings, even though I know I’ve worked ten times harder. </p>
<p>This is a realization that many thinking juniors come to by the end of their first year at NCSSMthe better-off realization. They learned less because of bad teachers, their grades dropped, their transcripts became weaker, and they’ve stopped caring about their school work. It hits them like a ton of bricksthey would have been better off at their old school. Painful. </p>
<p>Lastly, NCSSM does not promote AP coursework. Theyll spew a bunch of words about how our kids are too smart for APs (oh yes, I bought this whole line), but I think they really know that their AP performance is weak. (Just ask around about the last AP Physics test DESTROYED was the word I heard most often to describe how students performed.) Theyll say, Oh, everyone here self-studies for the APs we don’t officially offer" and thats partially true, a few kids do, but the school doesnt care how those kids perform thats none of their business they had nothing to do with it, afterall. The whole AP thing at NCSSM is messed up. </p>
<p>You say you can take all the AP courses you want at your current high school? Heres where you think of that first year of college. There are kids who come from decent high schools who, because of AP credits, are sophomores. Think what this means time and money wise. Graduate in three years rather than four. Perhaps get a double major in four because youve already knocked down the freshman requirements. So many seniors at NCSSM right now are looking at the puny AP coursework theyre taking to UNC and State and realizing they would have been better off staying home, especially the kids who are not STEM majors. </p>
<p>You might not believe me. I know I didnt believe anyone who tried to say one bad word about NCSSM when I was in your shoes. I thought anyone who complained was weak, or not as smart as me, or just a bunch of crybabies. I thought the people who left the school during the first few weeks of junior year were lightweights and/or traitors. The idea of NCSSM was just so wonderful to me and I needed it so badly that I made a water globe out of it and put it on a shelf to admire. I didn’t see the cracks in it until it was too late for me to do a thing about it. </p>
<p>IMO, you’re one of the smartest people who’s ever gotten in to NCSSM. The school decided it wanted you, now you need to decide if you want it.</p>
<p>I think Shanidar makes some excellent points about your decision. Which AP classes are available at your school and what are your possibilities there vs NCSSM?</p>
<p>Starting with Alg 3- I believe you will be in pre-calc senior year. How does this compare to your home school placement? I believe after chem w inquiry, you could be in AP Chem senior year, and I am not sure about physics.</p>
<p>What are your interests? NCSSM is bound to have more biology, comp sci, and other classes than your home school. Does being with students who could care less about learning bother you? Does it bother you to be at the entry level classes at NCSSM while some students probably took calculus in 9th grade? You won’t be compared to them in the classroom though as they have been placed elsewhere. Still, they are there with you.</p>
<p>For college admissions, it can be better to be at the top of the class and to have taken the most challenging classes at your school. However, the counselors write a pretty thorough explanation when they send your transcript. Obviously someone from a rural area can not possibly take the highest classes offered, and this is made clear.</p>
<p>It is certainly a balance between what you are going to lose and what are you going to gain.
As Shanidar says, it is not the right decision for everyone. You could risk being worse off- or also risk not taking an opportunity if you don’t go. However, Shanidar is correct in that the colleges look at mostly your first 3 years of high school initially as you apply at the start of senior year. What does your junior year at NCSSM look like compared to your home school, and what is your best option for college? Also, the SAT counts for a lot. It is hard to have access to an SAT prep course at NCSSM, or time to study a lot, but I will say that my son’s scores did increase a lot at NCSSM. It is probably easier to take the test frequently if you stay at home, although some studies suggest that neither a prep course or frequent testing help that much.</p>
<p>I know rural kids who are happy for the chance to be at NCSSM, and Shanidar is clearly not. He makes an excellent point to sit down with your counselor at your home school and also ask a lot of questions about NCSSM- especially students like you. There is a FB page- ask questions. You have a whole summer to think about it. Please get as much information as you can- but in the end- make the best decision you can. Do you have a target cpllege? Talk to the admissions officers about what they look for and how they would consider you in either case. Talk to as many colleges as you can. What is your interest? Yes, engineering schools will want strong math- at least AP calc… does anyone achieve this at your home school? It will do you no good to be unhappy at NCSSM. They made you the offer- but the decision is yours. It is a big one.</p>
<p>Sometimes it seems like I NEED NCSSM. I come from a rural school where education is a joke and 3/4 of the students don’t care about their life or even respect the school. I want to do something with Computer Sciences with my life but at my current High School, there is no possible way I could even start learning about this. I mean, there is no ounce of opportunity coming from my school other than me coming out in the top 10 with AP classes. </p>
<p>If I stay at my current school, I would be enrolled in all AP classes with the exception of Spanish II in my Junior year. I could take AP Lit, Honors Precalc, AB Calc, and Spanish II within the span of one semester, then spend the second semester pursuing other AP courses.</p>
<p>But If I go to NCSSM, I could meet a whole multitude of different people rather than spend my last 2 years in high school with a bunch of uninspired people. I could pursue Comp Sci, but I would literally be taking 2 steps back if I get placed into Algebra III and not to mention I have no true gauge of my capacity to handle the work load at NCSSM other than what people have told me.</p>
<p>You could contact them about your placement. How close were you to getting into precalc? If it was close, you may want to consider retaking the test. Also if you are in Alg 3 and it is too easy for you, you could be moved. There are certainly more comp sci classes, and more motivated students. One thing that drove my son crazy was the constant repetition in his classes at home and the unmotivated students. He was happier with a quicker pace and also motivated peers. </p>
<p>You have to make an educated guess and do the best you can. I still think it is a good idea to talk to other students in your situation and also the college admissions officers at the schools you are considering to see what situation will be seen more favorably. All those AP classes junior year is impressive and colleges like to see this. This is not an easy choice. It would be good to see how your college choice sees it. Also, you could speak to the guidance counselors at NCSSM as they know the admissions statistics of students like you.</p>
<p>Ultimately- where do you think you will be happiest?</p>
<p>I also wanted to comment on the SAT. There is SAT testing at NCSSM about 2 times a year, as well as transportation to nearby sites other times. However, I know students here who take it as often as possible, and it is easy to just get in the car and go to your local testing center. Some students prefer to take it as many times as possible, others just get tired of it. Some schools do not want to see it multiple times, others don’t care. It’s what you want to do.</p>
<p>Yeah. I missed the welcome day, so I don’t know how the placement tests for math and science are. But I did take the online test for french. It was… Bad. Just bad.
I was supposed to go into AP French 5 next year, and I got placed into advanced French (French 3), with a low border score. It was my first shock about the school.
I thought that the people who teach there are mad geniuses or something, but the placement test showed me something different. Rather than being tested on grammar and passage comprehension, it was more of “guess what this obscure word means” game. I expected more. </p>
<p>I want to live life with no regrets. I used to be one of those people who slaved away into he night doing homework. But then I realized that I was denying myself opportunities I never knew I had. We have only one life, we should enjoy it. Hang out with friends, go to dances, etc. Yeah. My class rank fell. Went from number 2 to an almost obscure 16. Not a straight A student anymore. But I have my sanity. My point in this little ramble is that I am coming to ncssm not with ivy league acceptance in mind but as a chance to take classes that I couldn’t take before. Yes, a bad teacher is a bad teacher and it reflects in your grades, etc. But a bad teacher is better than no teacher at all.
There will always be crappy teachers and awkward social moments in college. Some people never meet these situations until college. But it’s best to learn now, before your whole future and career and investment is in jeopardy, how to deal with these things. It’s best to take CompSci and realize you hate it in high school than in college. But if you don’t have compsci at your current school, how are you ever going to find out? That is why people should consider going to ncssm.</p>
<p>Personally, I like your reasons and I can understand your frustration. Ask yourself why you are so frustrated with this though. Is it because you truly feel like you are better than that level? Or are you just considering how bad that would look on your transcript, or how all of your friends back home will be in a higher class than you? If you are thinking of the latter two, your mind may not be in the right place.</p>
<p>I originally posted because I thought I could help with some of the questions, but I stayed after reading Shanidar’s posts because I know that there are also students happy to be at NCSSM- but none are posting.</p>
<p>You are all intelligent and inquisitive students. My own son was eager to go- despite any of these concerns, and feels it was one of the best things he did and so do his friends. Shanidar is sincerely unhappy and that is not good for him.
You could risk being unhappy and/or not getting the grades/academic standing you did at your home school. On the other hand, you could give up an opportunity that is right for you. So now the “momma bear” in me has kicked in. Don’t jump into something that you would be miserable in. Neither should you give up what may be one of the most positive experiences you can have at this age on account of one person’s experience.</p>
<p>The reason for the placement tests is to place you where you need to be. The “label” of a class is not as meaningful- as far as what you need to learn. Alg 2 or French 2 at one school is not equivalent at another. NCSSM knows that and so do colleges. Do you think they consider an A in Alg 2 in a rural area the same as a prestigious prep school? No. In addition, the NCSSM guidance office sends explanations along with the transcript of the classes and a good description of you. You will experience the same change in language placement whenever you change schools or go to college- because “Adv French” at NCSSM may be equivalent to AP French somewhere else. If someone places in Alg 3 it does not mean they are weak- it means their Alg 2 class was probably weak, and that they may actually learn more in Alg 3 than if they stayed where they are- if not- then ask to be advanced up early on. Maybe someone is placed in an AP class at home- but what is the average score of that class? Ask- if it is a 1 or 2, then how “AP” is it really? Sure, colleges look at this, but I have to believe that admissions officers are pretty savvy about classes at different schools over the years</p>
<p>Thankfully, they don’t rank students at NCSSM. My son recognized that he may not make the same easy A’s or be at the top of the class at NCSSM. But that was not the most important thing to him. He wanted the opportunities to take different classes. College admission was important, but not the only goal. Learning was, and that he did. He also made some of the best friends he has had and he grew in many ways. No school is perfect, and no place will have 100% happy students. </p>
<p>As a parent, I needed to let him make his own decision- and give him the space to go- not insist on perfect grades- if he was doing his best, and not insist on admission to a specific college. Life leads you into directions you can not predict. I do not want a student to be in a place they are not happy with, but please do not let a few opinions lead you to give up something that would be good for you. If you have concerns, please also talk to the many adults who could give you advice- guidance counselor, admissions officers, teachers, your parents- as well as other students at NCSSM.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I come from a very competitive high school with one of the best french teacher I have ever had. AP French students almost always get 5s here. And besides, AP French cannot vary much from school to school. The curriculum and topics to be covered is decided by the college board. I even contacted the school to ask if I could just put French readings instead. They didnt even say no, they said something like “we’ll see when we get there”. This was what irritated me the most.</p>
<p>Actually. The more I read your posts the more i feel like you are suffering from a bit of cognitive dissonance. You put in so much effort, you want it to be worthwhile.</p>
<p>Nope, just would have hated to see someone talk my own kid out of it, and hoped to be of some help. It’s not fair to talk someone into it, or out of it so I tried to consider both views in hope of helping someone get further advice to make the right decision for them- whatever it is. The effort is in paying it forward for what was a good situation for us, but if it is not going to be good for someone- it does not help the student or the school to be a miserable student there. Best wishes to all with this decision.</p>
<p>I don’t want to talk anybody out of anything, I just want to share with people what I’ve learned about NCSSM bc I also believe that living with regret is not a great way to live. </p>
<p>Maybe more kids from NCSSM haven’t posted because they are there right now and know exactly what I’m talking about when I bring up certain issues. These aren’t my pet peeves you know, these are broad issues that cut across large swaths of the student body. If I’m bringing it up, it’s because I’ve talked to people with these things on hall or in my classes. These conversations bubble up in the middle of the night or after grades come out or when kids hear where their classmates from their base schools got accepted. </p>
<p>The bottom line, is that NCSSM really isn’t the right decision for everyone, but that decision should be reasoned and calculated based upon an individual’s goals. Whether the school was wonderful for Penny’s son or is disappointing for me, is incidental. What will it be to YOU? To make that decision requires information which I am urging and HAVE BEEN urging people to acquire. We all dream of a school where we’ll be surrounded by motivated students and taught by skilled teachers and to think it could very well be in our grasp after all the studying we’ve done and work we’ve put in, that’s a really hard thing to let go of. NCSSM is the promised land, isn’t it? Isn’t it?</p>
<p>Think beyond NCSSM. It’s only two years and believe me, it does go by. I agree with Penny. Call your target college admission’s office. They will talk to you. I called MIT last year and the head guy talked to me for twenty minutes. All the applications have been processed. Now is a great time to call them. </p>
<p>Follow Ice Sparrow’s lead. Call NCSSM if you don’t like your placement results. As I’ve already said, the testing thing is very shady. NCSSM essentially disregards everything you’ve worked for in these placements and puts kids in classes where half the kids have previous experience and half have none. Of course, you can’t help that, but you can help your own situation. If you don’t like what they have to say, put that in your - column and compare it to your + column when it’s time to decide. And take it for what it is: a reality check. </p>
<p>Be careful with the the philosophy: better to be exposed to something than nothing. Unfortunately, because college admissions is so competitive these days, you must consider the opportunity costs of that position. Is it better be in a math or physics class with incompetent teachers and make a C, or is it better to stick it out at your base school with a 4.0? I don’t know. Here’s where you should talk to those college admissions people, all the time keeping in mind that when fall 2012 comes, they are going to be holding your app in one hand and another app in the other. I’m sorry. That’s just how it is. They aren’t going to be discussing the joy of learning with you. </p>
<p>And I have to say: The whole point of AP classes is to create a standardized level of excellence. A 5 at your base school carries the same weight as a 5 at NCSSM, but may very well be easier to achieve since you will have that class every day and be taught by a teacher who is held accountable for those results, unlike NCSSM who takes no responsibility whatsoever for AP results and where you’ll have less exposure to the class.
It just seems to me that a school like NCSSM where MOST OF its graduates end up at State or UNC, would put more effort in to it’s AP’s…unless it was afraid it couldn’t compete with the other top schools in the nation.</p>
<p>Investigate AP’s at NCSSM: Ask what percentage of each class takes the test and what is the 4 or 5 rate? Good luck getting that information. I think I may have said (or was maybe just thinking) some kids don’t even bother taking the tests because they know they didn’t learn enough to pass for credit at a decent college.</p>
<p>To absolutezewoah: Comp Sci is exactly why I came to NCSSM. There was a club at my base school where the IT staff let the kids do some programming on the school’s web site, but that was reserved for the seniors and I didn’t want to wait two more years to do hands on work. Be sure to sit at the front of the class in first tri. because there will be kids who have previous comp sci experience in the back on Facebook. </p>
<p>For the record, I’m not seriously unhappy. Just disappointed in the school. Everybody will say, and I agree 100%, that the student body here at NCSSM is the best thing about the school. As I’ve already said, there is the usual spectrum, but at the high academic end, there is a higher concentration than at your standard high school. I have enjoyed being around those smart kids, but I’ve seen even them whipped to the point of tears by some of the practices, policies and sheer stupidity of NCSSM, and okay, yes, I guess that does make me seriously unhappy.</p>