NCSSM Class of 2016- Future Applicants

ncssmstudent123
Wed, 24 Feb 2016 05:32:18 +0000

Hi @ramen01,

With regards to your transcript, your schedule looks more or less exactly like mine did (although I took AP Calc BC instead of Precalculus sophomore year), and I was accepted from CD4! Make sure you get straight As, though. The main difference between those who were accepted vs. those who were rejected from my school was straight As vs. mixed As and Bs.

To be honest, your ECs sound like they could use some work solely based off of your description in this thread, but as long as you flesh them out and explain their relevance in your applications, I think you should be okay! Keep in mind that NCSSM is not just looking for explicitly STEM-related ECs; join whatever clubs interest you and excel in them.
For reference, I scored 2300+ on my NCSSM SAT, but many from my district and equally competitive districts scored lower and were still admitted.

And finally, to answer your question about applications: I’d advise you to try to find some kind of interest/specialty that your resumé shows you are interested/excel in. For example, I wrote my essays about how I used STEM to help the community, which linked the volunteering and club participation on my resumé. (This is a tip I’ve also heard about college apps!) Don’t sweat it too much. I don’t know the exact acceptance rate, but I’d guess it’s around 30% or so – not super selective.

Best of luck!