North Carolina School of Science and Math -- any opinions?

[Sandra in NC]

My son was accepted to NCSSM and I'm wondering if there are other homeschoolers who have had a child go there for 11th and 12th grades.

 

Any opinions?

 

It seems like a good opportunity ...the only drawback is that my son wouldn't be accumulating community college credits. I've read some posts on College Confidential that have me thinking twice.

 

For those who are not familiar with NCSSM, it's a public boarding school, focusing on science and math although I've heard it's strong in humanities, too.

[JWSJ]

I have a few friends (not HSers) that attended NCSSM in the early 1990s. I attended one of their summer camps hosted at a local college in Durham. It was great. I really enjoyed interacting with other "smart" kids. I've known of only one student who left the school. He was not emotionally mature enough to be away from home.

 

I've heard the faculty is great at the school. The classes are advanced for high school. It requires "smart", driven, mature students.

 

No college credit is a drawback. NCSSM should have some research opportunities for students though. It is part of the NC university system. Moving from NCSSM to uni seems more like a transfer than entering college.

 

Being in downtown Durham worries me. It's a great place to get into trouble. With the recent Lacrosse/NiFong situation I lost some respect for the justice system there. The Duke students I talk with always say crime is high.

[genie]

I had several graduates from NCSSM as fellow students in my physics classes when I attended UNC Chapel Hill. At the time, I was a 24-year-old married step-mom to two kids who lived 1 1/2 hours away. Due to the outside responsibilities that come with these circumstances, I could hardly compete! Those kids were like machines (not meant in a bad way!). They thought nothing of nightly homework assignments that would take over 4 hours. Me? I can hardly remember ever doing homework for my honors high school classes, and very little for my honors community college classes. They were FAR and AWAY more prepared for rigorous classes than I.

 

One of my friends and I would often philosophize about the difference between these kids and the "rest of us". We weren't sure if it was completely the schooling that had created the work ethic, or if they were just very left-brained people who thrived in that environment. My friend and I decided we were/are too right-brained to enjoy that much effort for only one class.

 

All this to say, the NCSSM students were incredibly prepared for the rigors of upper-level physics work. Not surprisingly, I didn't have any of them in my math classes, so I am assuming they placed higher than I did in those. Oh, and this was in the mid 90's, so take it for what it's worth. :)

[momofkhm]

That daughter went on to get into Duke University as a med student. Maybe it was a vet student. The dd seemed to do really well. We didn't talk a lot about it though.

[Guest LutherSetzer]

I graduated NCSSM in 1984.

 

I have posted some information to the Web over the years to help candidates to make a fully informed decision.

 

http://rebirthofreason.com/Articles/Setzer/Advice_for_Those_Considering_NCSSM.shtml

 

 

 

 

 

The bottom line is that the main benefit of NCSSM over other opportunities centers on surrounding oneself with other bright, self-motivated students like your son. With them your son can form lifetime friendships. They will also "raise the bar" on what your son demands from himself academically and socially.

 

The detriments involve a heavier course load without commensurate tangible benefits in terms of college credits on transcripts along with other issues I have outlined in the article and videos already linked.

 

Read Brian Morin's novel A MATTER OF FAITH for an "all too real" account of NCSSM shenanigans.

 

If I did my high school years again, I would select my local "Learn and Earn Early College High School" before NCSSM.

Edited December 12, 2010 by LutherSetzer