NCSSMPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.
Focused preparation for the NCSSM application: the essays and the Math Assessment. Your student studies on their own schedule and gets written feedback from an EduAvenues coach.
NCSSM Flex: $595 one-time tuition Instructor essay feedback on your NCSSM essays included 7-day tuition-back promise
Photo: Warren LeMay, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
EduAvenues results
These results and reviews come from EduAvenues programs for other schools and services. They are not NCSSM admissions results, and no program can promise admission.
Free diagnostic
Take the free NCSSM Admissions Diagnostic. It takes about five minutes and shows the area to work on first.
The NCSSMPrep difference
The four questions NCSSM parents ask us most, answered plainly.
An EduAvenues instructor, not software. Your student gets line-by-line notes on their own NCSSM essays, usually within 7 business days: what to keep, what to cut, and what to say more clearly.
NCSSM says critical reading and writing ability can be demonstrated through the essay responses. It also says enthusiasm for STEM, need for NCSSM, and work ethic can be demonstrated through the application, essays, and academic record.
Every lesson starts from what NCSSM publishes: its essay questions, its selection criteria, and the Math Assessment format. Nothing is borrowed from a generic test-prep book.
NCSSM's criteria include academic rigor, community involvement and interaction, critical reading and writing ability, enthusiasm for STEM, grades, need for NCSSM and enthusiasm for learning, work ethic and initiative, the Math Assessment, and evaluations from a counselor, an English teacher, and a STEM teacher.
It is online and self-paced. Your student works in short sessions around classes, sports, and family time, with no fixed class to miss and a real instructor to answer questions.
Students apply in their second year of high school to the Residential and Online programs, so they attend as juniors and seniors.
You do, and that is why the work has to be right the first time. Your student plans backward from the January deadline, so nothing is rushed at the end.
A student can complete and submit an application to the Residential and Online programs only once during their academic career.
How it works
Study on your schedule. Draft, submit for review, and revise with specific notes from an instructor.
Open a video lesson or written guide any time. Each one covers a part of the application your student is working on now.
Write a response, then submit it for review.
An instructor returns line-by-line notes on what to keep, cut, and strengthen, usually within 7 business days.
Instructor essay feedback on your NCSSM essays. Up to 3 rounds of instructor feedback, usually within 7 business days.
Timeline
Work backward from these dates and leave time for practice, writing, and review.
January 5, 2027
Application deadline
This date has passed for the current cycle. New dates appear here once NCSSM publishes them.
October 15, 2026
The Class of 2029 application opens on CFNC.org on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM and closes on Tuesday, January 5, 2027, at 11:59 PM.
October 24, 2026
NCSSM-Durham high school open house: Saturday, October 24, 2026.
November 7, 2026
NCSSM-Morganton high school open house: Saturday, November 7, 2026.
January 5, 2027
All sections of the Class of 2029 application must be completed on CFNC.org by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, January 5, 2027. NCSSM says there are no exceptions to this deadline.
January 30, 2027
Class of 2029 applicants must complete the residency application with North Carolina Residency Determination Services (RDS) by January 30, 2027.
February 15, 2027
The window for submitting transcripts and report cards opens on February 15, 2027, and closes on February 28, 2027.
Know the people behind the feedback
Neil co-founded EduAvenues and leads its instruction and feedback. He spent five years in financial services, including time at Goldman Sachs and at Evergreen by Alpine Investors in private equity. A TJHSST graduate, he brings more than a decade of selective-school admissions experience, and his team has reviewed more than 83,000 student written responses.
What enrollment includes
NCSSM Flex is self-paced. Live classes are not included.
NCSSM Flex
$595one-time tuition
No monthly subscription.
Enroll in NCSSM Flex7-day tuition-back promiseNot the right fit? Let us know within 7 days of enrolling for a full tuition refund.
Google Reviews
Reviews from families across EduAvenues programs, shown as they were written on Google.
These are Google reviews of EduAvenues from families in our programs for many schools. They are not reviews of NCSSM.
Before you enroll
Yes. Instructor essay feedback on your NCSSM essays is included: up to 3 rounds of feedback. An instructor returns line-by-line notes on what to keep, cut, and strengthen, usually within 7 business days.
Students apply in their second year of high school to the Residential and Online programs, so they attend as juniors and seniors. Only bona fide legal residents (domiciliaries) of North Carolina are eligible to attend NCSSM. Non-residents are ineligible for admission.
Class of 2029 applicants are not required to take the SAT or ACT. NCSSM will not accept or consider standardized test scores as part of the admissions process.
NCSSM says there is no application fee and no cost for tuition, meals, room and board, or textbooks for its Residential, Online, and Summer Ventures programs.
The NCSSM Mathematics Admissions Assessment is a 30-question, 40-minute assessment taken without a calculator. The NCSSM Math Assessment was formerly known as NCSSM Discovery Day, and this year's version has an updated format.
NCSSM's How to Apply page lists February 13 and February 20, 2027 as Math Assessment dates at both campuses. Its Announcements page still lists the dates as TBD, so confirm on ncssm.edu before planning around one.
NCSSM lists the release date for admission status notifications as TBD.
NCSSM says all decisions are final and there is no appeals process. It does not review applications with students or families and does not share Math Assessment scores.
NCSSM states that Residential program graduates who complete all of NCSSM's graduation requirements and remain in good standing with a weighted GPA at or above the threshold set by the UNC System president and NCSSM chancellor (currently 3.5) are guaranteed admission to any UNC System universities to which they apply. NCSSM says the guarantee does not promise acceptance into specific schools, colleges, or programs of study within a university. It applies to Residential graduates beginning with the Class of 2022, and NCSSM Online students are not eligible.
A student can complete and submit an application to the Residential and Online programs only once during their academic career.
No. NCSSMPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Check every requirement and date on the school's own website before you apply.
The admissions facts on this site were last checked against the school's published pages on October 18, 2026. Schools can change requirements and dates at any time.
Start with the guides parents ask for most, then get the free planner by email. The free NCSSM Math Diagnostic is in the Resources menu.
Who can apply, what residency requires, and what the application includes.
Read the guideThe application window and residency date for this cycle, with a live countdown.
See the datesWhat the Math Assessment covers, how the essays fit in, and a week-by-week plan.
Plan preparationWhat to weigh beyond selectivity before your student applies.
Think it throughShort answers to the questions families ask most.
Read the FAQA one-page plan with a week-by-week checklist, sent by email.
Get the planner
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