Free Resources
Free NCSSM admissions resources.
Guides to every part of the process, plus a free planner sent by email.
Free resources and guides
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.
NCSSM Admissions Overview
Who can apply, what residency requires, and what the application includes.
Read the guideKey Dates
The application window and residency date for this cycle, with a live countdown.
See the datesMath Assessment and Essays
What the Math Assessment covers, how the essays fit in, and a week-by-week plan.
Plan preparationSchool Fit
What to weigh beyond selectivity before your student applies.
Think it throughParent FAQ
Short answers to the questions families ask most.
Read the FAQFree NCSSM Application Planner
A one-page plan with a week-by-week checklist, sent by email.
Get the plannerFree download
The NCSSM Application Planner
A one-page plan for residency, the application, the Math Assessment, and the essays, with a step-by-step checklist. Free, and it opens right on this page.
Your NCSSM application planner
The dates and rules that shape the year, then a plan to work through in order.
- Who can apply
- Students apply in their second year of high school to the Residential and Online programs, so they attend as juniors and seniors.
- Residency
- Only bona fide legal residents (domiciliaries) of North Carolina are eligible to attend NCSSM. Non-residents are ineligible for admission.
- Application window
- 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.
- Application due
- 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.
- Residency (RDS) due
- Class of 2029 applicants must complete the residency application with North Carolina Residency Determination Services (RDS) by January 30, 2027.
- Evaluations
- Evaluations are required by February 28 from a 9th or 10th grade STEM teacher, a 9th or 10th grade English teacher, and the applicant's current 10th grade guidance counselor.
- Transcripts
- The window for submitting transcripts and report cards opens on February 15, 2027, and closes on February 28, 2027.
- Math Assessment
- The NCSSM Mathematics Admissions Assessment is a 30-question, 40-minute assessment taken without a calculator.
- Math Assessment dates
- 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.
- SAT and ACT
- 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.
- 01
Confirm North Carolina residency first, and start the RDS process early so it is done before the deadline.
- 02
Create the CFNC account and open the application soon after it opens, so nothing is rushed in January.
- 03
Ask the STEM teacher, English teacher, and counselor for evaluations early, and give NCSSM their contact details.
- 04
Draft each essay answer from a specific moment, then revise for what it shows about need for NCSSM.
- 05
Practice the Math Assessment topics without a calculator under a 40-minute clock.
- 06
Put the transcript window and Math Assessment registration on the family calendar now.
Dates and rules can change. Check each one on the school's own admissions pages.