Answers to Questions Applicants Frequently Ask About Admissions

1. Who may attend one of the 18 science, technology and industry programs at North Point? Students interested in one of North Point’s 18 programs apply in 8^th grade. Applicants and their parents must be residents of Charles County in order to apply. The applicant submits a completed application, middle school end of year report cards that include attendance and citizenship, and two teacher recommendations, among other items. The application deadline is January 11, 2008 Late applications are not considered.
2. I am in tenth grade and want to attend one of the STI programs at North Point. May I apply? Application is done in eighth grade. All slots are filled from the applicants who apply in eighth grade and begin their high school careers and program course work at North Point in ninth grade. Hence, no openings are available for students who apply after eighth grade. Because we have so many applicants each year, out of fairness to current residents, we cannot hold open spots in case someone moves to Charles County and wishes to apply.
3. I am in a program similar to one of the STI programs in another school system and will be moving to Charles County. May I be included in North Point’s equivalent program? We have no reciprocity agreements with other school systems, or they with us. All of our programs are unique to Charles County. Because we have so many applicants each year, out of fairness to current residents, we cannot hold open spots in case someone moves to Charles County and wishes to apply.
4. Are all students at North Point in a STI program? No. Half the students live in the North Point zone and take a traditional high school curriculum. The other half are students from all over Charles County, including those living in the zone, who applied to and where accepted into one of the 18 science, technology and industry programs.
5. What if I can’t decide on a program? Students should think seriously about their interests and where they see themselves in 10 years. They should do research on the various careers they think they might want to pursue in the future. Then they should see if any of the 18 programs offered at North Point fit their interests and possible future careers. Many eighth grade students have no idea where they are headed; therefore, attending a program at North Point would not be useful to them. On the other hand, many students have strong interests and feel they will pursue a career in one of the science, technology and industry courses offered here. Students with strong interests should apply.
6. How many students are admitted each year to the science, technology and industry programs? We are allowed to take 280 students from across Charles County each year into our programs. We may take 45 – 50 students from each high school zone. Each of the 18 programs has a size limit for safety and other reasons.
7. What is the process for application and admission? The following is a tentative schedule for the 2007-2008 school year.

December	Presentations made at all Charles County public middle schools during the school day to the 8^th graders, and at any private schools in Charles County which request a presentation Application packets distributed at the presentations Application put on Admissions link on North Point website
January	Open houses held at North Point – January 3 and 7, 2008 – 6:30 to 8:00 pm Application deadline – January 11, 2008
February	Interviews of applicants held during the school day for public school students, and at night at North Point for nonpublic school students Instructors score applications, after identifying information is removed
March	Admissions Committee meets March 19 - Acceptance letters and accept/decline agreements sent to the 280 accepted applicants, and wait list letters sent to the other applicants
April	April 4 - Accept/decline agreements due Wait list used to fill any vacancies made by declining students Course selection meetings held at middle schools with those students accepted into a STI program
May	Course selection sheets due to Mrs. Higdon by May 2
July/August	Nonpublic students who have been accepted into a STI program must register at North Point.

8. What is the Guide to Career Majors? North Point’s Guide to Career Majors is a very important reference manual about all the programs offered at North Point. It outlines what four years in each program looks like, which programs offer college credit, what courses are weighted, and much more. The information in it was compiled from many different sources – college professors, successful employees in the various program fields, the instructors. Applicants should read it and refer to it as they fill out the application.
9. May I submit an application electronically? We hope to have a version of the application that may be completed electronically available by December 2007. However, all other required materials must be mailed or delivered to Mrs. Higdon at North Point by the due date of January 11, 2008.
10. If I submit an online application, do I need to mail in any items? All other required materials – 6^th and 7^th grade final report cards, a signature page, the interest survey and residency verification if a nonpublic student - must be mailed or delivered to Mrs. Higdon at North Point by the due date of January 11, 2008. If a student submits an application electronically, Mrs. Higdon will e mail the required teacher recommendation forms to the teachers the applicant lists on the application.
11. Who can help me with the application? Applicants are to complete the application entirely by themselves. Editing and grammatical help may be obtained from teachers and parents. However, all composing and final writing must be done by the student.
12. May I apply for more than one program? Applicants may list up to three programs in which they are interested. However, if selected, they will be selected for only one program. Students will be able to fit only one program into their high school schedules. The Guide to Career Majors shows how only one program can fit into a student’s high school schedule.
13. What questions are asked in the interview? Mrs. Higdon interviews each applicant, and will be using a variety of general questions as well as questions submitted by the various STI instructors.
14. What is considered when deciding on who is offered a spot? Interest in the program(s) for which a student applies is the most important factor. Interest is measured by the writings and the interview. Teacher recommendations are also important considerations, as are middle school attendance and citizenship scores. All three tell the Admissions Committee how committed an applicant is to learning. Grades in subjects related to the program applied for help the Admissions Committee decide if a student will be successful in that program.
15. When and where are applications available? Application packets are distributed to all 8^th graders at all of the presentations in December. Extra packets are left with guidance counselors for those who miss the presentation. Application packets are also available at the open houses. And applications will be available on the Admissions link of North Point’s website the beginning of December – www.ccboe.com/northpoint.
16. What is the deadline for submitting an application? Applications and all the required parts must be at North Point no later than 3:00 pm Friday, January 11^th. No exceptions.
17. What does it mean to be placed on the wait list? The number of students we may take into our programs is limited to 280. Any applicant not initially accepted is placed on a wait list for his/her zoned high school. If a student initially accepted declines, then Mrs. Higdon uses the wait list to fill that student’s spot. For example, if a student who is zoned for Westlake is sent an acceptance letter into Culinary Arts but declines to accept, then Mrs. Higdon uses Westlake’s Culinary Arts wait list to fill the spot. The wait list is good through the summer after ninth grade.
18. How does an applicant get off the wait list? Students can only be taken off the wait list if a vacancy is created by a student leaving. We are not allowed to go above the 280 students limit, or the 45 – 50 students from each high school zone.
19. What if I am accepted into one program but want to change to another? Students are accepted into certain programs based on their strong interest in the program’s focus area. The only way a student can change to another program is if a vacancy occurs because a student leaves and the program has an opening. If a student wishes to not continue in the program for which s/he is attending North Point, s/he would need to return to his or her zoned high school at the end of the school year. Students may not leave to return to their zoned schools in the middle of a school year, as this would cause a loss in credits for the student. At North Point, students take 8 courses/credits a year. At all the other Charles County high schools, students take 7 courses/credits.
20. If I am accepted, can my younger brothers and sisters automatically attend North Point? Siblings of non-zoned students may not attend North Point unless they apply for and are accepted into a STI program. Parents therefore may have a high school student at North Point and one at another high school.
21. Why do some courses have a math prerequisite? Our instructors have found that students with certain math backgrounds are successful in their classes, while others without the math and thinking skills acquired in the prerequisite courses struggle. Biotechnology, Electronics and Cisco all require that a student have taken at least Algebra 1 by eighth grade in order to have acquired the thinking skills needed for those courses. Engineering requires that students have taken at least Algebra 2 by eighth grade in order to be successful.