CTE Programs

The CTE Application Window
October 23, 2023 at 8 a.m. until November 14, 2023 at 3 p.m.

Thank you for your interest in CTE programs at North Point High School for Science, Technology and Industry. North Point offers 16 Career and Technical application-based programs beginning in either 9th or 10th grade. The application is open to CCPS students and NON-CCPS students who reside in Charles County and are currently in the 8th grade. Approximately 300 students from each entering class are composed of students from all over the county who have applied and been accepted into one of the programs. The other portion of each grade contains students who live in the North Point zone and who follow a traditional high school course of study.

Academy of Health Professions
Automotive Technology
Biotechnology
Child Development Professions
Cisco
Collision Repair
Construction Design Management
Cosmetology
Criminal Justice
Culinary Arts
Cyber Security
Drafting & Design
Electrical Construction
Engineering (Students must be enrolled or have taken Algebra 1 for consideration of this program)
Graphic Communication
Welding

View the CTE Showcase for information on each CTE program.

CTE Showcase

Program of Studies for North Point CTE Programs

For specific information about course sequence, descriptions, and CTE certifications; click on the following link:

High school program of studies- cTE Programs at North point (class of 2028)

CTE Open House

An Open House was held at North Point on Oct. 19, 2023 from 5:30 - 7:30

CTE Open House Presentation

What do I need to know before I complete the application?

Attend the CTE Open House on Oct. 19, 2023 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at North Point High School. Click here to view the CTE Open House Presentation.
View the CTE Showcase for information on each CTE program.
Refer to the Guide to Career Majors for specific CTE program descriptions and course requirements at North Point.
Refer to the High School Program of Studies for course descriptions and requirements for all CCPS students.

Students eligible to apply must meet the following qualifications:

Both the student and parent/guardian must be current residents of Charles County.
The student must be currently enrolled (SY 2023-24) as an 8th grader in a Charles County Public Schools middle school, private school, or is homeschooled.

Application

CCPS STUDENTS

Student completes the online application using their Office 365 account.
Student and Parent/Guardian electronically sign the application.
Student completes the Interest Survey, applicants will be contacted.

Application is closed

NON-CCPS STUDENTS

Student completes the online application with all required information.
Report cards for 6th and 7th grades will need to be uploaded to the application.
Student and Parent/Guardian electronically sign the application.
Student completes the Interest Survey, applicants will be contacted.

application is closed

Admission Decisions are made based on the following criteria:

40% Student interest expressed on Interest Survey
28% Academic performance in 6th and 7th grade as it relates to the program of choice
25% Application questions
7% Middle School Attendance - 6th and 7th grade

Selection Process

Once the application process is closed, a committee will meet to determine a qualifying score for each program. All students who meet the qualifying score will be considered a candidate for their first CTE program choice. If they are randomly selected for their 1st choice, they will not be placed in the lottery for their second choice. If they are not randomly selected for their second choice, they will be waitlisted in random order for both programs. Waitlisted students will be randomly ranked and offered a seat if it becomes available.

Acceptance Requirements

In February 2024, letters of acceptance will be mailed. The letter of acceptance will contain an acceptance/decline agreement. Within two weeks of receipt, the acceptance/decline agreement must be signed and returned with two proofs of legal Charles County residency. If the acceptance agreement is not received within two weeks, North Point High School will consider the acceptance as declined by the parent and the student.

Click here for acceptable proofs of residency/domicile

Frequently Asked Admission Questions

Frequently Asked Admission Questions

Who may attend one of the 16 CTE programs at North Point?
Students interested in one of North Point’s 16 CTE programs apply in 8th grade. Applicants and their parents must be residents of Charles County in order to apply. The applicant completes an online application. A Written Interest Survey will be administered to the applicant in January. Applicants will answer questions about their interest in their 1st choice program (and 2nd choice if applicable).
I am in tenth grade and want to attend one of the CTE programs at North Point. May I apply?
The application is done in 8th grade. All slots are filled from the applicants who apply in 8th grade and begin their high school careers and program course work at North Point in 9th grade.
I am in a program similar to one of the CTE programs in another school system and will be moving to Charles County. May I be included in North Point’s 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.
Are all students at North Point in a CTE program?
No. A student who is zoned for North Point will take a traditional high school curriculum. The other portion of the student body are students from all over Charles County, including those living in the zone, who applied to and where accepted into one of the 16 CTE programs.
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 16 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.
How many students are admitted each year to the CTE programs?
We admit approximately 300 incoming freshman students from across Charles County each year. Each of the 16 CTE programs has a size limit for safety and other reasons.
What is the process for application and admission?
The Application is online at the North Point website. The online application window opens October 23, 2023 @8:00 am and remains open until November 13, 2023 @ 3 p.m. The online application requires the following information:
- Current address and contact information for BOTH the student and parent/guardian
- Name of student’s current middle school
- 1st choice program (2nd choice is optional)
- STUDENT response to 3 preliminary interest questions (student responses only please)
- Electronic signatures confirming Charles County legal residency
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.
How do I submit an application?
All applications are submitted electronically. See North Point’s website.
Who can help me with the application?
Applicants should complete the application themselves, with parental supervision. Parents, please involve your students in this process.
May I apply for more than one program?
Applicants may list up to two 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.
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 student’s responses to the application questions AND the Interest Survey given at their middle schools in January (at NP if a Non-CCPS student). A student’s grades in subjects related to the program applied to help the Admissions Committee decide if a student will be successful in that program. For example, for the Criminal Justice program, we consider social studies, language arts and physical education grades from middle school, as those are the subjects related to the field of criminal justice.
When and where are applications available?
The CTE application can be found on North Point’s website under the CTE tab.
The electronic window for application submission: October 23, 2023 @8:00 a.m. - November 13, 2023 by 3:00 p.m.
What does it mean to be placed on the wait list?
The number of students we may take into our programs is limited to approximately 300. Any applicant not initially accepted but who meets the program’s standards is placed on a wait list for the program(s) for which they applied. If a student initially accepted to a problem declines their offer, then the Admissions Officer uses the wait list to fill that student’s spot.
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 only accept approximately 300 incoming freshmen.
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 that program has an opening. If a student wishes to not continue in the program for which she/he is attending North Point, she/he would need to return to their 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. Typically, the other Charles County High School students take 7 courses/credits.
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 CTE program. Parents therefore may have a high school student at North Point and one at another high school.
Why do some courses have a math prerequisite?
Our instructors have found that students with certain math backgrounds are successful in their CTE classes, while others without the math and thinking skills tend to struggle. Only Engineering requires students to be in Algebra 1 in their 8th grade year. All other programs require 8th grade Common Core math. However, students in the Academy of Health Professions, CyberSecurity, Drafting and Cisco Networking Academy should have a strong level of mathematical understanding.