Frequently Asked Questions about the application process:

• What is the process to apply for an SMCPS academy?

  • For the 24-25 School Year, students interested in applying for AVPA, GIS, or STEM academy programs will complete the online application during the April 2 - 30 application window.  Students interested in becoming a part of the Academy of Finance should speak with their 8th-grade counselor about registering for the correct coursework.

• How do I apply? Where do I find an application?

  • Applications can be found on the academies page of the SMCPS website.

• What if I am not currently enrolled in SMCPS?

  • You do not need to be enrolled in SMCPS to apply for an academy program.  Non-SMCPS students should complete the online application and submit teacher input.  Applicants not enrolled in SMCPS for the entire 23-24 school year will be required to complete the assessments utilized on each academy score matrix. After the application period closes, non-SMCPS applicants will be emailed information regarding assessment dates and locations. Please note that additional data may also be requested and you may be asked to submit additional information in the form of official transcripts, nationally-normed assessments, and samples of student work.  

• What about teacher recommendations?

  • Most applicants will need one teacher to complete a "Teacher Input Form".  This is not a recommendation; it is a glimpse into the applicant as a student. Teacher input is different from a recommendation in that teachers are simply commenting on a student's skills in their current courses and not making a prediction regarding a student's future skills or abilities. Current STEM 8 students will not need a teacher to complete the input form in order to apply for STEM 9. However, STEM 8 students wishing to apply for AVPA or GIS will need to request that the appropriate teacher complete the input form. 

• Is there a length requirement for the personal essay?

  • The goal of the personal essay is to both provide the application review committee with more information about you and also provide a glimpse of your writing ability. The essay should only be a few paragraphs in length, and it should focus on your reasons for wanting to be a part of the academy to which you are applying.  Each academy requires its own essay; therefore, students applying to more than one academy program will need to write more than one essay. 

• Which programs have assessments?

  • GIS and STEM utilize assessments as a part of the matrices that determine student eligibility for the programs. The majority of the assessments needed to populate each academy's matrix have already been given to students as a part of their regular school experience. This year, only STEM 7, and STEM 8 will require an additional assessment beyond what has already been given. Students new to SMCPS during the 23 -24 school year and students not currently enrolled will need to sit for assessments.

• Who needs to take an assessment? 

  • All applicants not currently enrolled in an SMCPS school will need to sit for assessments. Applicants who enrolled in an SMCPS school after the start of the 23-24 school year may need to sit for assessments. All students applying for STEM 7 and STEM 8 will need to sit for a science assessment. These assessments will be given by appointment after the application has been submitted. SMCPS students will complete the assessment at their home schools. Non-SMCPS applicants will complete these assessments at SMCPS central administrative offices in Leonardtown. Applicants will receive information regarding their assessment date and time once they submit their application.

• So AVPA does not have required assessments?

  • Students applying for AVPA will need to submit either an audition or a portfolio and sit for an interview with AVPA staff.  Once your application is submitted, you will receive an email containing links to audition/portfolio materials and an email with additional information about interview dates and times. Interviews and auditions will take place at Chopticon High School by appointment in early May.

• What about the lottery?

  • Both the GIS and STEM programs utilize a scoring matrix to rate the potential for success in each academy program.  All applicants who meet or exceed the threshold score on the matrix will be entered into a lottery for available seats in the program. AVPA and AoF do not hold lotteries.  

• Do students need to apply each year to stay in the program?

  • High school students do not need to reapply each year in order to remain in academy programs. Middle school students in STEM will not need to reapply to remain in middle school STEM; however, these students will need to apply for high school STEM or another high school academy.

• How will I know if I am accepted?

  • All applicants will be sent notification of their application status on or before COB on May 24, 2024. Students not offered a spot in an academy may be held in the lottery pool for the August lottery. It is possible that additional spots in each academy will come open throughout the summer; these open spots will be filled with students from the waitlists. 

• What happens if I am accepted?

  • If you are accepted into an academy program, you will be given until June 3, 2024 to confirm your spot. Failure to confirm your place by this date will forfeit your placement in that academy program. Once you have confirmed your placement in an academy program,  SMCPS staff will facilitate a records transfer from your home school to the school housing your academy program, if necessary.  

• What about students currently in STEM 8?

  • SMCPS has decided to permit students currently in STEM 8 to move on to the next grade level of STEM. This is an exemption to the previously established process where all students moving school buildings were required to go through the general application process. Current STEM 8 students who wish to continue in their STEM journey MUST APPLY to signal their desire to continue in STEM. These students do not need a teacher recommendation/input form in order to continue in the STEM academy, but they will need to complete a teacher input form if they apply for GIS or AVPA. Current STEM 8 students applying for GIS will need to sit for that academy's required assessment.