Reply to Is NCSSM better than TJHSST?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "Is NCSSM better than TJHSST?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]I grew up in NC and know people who went to NCSSM. I’d don’t think “better” applies, because they are very different models.

TJ is an 8-5 high school you attend for 4 years while you live at home, a commutable distance from TJ.  It serves a largely UMC, highly educated area.

NCSSM is a boarding school that starts junior year and draws from across a state with wide income and resource disparities. It’s the only way kids in some rural areas can access decent STEM.

I was a STEM nerd and would have love to attend TJ. But I did not app,Y to NCSSM because I wasn’t readY for what is, essentially, a college environment without living at home or day to day family contact at age 15. One of my kids is a STEM nerd and did attend TJ.

There are pros and cons to the model.  NCSSM serves the whole state and doesn’t require MS aged kids to decide whether to devote their lives to STEM.  But, you do have to leave home two years early, and many kids who could benefit can’t or don’t want to. My TJ kid has ADHD apart from us wanting him at home, he didn’t have the executive functioning skills to succeed academically— let alone in every other facet of life.

Another con to NCSSM is that junior year may be to late to really help the kids who need it most. Sure Research triangle and Charlotte have some great high schools. But, poor rural school districts in NC may have very watered down honors, GT, etc., (if they have them at all), no AP classes or AP classes no one passes (my HS had AP English lit and Calc only. 6-8 kids per class. I was the only one my year to pass either). 11 years of poorly taught, watered down classes creates a STEM deficit can’t be overcome in two years, no matter how talented the kid.

TJ and Maggie Walker are the biggies. BuT every region of VA has a Governor’s school. Personally, I prefer that model to 2 Years of boarding school. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics