Eligibility Requirements
Students must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply:
- Must live within the state of North Carolina
- Must be a current 10th or 11th grader (Note: Students will participate in the program in the summer as rising 11th or 12th graders).
- Students may apply to INSPIRE, as well as to Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics, the NCSSM-Durham residential program, the NCSSM-Morganton residential program, and the NCSSM-online program. However, if a student is selected to attend INSPIRE and is also selected to attend one of the other above-listed programs, the student must choose which program he/she wants to attend (i.e. the student cannot attend more than one program).
- A student who is on the waitlist for the NCSSM-Durham residential program, the NCSSM-Morganton residential program or the NCSSM-online program but is later accepted may attend INSPIRE.
- A student who participates in INSPIRE or Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics as a rising 11th grader may not attend INSPIRE as a rising 12th grader.
Application Process
For Summer 2027, the online application will be open from January 6, 2027 to March 4, 2027. All application components are due by this deadline. The entire application does not have to be completed in one session (it is possible to return at a later time, before the application deadline, to complete it). In preparation to complete the application process, students are advised to review the process and prepare responses for the information the application requires.
Application Components
Click here to access the application checklist.
Online Application
- Part 1: Parent/Guardian Information (A parent/guardian must fill out the requested information and agree to the terms and conditions.)
- Part 2: Student Application Questions/Short Answer and Essay Questions (Students must fill out the requested information, and complete short answer and essay questions.)
Counselor/Teacher Recommendations and Academic Records
Applicants must ask a guidance counselor to complete the counselor recommendation form, a teacher to complete the teacher recommendation form, and their school to send in their academic records.
Counselor Recommendations
The applicant must give his/her guidance counselor the instructions for the counselor to complete the online recommendation.
Teacher Recommendations
The applicant must select a high school STEM teacher who has taught or is currently teaching him/her to provide a recommendation. The applicant must give the teacher the instructions for the teacher to complete the online recommendation.
Academic Records
The counselor (or registrar) will also need to send a copy of the applicant’s academic records to the INSPIRE Program. The applicant’s academic records must include each semester’s grades, beginning with the applicant’s 9th grade year through the Fall 2026 semester and cumulative GPA (weighted and unweighted). Official school transcripts should be submitted by March 4, 2027 (5:00 pm ET) in one of the following ways:
- Uploading to the application system.
- Emailing to inspire@ncssm.edu.
- Requesting a transcript transfer via Parchment (Scribbles).
Selection Process
After the application deadline, all completed applications will be reviewed by a committee. Academic records, teacher and counselor recommendations, and the students’ responses to application questions are considered when selecting program participants.
For Summer 2027, acceptance notifications will be emailed on April 5, 2027. Please note that all decisions are final and cannot be appealed. Because we receive more applications than we have available spaces, we unfortunately cannot accept every candidate. We recognize how much effort goes into applying, and we want to emphasize that a non-acceptance in no way reflects a student’s talents, hard work, or potential- it is simply a reflection of our limited capacity. Additionally, because the INSPIRE staff is not involved in the review process, we are unable to provide individual application feedback to students or families.
Key Dates for Summer 2027:
- January 6, 2027: Application portal opens
- February 4, 2027: INSPIRE Virtual Information Session
- March 4, 2027: Application portal closes
- April 5, 2027: Acceptance decisions emailed
- April 9, 2027: Deadline for acceptance contracts to be submitted
- June 20-25, 2027: INSPIRE at NCSSM-Morganton
INSPIRE Virtual Information Session:
The INSPIRE Virtual Information Session is a free event, providing an overview of the program. The event will take place on February 4, 2027 at 7:00 pm. Click here to register to attend. (Note: Registration will close on February 3, 2027 at 5:00 pm ET).
