Current eighth-grade students who live in the following eastern North Carolina counties are eligible to apply: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, and Washington.

No, because the program experiences are very similar at both locations and funding at ECSU is earmarked for students from those counties.

Yes, you would still be able to attend Step Up to STEM at ECSU as a Cohort 2 student. Cohort 2 students are only eligible to attend the campus location they attended as Cohort 1 students. 

Current eighth grade students who live in the following North Carolina counties: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.

No, because the program experiences are very similar at all locations and funding at ECSU and UNC Pembroke is earmarked for students from those counties.

Yes, you would still be able to attend Step Up to STEM at NCSSM-Durham as a Cohort 2 student. Cohort 2 students are only eligible to attend the campus location they attended as Cohort 1 students. 

Current eighth grade students who live in the following North Carolina counties: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne, and Wilson.

No, because the program experiences are very similar at all locations and funding at UNC Pembroke is earmarked for students from those counties.

Yes, you would still be able to attend Step Up to STEM at UNC Pembroke as a Cohort 2 student. Cohort 2 students are only eligible to attend the campus location they attended as Cohort 1 students. 

Accepted students do not pay anything to attend. The program’s costs of about $1,500.00 per student are covered by funding from the Anonymous Trust, the Barber Fund, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Student SSEP grant, the Hg Foundation, and an anonymous donor.

No, you are not eligible to apply to Step Up to STEM. Students must currently be in the eighth grade to be eligible to apply to the program. Students must have participated during the first summer (as rising 9th graders) to be eligible to participate in all remaining parts of the program.

Yes, you can still be accepted into the program. Most eighth-graders have not had the opportunity to do research. The best candidates for Step Up to STEM are students excited by the opportunity to participate in research and labs.

To help determine whether this program aligns with your student’s educational needs, please consider the following:

• Program Scope and Target Audience: Step Up to STEM provides an introductory, foundational experience. It is ideally suited for students eager to explore core STEM concepts, collaborate on projects, and build confidence in an encouraging and supportive environment.
• Prior Experience: The curriculum is paced for fundamental skill development and interactive exploration. Students who are already extensively involved in advanced STEM coursework, competitive academic teams, or specialized summer enrichment will find the material redundant or insufficiently challenging. We strongly encourage these families to explore higher-level enrichment options that better match their student’s experience level.
• Program Alignment and NCSSM Admissions: Step Up to STEM offers introductory STEM exposure to students across North Carolina. It does not serve as a pipeline, prerequisite, or guarantee for future enrollment at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). While participation in the program reflects a student’s interest in STEM, it does not provide a competitive advantage in future NCSSM admissions decisions. For details on standard entry into the school, please visit the NCSSM Admissions Page. 

The Step Up to STEM application portal is open from early December to early February of each year. In order to access the application portal, click on the green “APPLY HERE” button that can be found at the top of each page of the Step Up to STEM website. Please note that outside of the application season, the “APPLY HERE” button will not appear on any of the pages of the Step Up to STEM website.

Admissions decisions are based on academic performance, teacher and counselor recommendations, and responses to the application essay questions.

Yes. When completing the online application, students will enter the contact information for their recommenders. Recommenders will automatically receive a link to submit their form directly.

Program guidelines require the official recommendation form to be submitted by your child’s school counselor if the school has one. If the counselor has not worked closely with your student yet, we recommend the following:

• Connect early: Reach out to the counselor as soon as possible to express interest in Step Up to STEM and share your child’s key achievements, interests, and academic strengths.
• Provide additional input: Ask a teacher, administrator, or school staff member who knows your child well to share their feedback directly with the counselor to assist them in completing the form.

Teacher Recommendation

The recommendation should be completed by an academic instructor who can evaluate your child’s subject-matter abilities:

• External Academic Source (Preferred): Teachers from online academies, homeschool co-op instructors, private tutors, or extracurricular STEM program/lab leaders.
• Parent-As-Teacher: If your child’s education is entirely parent-led without outside instructors, the parent who serves as the primary instructor for STEM subjects may complete the form.

Guidance Counselor Recommendation

The recommendation should be completed by the main administrator of your child’s homeschool program:

• Co-Op, Umbrella School, or Online Academy: The assigned counselor, director, or academic advisor from your program.
• Parent-Led Homeschool: The parent who handles administrative tasks and keeps official academic records for your child.

Note for Parent-Led Homeschools: If a parent serves as both the primary teacher and the homeschool administrator, that parent may complete both forms. Please fill out each form from its distinct perspective- evaluating academic skills in the Teacher Recommendation and administrative/program details in the Guidance Counselor Recommendation.

Within the application system, once you submit your recommender’s name and email address, the application system automatically sends an email to your recommenders requesting them to complete a recommendation on your behalf. Please be sure to spell the recommenders’ email addresses correctly as recommenders will not receive the automated messages if the email addresses are misspelled.

• Once you submit the names and email addresses of your recommenders, you will see the words “Requested” followed by the date that you submitted this information. 
• When a recommender submits a recommendation on your behalf, within the system, you will see the following: a green circle (with a white check mark inside), followed by the words “Received” and the date the recommendation was received in the system.
• Notes:
  • If you see the words “Accepted” followed by a date, this means that your recommender has agreed to fill out a recommendation on your behalf but the recommendation has not been submitted in the system yet.
  • If you see the words “Request declined” followed by a date, this means that your recommender has decided not to fill out a recommendation on your behalf and you would need to enter another person’s name and email address to submit a recommendation on your behalf. 

Yes, multiple applicants in the same household can apply using the same account/login. Once logged in, you can create and manage a separate application profile for each student. Click here for step-by-step instructions on submitting multiple applications.

• Step 1: Go to the homepage of the site you’re trying to access.
• Step 2: Click “Log In”.
• Step 3: Underneath the Email/Password fields, click “Forgot your password?”.
• Step 4: Enter the email address that you use to login to the site.
• Step 5: Click “Send Instructions”.
• Step 6: You will be sent instructions to the email you entered to reset your password. If you aren’t able to locate the email in your inbox, we recommend checking your Spam/Junk folder.
• Step 7: Click on the link within the email.
• Step 8: Enter a new password and confirm the password.
• Step 9: Click “Reset Password.”

Please note that only one file can be uploaded to the recommendation form. If you have multiple documents, please merge into one file before uploading to the recommendation form. If there are difficulties with attaching a file, there are a few potential reasons this may occur:

• The file is not in an available format- Please check to ensure that the file type you are trying to attach is one of the accepted formats in the site.
• The file is encrypted- SurveyMonkey Apply will not accept encrypted files. In order to attach your file, it will need to be unencrypted.
• The file is corrupted- It is possible that the file you are trying to attach is a corrupted file. In order to resolve the issue, re-save the file to a new folder on your computer and attempt to attach the file again.
• A task related issue- Depending on the issue, it is also possible that the error is related to another setting on the task. For example, you are unable to edit the task.

No, you cannot switch site locations once accepted. Because Step Up to STEM operates with specific cohort sizes and class capacities at each site, admission offers are non-transferrable between locations. 

No, selection decisions are final and cannot be appealed. Because we receive more applications than we have available spaces, we are unfortunately unable to admit every candidate. We recognize the significant effort that goes into submitting an application, and we want to emphasize that a non-acceptance decision in no way reflects a student’s talents, hard work, or potential- it is simply a reflection of our limited capacity.

Only current eighth-graders can apply to the program. Students must have participated during the first summer (as rising 9th graders) to be eligible to participate in all remaining parts of the program.

No, the Step Up to STEM staff does not go over applications with or provide feedback on applications to students or families as the Step Up to STEM staff is not involved in the application review process.

Students can also apply to Summer Accelerator, which offers programs at NCSSM-Durham, NCSSM-Morganton, and virtually. Although Summer Accelerator courses charge tuition, financial aid and scholarships are available.

Detailed check-in and check-out times, along with specific campus location details, will be emailed to accepted students and families prior to the start of the summer program.

Families are responsible for providing or arranging transportation for their student to and from campus for drop-off and pick up.

A detailed packing list will be emailed to accepted students and families prior to the start of the summer program.

Yes, families are invited to attend a closing ceremony on the final day of the program, where students present their academic accomplishments before checking out. Specific event times and details are shared with accepted students prior to the start of the program.

Each class will have approximately 16 students.

Although participants are welcome to bring their own laptops, please note that each participant will be issued a loaner laptop at check-in for academic purposes. Loaner laptops must be returned before participants check out of the program.

Yes, all participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Yes, students will be able to use the program on college applications and on an application to NCSSM.

Step Up to STEM offers introductory STEM exposure to students across North Carolina. It does not serve as a pipeline, prerequisite, or guarantee for future enrollment at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM). While participation in the program reflects a student’s interest in STEM, it does not provide a competitive advantage in future NCSSM admissions decisions. For details on standard entry into the school, please visit the NCSSM Admissions Page.

Adult resident advisors and counselors live on each male and female hall. They are actively involved with the students throughout the program.

All participants are required to live on campus during the one-week residential program. The schedule for Step Up to STEM includes daytime and evening activities.

Two students share each dorm room.

Students must be in their dorms by 9:30 p.m. for a hall meeting. The in-room curfew is 10:00 p.m., and lights-out in the dorm is 11:00 p.m.

Student safety is our top priority. Residence halls require secure keycard access, and adult resident advisors and staff live on each hall to provide 24/7 supervision. Campus security personnel are also on duty around the clock. 

Participants dine cost-free at the school dining hall. Special dietary needs can be accommodated and must be communicated in the parent comments form, which will be distributed to families shortly after accepting the invitation to attend the program.

Students may not use cell phones when they are in class or participating in organized programs and activities.

Because our schedule is packed with activities designed to build community, parent visits are restricted. Visits are only permitted during afternoon and evening enrichment periods and require at least 3 hours of advance notice. Students and family members may call or text one another during designated personal time outside of class and scheduled activities.

All meals, housing, and instructional materials are fully covered at zero cost to families. Students do not need spending money, though they may bring a small amount if they wish to purchase snacks or souvenirs.

No. Students are required to remain on campus, with staff supervision, for the entire duration of the one-week program.

All participants are expected to follow the Step Up to STEM Code of Conduct, which prioritizes safety, respect, and active community participation. Minor behavioral issues are handled directly by residential staff, but serious policy violations may result in early dismissal from the program without exception.

Yes. While all program materials and loaner laptops are provided at zero cost, families are responsible for the replacement fee if a student loses their dorm key card/fob or damages loaner equipment (such as laptops) during their stay.

All prescription medications must be turned in to staff during check-in, in their original containers with prescription labels intact. Program staff store and manage medication administration throughout the week, and all remaining medications are returned to families at check-out. 

Trained adult staff are on campus 24/7 to provide basic first aid. In the event of an illness or medical issue, staff will contact parents or guardians immediately. If necessary, students will be taken to a local urgent care or hospital facility.

We strive to create a supportive environment for all participants. If your child requires academic accommodations, physical accessibility support, or learning adjustments, please outline these needs in the parent comments form that will be distributed to families shortly after accepting the invitation to attend the program.