Accelerate Admissions

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Accelerate Application Open | November 1, 2021
Accelerate Application Deadline | February 22, 2022
Math Admissions Test (Virtual): March 8, 2022, and March 10, 2022
Virtual Programs Applicant Interviews (Virtual): Saturday, March 19, 2022
Decisions Released: April 6, 2022
Decisions Response Deadline: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
*All dates are subject to change and applicants will receive notification of any changes

Application Prerequisites

To be eligible for admission to Accelerate, students must

• Be a current resident of the state of South Carolina. Proof of residency is required at the time of applying.
• Be enrolled in the 9th grade at the time of submitting an application.
• Attend high school in one of our partner districts or at one of the program’s partner schools.
• Have completed Algebra I prior to the beginning of 9th grade.
• Have completed or be on track to complete Algebra II by the end of 9th grade.
• Have a working email address, which they (or their parents) check frequently.*

*Because Accelerate primarily communicates with applicants via email, students must have an email address. We strongly recommend that you supply us with at least two email addresses, one for the student and a different one for the parent, so that we may contact you in a timely fashion. Please do not use a student’s school or district email address; these email providers often block emails from outside the school or district. Free email providers, such as Gmail or Yahoo, are good alternatives. Emails from GSSM will come from @governors.school, @gssm.k12.sc.us or from @scgssm.org.

Please note that the Virtual Programs applicant interviews (Virtual): Saturday, March 12, 2022, changed to Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Accelerate Applications Components

All applications must be submitted online. If you have difficulties or questions during the application process, please contact us at admissions@gssm.k12.sc.us.

Prior to submitting an application, students must collect, prepare, and compile certain documents. These documents include the following:

• Proof of South Carolina residency
• Acknowledgements and Permissions Form signed by the applicant and his or her parent(s)
• Standardized Test Optional: Official standardized test scores are optional. For more information on our test optional policy, please visit our test optional page.
• High-school transcript with first-semester grades and a list of second-semester courses
• School counselor evaluation
• Math teacher evaluation
• Science teacher evaluation
• English teacher evaluation
• Short Answer Essay- tell us about your passions and/or accomplishments.
• After Application Submission: Admissions will review all completed applications and invite qualified Accelerate Engineering applicants to take part in interviews (virtually via Zoom) and the Math Admissions Test (virtually via Zoom).
• Math Admissions Test (Virtual): Tuesday, March 8, 2022 and Thursday, March 10, 2022
• Virtual Programs Applicant Interviews (Virtual): Saturday, March 12, 2022 

Accelerate Math Assessment

Accelerate applicants will take part in a Math Assessment test as part of the application review process. The assessment will take approximately 45 mins with 30 questions that do not allow for use of a calculator or any electronic device. The questions are designed to measure a student’s understanding of Algebra I and Algebra II*. This is required for invited applicants only. This test is used only for admissions purposes. For students who are admitted to the school, another assessment will be given to determine final math placement.

*scoring will take into consideration a student’s status for having completed or currently being enrolled in Algebra II.

Virtual Program Information Meetings

A representative from the Virtual Program will be hosting information sessions in all partner school districts. We hope you can join us to learn more about this amazing opportunity! Dates, locations, and times are being added regularly.

Click here for dates!

Nondiscrimination Statement

The South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability in admission to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be made South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics, 401 Railroad Ave, Hartsville, SC 29550. For further information on federal nondiscrimination regulations, including Title IX, contact the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at OCR.DC@ed.gov or call (800) 421-3481.