School Fit
Decide whether a residential STEM school fits your student
Look past selectivity to the daily life of a two-year residential school.
Checked against SCGSSM's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
School fit
Is SCGSSM a fit?
- The school
- GSSM was founded in 1988 under Governor Carroll Campbell. It is a two-year residential program with 50+ STEM classes and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio.
- Academics
- GSSM lists 50+ advanced STEM and humanities courses taught by subject experts, 90% of whom hold a doctorate.
- Research
- Every student completes a mentored research and inquiry experience. It is a graduation requirement.
- Summer research
- The mentored summer research experience runs six weeks, and students present at the Annual Research Colloquium.
- January study
- In January students study one course intensely for roughly two and a half weeks.
- Graduation rules
- Students take at least five courses each semester, need a C or better in each, and earn five GSSM credits in each of junior and senior year.
- Grade floor
- A student who earns a D or lower in any course must return to their home high school.
- 01
Ask your student whether they want to leave home for two years, and let them answer honestly.
- 02
Attend a Preview Day or Shadow Day and ask what a typical week looks like.
Residential life
Life on campus.
SCGSSM is a residential program. These are the details the school publishes.
- Residence halls
- Students live in two residence halls: Denny W. Neilson and James D. Daniels. Each floor is a House.
- Rooms
- Two students share a room, and four students share a suite with a joint bathroom.
- Roommates
- Roommates are paired by preference or by a roommate survey completed at new student orientation.
- Tuition and application fee
- There is no application fee and no tuition.
- Meal fee
- The student meal fee is $3,528 per student per year for 2026-2027. It can change each year.
- Security deposit
- There is a one-time, non-refundable security deposit of $100.
- Paying the fees
- Fees may be paid in full or in monthly installments, with the first payment due the first week of August.
- Financial aid
- Admissions are need-blind, and no admitted student is denied entry because they cannot pay the meal fee. Aid uses National School Lunch Program guidelines.
- When aid is explained
- Families get financial aid information and fee payment instructions at New Student Orientation in May.
- 01
Talk through shared rooms and life away from home with your student before applying.
- 02
Ask the admissions team how aid works for your family before you decide the meal fee rules out the school.