School Fit
Decide which Poolesville program fits your student
Look past selectivity to what each program asks of your student, the workload and the daily trip.
Checked against Poolesville's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
School fit
Which Poolesville program fits?
- The programs
- Poolesville is the Northern Region site for four Center programs from 2027-28: Science, Math, and Computer Science (SMCS) and Humanities, which are criteria-based, and Engineering and Global Ecology and Leadership, which are interest-based. All are four-year programs.
- SMCS core experiences
- MCPS lists these core SMCS experiences: an interdisciplinary STEM experience, presenting original research findings, internships, earning college credit, connecting with professionals and university faculty, and national and international STEM competitions.
- SMCS course load
- SMCS students take eight classes each semester for all four years of high school. The extra class period is added at the end of the school day, and students may still participate in athletics.
- SMCS requirements
- To stay in SMCS and earn the certificate, students complete 4 math credits (through at least Magnet Analysis 1, plus Applied Statistics), 4 science credits (Physics, Chemistry, Earth Space Systems and Biology), 2 computer science credits, 1.5 engineering credits, and 4.5 credits of advanced STEM electives. A senior research project is optional but highly recommended.
- SMCS internship
- SMCS students complete an internship in the summer between Grades 11 and 12, and some internships continue through Grade 12. Internships can be with universities and research labs.
- Humanities
- MCPS lists these core Humanities experiences: creative, hands-on projects every year that connect history, literature, art and culture; college-grade research presented to an audience; the Humanities Program Certificate and an AP Capstone Project; and field trip experiences.
- Engineering
- MCPS lists these core Engineering experiences: designing, building and presenting working prototypes; earning college credit; teaming up with university professors, research organizations and working engineers; entering STEM competitions; and earning Autodesk Certified User credentials in AutoCAD, Revit or Fusion 360.
- Global Ecology and Leadership
- MCPS lists these core Global Ecology and Leadership experiences: interdisciplinary learning in social studies and science, exploring the human impact on the planet and sustainability, regular hands-on field study, and service-learning that builds advocacy and leadership.
- Seats
- MCPS projects roughly 60 out-of-area seats per year each for Science, Math and Computer Science, Humanities and Global Ecology, and 30 for Engineering, to start. These are preliminary numbers and may differ by school. A student who applies to a Center at their home high school does not use an out-of-area seat.
- Transportation
- MCPS says central stop transportation will be available for Center programs. Families get to the central stop themselves, and route details come in summer 2027. Activity bus information is expected in spring 2027.
- 01
Compare each program’s core experiences with what your student enjoys doing, then rank in the order your student actually prefers.
- 02
If SMCS is on the list, talk through eight classes a semester and the longer day with your student.
- 03
Check the Poolesville High School website for showcase or tour dates.