Maine School of Science and Mathematics
The Maine School of Science and Mathematics is a Magnet school in Limestone, Maine, or as students have said, "The frigid North." Students from all over the state of Maine as well as some from other states and countries are enrolled in MSSM. Students at MSSM are offered a variety of courses that would not be offered at the schools in which they were previously enrolled.
Application
In order to apply to the MSSM students must complete: a) an application b) a few essays c) the SAT or PSAT, and d) an interview. Applicants generally come from Maine but do not always. Students from Maine are required to pay only for room and board (between $4000 and $5000 per year as of 2006-2007), whereas students from outside of the state of Maine are required to pay tuition as well as room and board (between $18,000 and $22,000 per year as of 2006-2007).
Courses
Courses at MSSM include topics ranging from sociology to mystery literature, though the real focuses are, of course, math and science. Several courses offered are Advanced Placement. Foreign language courses are also offered and include Spanish, French, Latin, and Mandarin Chinese. Courses are taught all day long, as opposed to being just in the morning and early afternoon like most high schools, and the schedule of the school also mimics that of most colleges.
Math courses at MSSM include Advanced Math, Precalculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Differential Equations and recently, Real Analysis. Science courses include Physics, Chemistry and Biology - all of which have honor's and advanced placement levels - as well as Astronomy, Anatomy and Physiology and Psychology.
Although not all courses at MSSM are Advanced Placement courses, students can request an AP test for any subject they feel they are able to test out of. In the past, students have tested out of up to two years of college courses in a given subject.
Teachers
Teachers at MSSM are usually educated well enough to work in colleges. Also not all teachers at the MSSM work full-time; for example, one course may meet only once a week, and the teacher of that course may have another job outside of MSSM. When asked what he thought of the teachers at MSSM one student replied, simply, "They're good."
J-Terms
Another charicteristic of MSSM unlike other high schools is the "J-Term", which is short for "January term." In J-Terms students are able to engage in several academic activities, such as internships, trips, and classes. In the 2006-2007 school year, one offering is a trip to Sri Lanka.
Until the current school year (2006-2007), MSSM offered a "May-Term" instead of a "J-Term." It took place at the end of May, after the end of the second semester and before graduation. These courses are requirements for graduation from MSSM - all students must complete one per year of attendance. Past trip locations have included the Galapagos Islands, Ireland and Costa Rica.