Program Requirements

Academic Year Requirements

COMMUNICATION
We will be in touch with you throughout the year via newsletters, assignments, reminder cards, Blackboard messages, e-mail and phone calls. Our goal is to maintain regular contact with you during the academic year, but this can only be achieved if you also make an effort to maintain contact with us. We expect to have some form of communication from you at least once a month. This contact may be a phone call, e-mail, or a message sent to us through your Blackboard account. We want to know how you are doing academically and we also want to know if you are participating in extracurricular activities.

If you are having trouble academically get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can help you develop a plan to improve. Only students that regularly communicate with the RMSC during the academic year will be invited to return for the summer program.

ASSIGNMENTS
Throughout the Academic Year assignments will be mailed to you and posted on Blackboard. You should check Blackboard regularly to see if you have any assignments. You are REQUIRED to complete these assignments and return them to our office by the given due dates. If you fail to submit assignments or are routinely late with them, your commitment to this program and to your own academic success will be questioned and you will NOT be invited to return for the summer session.

GRADES
You are REQUIRED to:
1. maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
2. have NO "D or F" grades on your report cards

If you fail to maintain a GPA of 2.5 and/or have grades lower than a "C" on your report card you should contact our office immediately so that we can discuss a strategy for improving your grades. If you fail to meet the above requirements and do not contact our office to let us know what is going on you severely jeopardize your chances of being invited to return for the summer session.

MATH & SCIENCE CLASSES
You are REQUIRED to take at least one math and one science class each year. By the time you graduate from high school, it is expected that you will have taken all of the following courses:

Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trig and/or Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

Research has shown that those students taking at least one math class beyond the Algebra II level are more likely to attend a four-year college and earn a bachelor's degree than those who do not. Research also indicates that a challenging high school curriculum and course load leads to a more successful college career. These are the reasons we have such high expectations for you!

STANDARDIZED TESTS (SAT, ACT, PSAT, and AP Exams)
You are REQUIRED to take the following standardized tests and send your scores to the RMSC:

PSAT in October of your junior year (taking this test as a junior puts you in the running for the National Merit Scholarship (NMS) program- your sophomore and senior year scores on this test DO NOT count towards this honor).

ACT at least once during your junior or senior year. We recommend that you take this test for the first time no later than October of your senior year so that colleges will have this information when you apply.

SAT at least once during your junior or senior year. We recommend that you take this test for the first time during the spring of your junior year and retake the test in the fall of your senior year if needed.

Remember, we can provide fee waivers for these tests. Call the office when you are registering so we can provide you with a waiver or pay the registration fee directly to the school if you are not eligible for a waiver. We cannot reimburse you.

AP Exams
If you plan to take an AP Exam please contact our office before you pay for the test. If you are carrying at least a B average in the class, we can pay for these exams, but we must pay the schools directly. We cannot reimburse you.