Placement Offers

If a student is offered Placement in one or more programs, they must click "Accept" to finalize this offer and be scheduled. Until they click "Accept," the Tech Center program will not be added to their class schedule. Students may only accept up to one Placement offer at a time. If a student does not respond to their offer of Placement within two weeks of its being posted, the offer may be revoked so that another student may take advantage of the opportunity to attend the Tech Center.

Waiting List Offers

If a student is offered the Waiting List for a given program, they can click "Accept" to confirm their continued interest in that program. Clicking "Accept" for a waiting list offer does not mean the student is "accepted" to the program. The student is waiting for a seat to become available due to another student declining an offer of Placement in the program. Students are welcome to accept two waiting list offers. They may also accept a waiting list offer in addition to one Placement offer, if they are still hoping to be placed in the "waiting list" program.

Waiting List Process

Due to the complex factors that drive the waiting list process, our staff is unable to provide a student's specific location on a waiting list (ie, 1st, 2nd, 10th, last), nor can we provide an estimate of when a seat may become available. However, we will continue to offer seats to students on waiting lists as those vacancies open up throughout the spring, the summer, and the first week of the school year. "Waiting list" students will receive another automated email if/when they receive an offer of Placement.

Late Applications

Any student who did not apply during the priority application window (by December 1st, 2023) will have the opportunity to submit a late application on or after February 26th, 2024. They will be considered for any remaining open seats or for the waiting list for the program(s) they choose. Students who applied during the priority window should not apply again. Students applying on or after February 26th, 2024 can expect to receive an initial admissions decision within about three weeks of submitting their application.

Application Assistance

We are happy to help with any questions or to make modifications to an application such as contact information or choice of program. Call either campus or email caroline_leone@ccpsnet.net or courtney_merridew@ccpsnet.net for assistance.

Please read below for helpful information about the application process, including logging in to the application system.

Students currently enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools:
It is best to use your CCPS Chromebook, logged in to your CCPS Google account, with no personal Google accounts logged in. Navigate to www.ccpsopportunities.com and look for the green “Login with Google” button on the left-hand side. You will log in using your normal Chesterfield ID and password.

You will be asked to confirm your full name and date of birth. It is important to use the exact spelling of your name as it is recorded in Synergy. For example, if you have two last names in Synergy (eg: “Burke-Smith” or “Rodriguez Melendez”), be sure to include both of them and use a hyphen if appropriate.

Students NOT currently enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools:
This would include Chesterfield County high school aged students who are homeschooled or currently in private school. Navigate to www.ccpsopportunities.com and look for the box on the right-hand side titled, “First time using SchoolMint…” Complete these fields to create an account.

Non-CCPS students must either upload a transcript to the application when prompted, or it can be emailed to courtney_merridew@ccpsnet.net. Your application can not be considered for admission until we have received your application via email or upload.

All students:
If you are unable to log in to the application, please contact caroline_leone@ccpsnet.net or courtney_merridew@ccpsnet.net to help troubleshoot the login problems. Please include screenshots if possible.

It is important to check that a valid email address is used on your application. The email address on your application is the only way that we will contact you, including sending your admissions results, so ensure that it is one you are checking regularly. 

Essays:
Be sure to carefully read the essay prompts. Essays are scored and the results comprise the majority of your overall application score. For the best score, make sure your response answers the prompt, is as detailed as possible, and meets the length requirements. Write your responses in English or whichever language is most comfortable for you to express yourself. Spelling and grammar are not scored, however, responses in complete sentences are preferred for ease of reading.

The first essay question is "What are your educational and/or career goals after high school? (100-250 words)." You will answer this once. The second question is, "Tell us how and why you became interested in this program. (100-250 words)." You will need to answer this once for each program you select.

General Information:
You may indicate interest in up to two programs of interest. You will be considered for each program independently of the other and may receive multiple placement offers and/or waiting list offers, but ultimately you will be able to attend only one program per year. The Tech Center only serves high school students, so if you will graduate after completing the first year of a two-year program, you will not be able to continue for the second year of the program. Rising seniors are eligible to apply for two-year programs, but are encouraged to consider one-year options as well.

Admissions Criteria:
Applications are scored based on the student's high school GPA (40% of overall score) and essay responses (60% of overall score), and admissions offers are made based on this score as well as representation across the sending high schools and homeschoolers. Very few programs have specific prerequisites: Advanced Biotechnology has a prerequisite of Biology 1; Precision Machining Technology requires a high school GPA of at least 2.0. Attendance, discipline, special education or English learner status, and teacher recommendations are not considered for admissions purposes.