Admissions Timelines and Logistics

Module 1.3: Admissions Timelines and Logistics

Understanding the admissions timeline is just as important as understanding the programs themselves. Miss a deadline, forget a prerequisite, or log into the wrong portal, and it doesn't matter how prepared your student is. This guide walks you through every logistical detail so nothing catches you off guard.

The Academies of Loudoun run two separate admissions cycles each year --- a Fall cycle and a Winter cycle. They serve different groups of students, have different timelines, and in some cases use different evaluation criteria.

The Fall Admissions Cycle (8th Graders Only)

The Fall Admissions Cycle is for current 8th graders applying to enter AOS and/or AET as 9th graders the following school year. This is the main admissions cycle --- the one most families think of when they think about getting into the Academies.

Application Window

The admissions portal typically opens in mid-to-late October. Based on recent cycles, the portal has opened around the second or third week of October. Families are advised to submit their applications early in the window rather than waiting until the last minute --- technical issues can and do happen with online portals.

The application itself is submitted through LCPS GO (more on how to access that below). Your student will need to complete the online application before they can be scheduled for testing.

Testing Dates

Testing sessions are held in late October through mid-November. In the most recent cycles, LCPS has offered three testing sessions --- for example, October 26, November 9, and November 16 in the 2024-2025 cycle. Students register online for one session only --- you pick one date, and that's your date.

Two assessments are administered during the testing session:

• STEM Thinking Skills Assessment --- A 50-minute, 33-question standardized test created by Insight Assessment, scored on a 260-300 scale, administered via a secure online platform on LCPS-provided laptops. This measures critical reasoning ability, out-of-the-box algebra skills, spatial relational thinking, tech logic, and scientific thinking. This is not a test of how much science your student has memorized --- it's a test of how they think.

• Writing Assessment --- A strict 45-minute writing task evaluated against the ACL Writing Rubric. Students write about topics related to math, science, or current social/environmental events. The goal is to assess whether your student can convey logical analysis in an organized, comprehensible way.

Both assessments happen on the same day, during the same testing session.

What Gets Evaluated

Remember --- AOS and AET use blind admissions. The evaluators see three things and only three things:

1. STEM Thinking Skills Assessment score

2. Writing Assessment score

3. Academic record (grades and math course enrollment)

No teacher recommendations. No extracurricular lists. No personal essays. No outside materials of any kind. The admissions office will not accept supplemental materials even if you try to submit them.

Results Timeline

An Initial Wave of admissions offers goes out in February/March --- typically before spring break. This means there's roughly a three-to-four-month gap between testing (October/November) and results (February/March). That's a long wait, and it's completely normal.

Results come in three categories: admitted, waitlisted, or denied.

After Results: Accepting, Declining, and Waitlist Management

Admitted students must formally accept or decline their offer through the admissions portal. Don't sit on an offer --- there are waitlisted students hoping a spot opens up, and delayed responses slow down the process for everyone.

If your student is waitlisted, here's how it works:

• After the Initial Wave, a Rolling Waitlist becomes active and remains open through the first week of August. Waitlisted applicants are notified as seats become available --- when an admitted student declines their offer, the next student on the waitlist gets contacted.

• Some families don't hear anything until well into the summer.

• There's no way to "improve" your waitlist position after the fact. The evaluation is complete --- it's just a matter of whether spots open up.

• If your student is waitlisted at both AOS and AET (because they applied to both), the waitlists operate independently.

The Winter Admissions Cycle (High School Students Only)

The Winter Admissions Cycle serves a completely different audience: current high school students applying to Advanced AET and MATA. If your student is in 8th grade, this cycle doesn't apply to them.

Advanced AET

Advanced AET is for current 10th graders who want to enter AET as juniors. The Winter cycle typically opens around late November.

The evaluation criteria for Advanced AET are different from the Fall cycle:

• PSAT (NMSQT) score --- This is the primary standardized test. Students must have a PSAT score on file. If they don't have one, they can substitute an SAT or ACT score report instead.

• Writing Assessment --- Same format as the Fall cycle, evaluated against the ACL Writing Rubric. Advanced AET applicants take their Writing Assessment during a designated Winter testing session.

• Interest Statement --- A focused written statement about why the student wants to join AET and which pathway (Engineering or IT/CS) they plan to pursue.

• Academic record --- Students must have completed two science credits by the end of 10th grade, with final grades of C or above in every course in 9th grade and C or above in every course for Semester 1 of 10th grade.

Notice what's NOT here: the STEM Thinking Skills Assessment. Advanced AET applicants don't take it. Their standardized test component is the PSAT/SAT/ACT --- tests they've likely already taken.

Recommended (but not required) science courses include Research Earth Science, Research Biology, and Research Chemistry.

The Initial Wave of offers for Advanced AET typically goes out in February/March, similar to the Fall cycle timeline, with a Rolling Waitlist active through the first week of August.

MATA

MATA applications are also part of the Winter cycle. Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, MATA uses a lottery system for admissions.

The application window opens around late November and closes in early-to-mid February. In the most recent cycle, the deadline was February 10 at 12:00 p.m.

To be eligible for the lottery, students must meet three baseline criteria:

• Enrollment in Algebra I or higher

• Minimum GPA of 2.0 (or 3.0 for select dual enrollment programs required by Northern Virginia Community College)

• On-Track Graduation Verification (an objective data check confirming the student is on track for on-time graduation)

If your student meets those requirements, their name goes into the lottery. There is no resume, no career goals essay, no committee review --- that was the old process. The lottery is random selection among eligible applicants.

MATA offers are also provided as part of the Initial Wave in February/March, with a Rolling Waitlist active through the first week of August.

Important eligibility note for 8th graders: 8th graders applying to MATA are only eligible for one pathway: Introduction to Health and Medical Sciences. All other 25 pathways are restricted to 10th and 11th grade applicants.

The LCPS GO Portal: How to Access and Navigate Admissions

All Academies of Loudoun applications are submitted through the LCPS GO portal. If you've never used it before, here's how to find your way.

Accessing LCPS GO

LCPS GO is the central portal that LCPS students use for a variety of school-related systems. Your student should already have LCPS GO login credentials through their school --- these are the same credentials they use for other LCPS digital tools.

To access the Academies admissions application:

1. Log into LCPS GO using your student's credentials (not parent credentials --- the student account is what you need)

2. Look for the "Student Opportunities" icon on the LCPS GO dashboard

3. Click the Student Opportunities icon to access the Academies of Loudoun admissions portal

4. From there, follow the prompts to complete and submit the application

Important notes about the portal:

• The Student Opportunities icon only appears during active application windows. If you're logging in outside the admissions window, you might not see it.

• The old standalone Academies of Loudoun Admission Portal URL (webinter.lcps.org) has been migrated into the LCPS GO system. If you find old links or bookmarks pointing to the standalone portal, they may redirect you to LCPS GO.

• If you're having trouble accessing the portal, contact the Office of Admissions & Outreach at AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org or call 571-252-1992.

What you'll need to complete the application:

The application itself is straightforward because of the blind admissions model. You're not writing essays, uploading resumes (except for MATA under the old process, which is now gone), or gathering letters. The portal collects your student's basic information and registers them for a testing session.

Make sure your student's academic record in the LCPS system is accurate and up to date before the application window opens. Grades and math enrollment are pulled from school records --- you don't self-report them.

Required Prerequisites by Program

Each program has its own academic prerequisites. Getting tripped up here is avoidable --- just make sure your student's course enrollment is aligned well before the application opens.

AOS (Academy of Science)

• Algebra I is the minimum math prerequisite. Your student must have completed or be currently enrolled in Algebra I (or a higher math course) at the time of application.

• There are no specific science course prerequisites beyond what's required for 8th grade.

• Strong grades matter. While there's no published minimum GPA cutoff, remember that grades are one of only three factors in the blind admissions evaluation.

AET (Academy of Engineering and Technology)

• Same as AOS: Algebra I is the minimum math prerequisite.

• Students who have not completed Algebra I before entering AET will need to participate in an Algebra "Boot Camp" during the summer before 9th grade. This is a bridge program, not a remedial course --- but it's better to have Algebra I completed before you arrive.

• Same note about grades as AOS.

Advanced AET

• Completion of Math Analysis, AP Precalculus, or Precalculus DE by end of 10th grade

• Two science credits completed by the end of 10th grade

• Final grades of C or above in every course in 9th grade

• Grades of C or above in every course for Semester 1 of 10th grade

• PSAT score on file (or SAT/ACT as substitute)

• Interest Statement (why you want to join AET and which pathway you're pursuing)

• Recommended science courses: Research Earth Science, Research Biology, Research Chemistry

• Disqualifier: Any student enrolled in or having completed AP Calculus BC is ineligible

MATA

• Enrollment in Algebra I or higher

• Minimum 2.0 GPA (3.0 for select dual enrollment programs)

• On-track for on-time graduation (verified by On-Track Graduation Verification --- an objective data check, not a subjective letter)

Putting It All Together: The Timeline at a Glance

Fall Admissions Cycle (8th Graders --- AOS and AET)

• October (mid-to-late): Application portal opens in LCPS GO under Student Opportunities

• October-November: Testing sessions held (typically three dates offered; register for one)

• February/March (before spring break): Initial Wave of admissions offers posted

• February/March through first week of August: Accept or decline offers; Rolling Waitlist active with waitlisted students notified as seats open

Winter Admissions Cycle (High School Students --- Advanced AET and MATA)

• Late November: Application portal opens

• Early-to-mid February: MATA application deadline (noon on the closing date)

• Late February (approximately): Advanced AET Writing Assessment testing session

• February/March: Initial Wave of admissions offers posted

• February/March through first week of August: Accept or decline offers; Rolling Waitlist active as seats open

Key dates to watch for:

LCPS publishes the specific dates for each admissions cycle on their website and through school counselors. The exact dates shift slightly from year to year, so don't assume last year's calendar applies. Check the LCPS Academies of Loudoun Admissions page or contact AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org to confirm current-year dates.

Frequently Overlooked Details

You can apply to both AOS and AET in the same Fall cycle.

Many families don't realize this. Both applications use the same test scores, the same writing sample, and the same academic record. The admissions decisions are made independently. Applying to both gives your student two shots at admission with essentially the same amount of effort as applying to one.

The ACL timeline doesn't conflict with TJ admissions.

The TJHSST problem-solving essay (part of its holistic review process) is administered in January, while the ACL tests happen in October/November. If your student is interested in both TJ and the Academies, they can apply to both in the same year without any scheduling conflicts. Many families do exactly this.

Waitlist movement is unpredictable.

The Rolling Waitlist is active from the Initial Wave through the first week of August. Some students get off the waitlist in February/March. Others get a call in July. There's no way to predict when (or if) a spot will open. If your student is waitlisted, make contingency plans --- don't put everything on hold waiting for a call that might not come.

The admissions office is responsive.

If you have questions about the process, deadlines, or portal access, email AcademiesAdmissions@lcps.org or call 571-252-1992. They're accustomed to fielding questions from families navigating this for the first time.

Start prerequisites early.

If your student is in 7th grade and hasn't started Algebra I yet, talk to their school counselor now about math course sequencing. Algebra I is the minimum for AOS and AET applications in 8th grade --- and being further ahead in math (Geometry or beyond) only strengthens the academic record portion of the application.

1. Two separate cycles, two separate audiences. The Fall cycle is for 8th graders applying to AOS/AET. The Winter cycle is for high school students applying to Advanced AET and MATA. Don't mix them up.

2. Testing happens in October/November for the Fall cycle. Results come in early March. That four-month gap is normal --- use it to prepare for other things, not to stress about outcomes you can't control.

3. Everything goes through LCPS GO. Log in with your student's credentials, find the Student Opportunities icon, and follow the prompts. If you can't find it, contact the admissions office.

4. Algebra I is the math floor for AOS and AET. Make sure your student is enrolled in it (or beyond it) before the application window opens.

5. Apply to both AOS and AET if there's genuine interest. Same test, same writing sample, same grades --- two independent admissions decisions.

6. The Initial Wave of offers goes out in February/March, followed by a Rolling Waitlist active through the first week of August. If your student is waitlisted, stay patient and stay reachable. Have a backup plan, but don't give up hope.