Engineering and Biotech students commit to taking 2 science courses each year for all 4 years which is the equivalent of 8 years of science. Art In Science students commit to taking 1 science and 1 art class each year for all 4 years.
In addition to the application score, we will be looking at transcripts with an emphasis on math and science grades, attendance of 90% or higher and a favorable disciplinary history.
NUSD students will be placed in math class based on their current 8th grade math enrollment. NUSD students taking advanced math in middle school will be enrolled in Geometry in 9th grade. All other students will be enrolled in Algebra 1. Private and out of district students who would like to be placed in Geometry will need to schedule an appointment to take an assessment in June.
If you live outside of NUSD boundaries, you will need to apply for an INTER-District transfer. Transfer paperwork will be available online and at the Novato School District office starting on November 1st. Students who live in Novato, but San Marin is not your neighborhood school must submit an INTRA-District transfer. Both INTER-District and INTRA-district transfers must be submitted to the district by the January 9, 2024 deadline.
Yes, you are able to apply to multiple pathways. Please know that once you are offered a placement in a pathway, we are unable to move you to another one. We encourage students to visit the program section of our website where we list many of the program units of study and course progression for all 4 years. This may help find the pathway that best suits your interests. Applying to multiple pathways does NOT increase your changes of being accepted.
YES! All pathways have Science electives built into your schedule. We offer AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics, and AP Computer Science as well as Marine Biology and Biotechnology 1 as Science electives. You can also take any non-science course AP as usual (AP English, History, etc.).
- AP Biology
- AP Chemistry
- AP Physics
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Computer Science
- Biotechnology 1
- Marine Biology
- Psychology
- Sports Medicine 1 & 2
- Additional Math Courses (some restrictions may apply)
- CTE Classes (some restrictions may apply)
- Community College courses (some restrictions may apply)
- Work Experience or Internships (some restrictions may apply)
- AP Art
- Advanced Art
- Multimedia Design
- Orchestra/Band
- Choir/Music Performance
- Drama/Musical Theater
- Journalism
- Yearbook
- Community College Courses (some restrictions may apply)
- Work Experience or Internships (some restrictions may apply)
- CTE Classes (some restrictions may apply)
We can offer placement to about 120 Engineering students, 60 Biotech students and 30 Art In Science students.
No, students do not need to reapply every year. However, we do ask all students to agree to a code of conduct when they accept placement. Grades, attendance, a history of good citizenship and academic integrity are all requirements to remain in the STEM Program. Should a student violate the code of conduct, action will be taken at the discretion of the staff and administration.
Students who are not offered placement will receive a letter describing which criteria was not met on their application. Those who wish to appeal will have to submit a form along with a statement written by the student. The statement will need to specifically address the criteria that was not met and explain why they feel their application should be reconsidered. In an effort to ensure the integrity of our application process, the appeals committee is comprised of members who were not involved in the initial STEM Marin application scoring or decisions.
Students who are placed on a waitlist will be sent a letter with their waitlist position. When a student who was offered a place in the program decides to relinquish their seat, we will call the students in order to fill the spot. Please make sure your phone numbers and email addresses on the application are accurate. We will keep student waitlists active until 10 days into the new school year. After that, we will no longer accept students to add or drop classes.