Application Timeline

Apply in 8th grade to enroll for the 9th grade:

October 1 - November 30, 2026

Information Session Dates

For admission into the Academy of Allied Health and Science (AAHS), the Academy of Law and Public Safety (ALPS), Biotechnology High School (BTHS), Communications High School (CHS), and High Technology High School (HTHS) eighth grade students must be full-time residents of Monmouth County at the time of the application deadline. The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) accepts applications from out of county, except residents of Ocean County. Ocean County Vocational Technical School offers MATES. The applicant and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must have attended an information session for school of application (registration is required).

1. The student, accompanied by a parent/guardian, must attend an information session. You may attend as many information sessions as you like to help you decide which school is right for you. You must attend the information session for the school you apply to.

2. Submitting an application: Online application is due by the established deadline. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants may only apply to one school.

3. When you successfully submit your online application you will receive a Confirmation Page and Application Checklist that you will need to print and give to a school official (Counselor/Principal). Monmouth County Vocational School District must receive the required school form and transcript or the student may be ineligible. ​​

4. Students will be required to take an Admissions Exam. There is no exam for admission to the Academy of Law and Public Safety.

Application Deadline: November 30, 2026

Career Academy Entrance Exam: January 9, 2027; Picture ID will be required (School ID, Passport, County ID, Picture ID Form). Students without a government-issued form of ID, should complete and attend with this form.

School Records: MCVSD must receive documents from your school postmarked by December 18, 2026.

Admission Decision: It will take approximately four – six weeks for all processing to be completed after all exams are scored. An email will be sent to the applicant informing them when admissions decisions will be available. They will access using the username and password when they registered. Please note notification may be delayed to ensure accurate processing of all applications.

Application process:

• Applications will be considered for only one school.

• Applications will be received after September 1 of the applicants’ eighth grade year.

• Applications must be complete and supporting materials must be included.

Supporting materials:

• Grade transcript

• Signed application checklist by eighth grade school official

• Documentation of interest in program provided in the specialized school

• Applicant and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must have attended an Information Session for school of application

• Applications must be received in the district central office by the application deadline as established annually by the office of the Superintendent. Applicants must be full-time residents of Monmouth County prior to the application deadline.  Monmouth County residents attending school outside of the County must have verification of Monmouth County residency from the out-of-county school.

Acceptance Criteria

Applicants will be ranked according to the following scoring:

The ratings will be determined as follows:

Ratings for Language Arts/English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science

District Admission Exam:  A District Admission Exam will be administered each year.  The exam will consist of mathematics concepts and writing/language arts skills.  Each part will be scored on a scale of 1-35.

Disclaimer: Please note that the Monmouth County Vocational School District does not endorse, nor has an affiliation with any company/organization soliciting students to take a review class and practice test in order to prepare them for the MCVSD Career Academy Admission Test.

Academy Entrance Exam Standards (Updated)

New Jersey Student Learning Standards (ELA) Here   New Jersey Student Learning Standards (Math) Here

Pupil Acceptance

If space does not permit acceptance of all qualified applicants, selection will be made with the following considerations:

The highest scoring qualified applicant from each district pool will be offered admission.  Qualified applicants are those who meet the minimum standards as outlined.  District pool is the resident public school (excluding regional high school districts) that an applicant resides in at the time of application. The remaining students are offered admission based on their overall composite score, regardless of resident district.

Applications from outside of Monmouth County will only be considered for The Marine Academy of Science and Technology as follows:

• Applicants from Ocean County are ineligible.

• Five spaces may be awarded to out-of-county residents.

• Acceptance will be based on established acceptance criteria (1 b).

• All applicants will be reviewed in a single pool of “out-of-county” applicants.

The Monmouth County Vocational School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, pregnancy, military service, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Math and World Language Placement

1.     All students upon acceptance will be required to take a Math Placement Test.  Some Career Academies may require the student to take a World Language Placement Test.

2.    The cut scores for the placement exams will be established annually by the Superintendent or designee.

 3.    At the Career Academies which do not offer Algebra I, students must demonstrate proficiency in Algebra I prior to beginning 9th grade.

4.     Students who have not taken Algebra I or do not demonstrate proficiency in Algebra on the placement test must complete and be proficient in the MCVSD five-week summer Algebra course before beginning 9th grade.

There is no alternative to this course, and daily attendance is mandatory, with no exceptions. Outside math courses, tutors and the like are not acceptable replacements for this course.

5.   No exceptions will be granted for students required to attend summer math programs. 

Tenth Grade Grade Admissions

Apply in 9th grade to enroll for 10th grade:

March 1 - April 30, 2027

1.     Students entering in Tenth Grade (10) can be considered for acceptance into the MCVSD Career Academies.  This consideration will be based on enrollment at current Career Academies.

2.     This consideration can be based on an individual school basis.

3.     In order for a student to be accepted they must meet the prerequisites required by the Career Academy they wish to apply to.

• Student must be a full-time resident of Monmouth County at the time of the application process.

• Applications must be complete with all supporting materials by May 1 for the following school year. The application is available after March 1 on our website.

Supporting materials:

• Grade transcript through the third marking period of ninth grade

• Standardized test scores (not part of rubric)

• Documentation of interest in program provided in the specialized school (essay)

• Student must have successfully completed one year of a foreign language offered at the school they are applying.

• Student will be required to take a mathematics exam at the math level they are currently enrolled in and a language arts exam (Only if space is available).

• Accepted student may be required to do summer course work or supplemental assignments.

Student Acceptance

• A limited number of pupils will be considered for acceptance into tenth grade levels based upon individual applications and availability of space.

• The highest scoring qualified applicant(s) will be offered admission as a transfer pupil if space is available based on grades and exam.

• All appropriate applicants will be considered regardless of resident district.

Career Academy Student Transfers

A student that has been admitted to any one of the Career Academies will not be permitted to transfer schools within Monmouth County Vocational Career Academies.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Statement

The Monmouth County Vocational School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, pregnancy, military service, or any other characteristic protected by law.

With questions, please contact: applications@ctemc.org or 732-431-7942.