Admissions
Johnston County Early College Academy is a four- or five-year program (grades 9-13) located on the campus of Johnston Community College. Students are dual-enrolled in high school and college classes. Upon graduation from JCECA, students will have obtained their high school diploma and a two-year Associate's Degree. Students can choose from the following pathways: college transfer (earning an Associate of Arts, Science, or Engineering) or STEM (earning an Associate of Engineering or Associate of Science).
As they near graduation, students can apply to any university in North Carolina and abroad. In addition to all of the public universities in the UNC system, our students have been accepted into private schools including MIT, Georgetown, Duke, Howard, Yale, Purdue, and Wake Forest to name a few. However, please note that while an Associate Degree earned at JCC is guaranteed to transfer to public UNC universities, private and out-of-state schools take only select credits and will likely require some classes to be retaken. Duke and Wake Forest do not take any community college credits. You can learn more about how the credit transfer process works at private and out-of-state schools by visiting their specific websites.
Our students are eligible to utilize direct admission to certain public and private universities through NC College Connect and CFNC.org. Learn more about this opportunity to be automatically admitted to select NC universities here.
Student Spotlight
Each year as 8th graders and their families consider attending our school, we are asked, "What is it like to go to ECA?" In an attempt to answer the question and help applicants make their decision, we have asked a few of our current students to share why they decided to go to ECA, their favorite parts of our school, how they have grown while attending our school, and advice they would offer someone considering attending our school. We hope that by hearing directly from our ECA family you'll be better prepared to make your decision!
Learn more about the pathways:
The College Transfer pathway is for students who know they want to attend a four-year university, but don't yet know what they want to major in or what career they want to pursue. As you progress and prepare for graduation, you will be able to choose between earning an Associate of Arts or Science.
The STEM pathway is for students who know they want a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and/or math. The requirements for this pathway include more math and science classes, and the program sets students up to enter competitive STEM programs at four-year universities.
Learn more about the application:
The application for the 2026-2027 school year is now closed. For those who have applied, all future communication will come through SchoolMint and the email address you used when creating your account. If you receive an interview, you must go back into your SchoolMint account to schedule it. Refer to the timeline below for important dates.
Application Timeline:
January 1, 2025: Application Window Opens
February 15, 2026: Application Window Closes
February 23, 2026: Interview Notifications Go Out
Note: Schedule your interview in SchoolMint by Sunday, March 1.
March 2-4: Interviews
April 10: Decisions Communicated to Students
April 24: Students Accept/Decline Offers
School Contact: Principal Robert Daniels (robertdaniels@johnston.k12.nc.us)
Attend a Family Information Night:
JCPS will host a Family Information Night on January 8, 2026 from 5:45 pm - 8:00 pm at Smithfield-Selma High School. All choice programs will be on site to share information and answer questions.
ECA will host a Family Information Night specific to our school on January 27 from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm in the Tart Lobby on the campus of Johnston Community College.
If you are unable to attend the JCPS District-Wide Family Information Night, watch the recorded presentation below: