Eligibility

Thank you for your interest in Academy for Advanced Academics (AAA) on the FIU Maidique Campus. AAA will begin accepting applications from students with a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.00, who are in 10th grade on September 14, 2024. If accepted into AAA, those students would begin 11th grade at AAA for the 2025-2026 school year.  

As of the 2023-2024 school year, AAA became its own independent early college high school under the jurisdiction of SAS/AAA Principal Dr. Omar Monteagudo. Dr. Monteagudo is the Principal of five School for Advanced Studies campuses located at Miami Dade College and one AAA campus located at the FIU Maidique Campus. AAA is now no longer considered a “program” tied to other high schools such as Ronald Reagan, Felix Varela, John Ferguson, Coral Park, and Braddock. 

We are a Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) full-time dual enrollment early college high school where 11th and 12th grade students take their high school classes and approved university courses on the FIU MMC campus. We work in collaboration with FIU to offer MDCPS students this full-time high school dual enrollment opportunity. School hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. AAA was inaugurated in the 2009-2010 school year as a “program” but is now an independent high school and AAA will keep the same name that it has had since 2009. 

AAA shares the same Principal (Dr. Omar Monteagudo) as School for Advanced Studies (SAS). AAA does currently offer various student clubs sponsored by the AAA high school teachers which include Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa, Robotics, Science National Honor Society, National Honor Society and the Music Club. To be a member or an officer in any AAA Club a minimum number of community service hours needs to be completed. Students must speak with the AAA club sponsor for specific requirements. 

  • Apply while in 10th grade to begin 11th grade the following school year at AAA 
  • You must have a minimum 3.0 unweighted high school GPA 

You must have the following minimum scores on the PERT test at (Reading 106, Writing 103 and Math 123 – taken  within the last 12 months

To take the PERT test at FIU, AAA applicants must first be authorized to do so by AAA and work with the AAA counselor to obtain a Panther ID. After AAA authorizes testing, FIU then will send an email to the AAA applicant regarding making an appointment and the payment of the test fee. After PERT testing is complete, the AAA applicant must deliver the PERT test results to the AAA registrar or counselor. 

or  

earn a (490) on the Verbal {Evidence Based Reading and Writing} Digital PSAT/NMSQT and 530 on the Math Digital PSAT/NMSQT taken within the last 12 months).  

The PSAT/NMSQT is an exam taken by all 10th grade MDCPS high school students, during October. AAA will not accept results from the PSAT8/9 to gain admission. The PSAT 8/9 is a different test and is not on the same level as the PSAT/NMSQT. 

Scores from the October 2024 Digital PSAT/NMSQT should be released by  November. However, AAA applicants are advised to take the PERT test at FIU as soon as possible in October or November once they have been authorized to do so by AAA personnel. If the applicant waits for the PSAT results and then does not meet the minimum score thresholds needed for AAA admission, then it may be too late to schedule the PERT test at FIU prior to the December 6, 2024 which is the AAA priority admission deadline. (call AAA office at 305-348-7041 for more information)  

You must have exemplary attendance, conduct grades, and behavioral history.

Completion of Algebra 2 by August 1, 2025 is required to enter AAA. All new students entering AAA MUST take AAA’s AP Pre-Calculus in 11th grade unless they have already successfully completed Pre-Calculus. AAA applicants who have not yet taken or are not currently enrolled in Algebra 2 as 10th graders should register through Florida Virtual School (www.flvs.net) as soon as possible. You must see your current 10th grade high school counselor to enroll. Once a student has been notified that they are accepted at AAA, the issue of how to complete Algebra 2 for those students that need it, can be discussed with the AAA counselor at the intake sessions held in February or March of 2025. 

Applications – along with passing PERT or PSAT scores – must be submitted to AAA by the parent/student by 3:00 pm on December 6, 2024, to be included in the first group of qualified applicants. Submission of an application does not guarantee acceptance. 

If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of seats available on said date, a random selection process will be utilized to admit eligible applicants. Failure to submit all requested information will jeopardize acceptance to AAA. If a qualified applicant is waitlisted for AAA as of December 6, then the student may inquire if seats are available at a SAS campus (would require submission of the SAS application) 

Please do not hesitate to contact our office at 305-348-7041 if you have any questions about the application process. 

Digital SAT (not recommended for 10th graders) 

  • Evidence Based Reading and Writing 490+ 
  • Math 530+ 

ACT (not recommended for 10th graders) 

  • Reading 19+ 
  • English 17+ 
  • Math 21+ 

CLT

  • Sum of Verbal Reasoning & Grammar/Writing 38+ 
  • Math 19+ 

Please note that minimum test scores are established by the State Board of Education and are subject to change without advanced notice. Therefore, students must meet minimum AAA placement test scores that are in effect on the date that the student tests.