School Fit
Decide whether a residential school fits your student
Look past selectivity to the daily life of a residential school where classes are college-level.
Checked against LSMSA's published admissions pages on November 5, 2026.
School fit
Is LSMSA a fit?
- The school
- A public, state-supported residential high school for Louisiana students, with competitive admissions
- How classes work
- LSMSA runs on a semester schedule like a university. Students take at least six courses per semester and need at least 26 academic units to graduate. The school says classes are college-level, use college textbooks, and have no multiple-choice or scantron exams.
- College credit
- Students can earn up to 74 college credit hours through agreements with Louisiana universities and Oglethorpe University. Dual enrollment with Northwestern State University is optional, and a Northwestern State tuition waiver makes most dual enrollment courses free. An Associate of General Studies is offered through Northwestern State and the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
- The arts
- Every student completes at least one arts unit, with options in music, dance, theatre, visual arts and creative writing. The published pages do not describe a separate arts admission track, audition or portfolio.
- Clubs and athletics
- The school lists about 40 clubs and organizations, including theatre, dance, creative writing and film clubs, and it has an athletics program.
- Visiting
- Families can attend Exploration Days, campus tours (selected Saturdays and mostly Monday or Friday weekdays, with registration required) and fall information sessions around the state. The pages list no dates.
- 01
Ask your student whether they want college-style classes and a residential campus, and let them answer honestly.
- 02
Attend an information session or a campus tour and ask what a typical week looks like.
Residential life
Life on campus.
LSMSA is residential. These are the details the school publishes.
- Residence halls
- Male students live in B-Tower and female students in A- and C-Towers. The Living Learning Commons opened in 2021. The first-floor front desk is staffed around the clock whenever students are on campus, and entry is by card access.
- Roommates
- A roommate is required. Two students share a room and four share a bathroom per suite. Students can request roommates or be paired through a questionnaire completed after New Student Orientation.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on weekdays, and brunch and dinner on weekends, at no extra charge beyond room and board.
- A typical day
- The earliest class starts at 8:30 a.m. and most classes end by 4:00 p.m. There is a curfew, with room checks.
- Weekends
- Going home on weekends is allowed, and students are encouraged to stay at least some weekends. Students must stay on campus four weekends each school year, which is a graduation requirement.
- Cars
- Students can bring a car to LSMSA. Driving privileges can be revoked or rewarded based on grades and behavior.
- Required fees
- Required yearly fees total $1,200: room and board $1,000, computer use $25, science lab $25, facility use $10, and a $140 security deposit for new students only (the $1,200 total includes the deposit).
- Student activity fees
- Student Activity Fees are $260 for sophomores and juniors and $340 for seniors. They cover student programming, laundry, publications, the health clinic, the PSAT (sophomores and juniors), and graduation costs (seniors).
- Yearly totals
- Combined yearly totals: $1,460 for new sophomores and juniors, $1,540 for new seniors, $1,320 for returning juniors and $1,400 for returning seniors. Totals exclude $25 per art course.
- Fee waivers
- Required fees can be fully or partly waived based on the USDA Child Nutrition Program and Louisiana SNAP. Student Activity Fees do not qualify for a waiver. Pre-arranged payment plans are available. The LSMSA Foundation Student Enrichment Fund supports fees, and the school says inability to pay will not prevent qualified students from attending.
- 01
Talk through a required roommate, a curfew and four required weekends on campus with your student before applying.
- 02
If fees are a concern, read the waiver details on the school's fees page and ask Enrollment Services.