<p>So I recently took the PSAT, and now I just got something via email about Stanford's "Education Program for Gifted Youth", which says I'm invited due to what they saw from the PSAT. The problem is, my score on the PSAT was pathetic (92 percentile), so why the hell would a top school like Stanford send me something about talented and gifted or w/e to an idiot like me? But now I'm digressing. The point is, is it worth doing this thing (for those of you who did it in the past), or could it possibly help me with admission to stanford at the very least since I'm showing interest in the school? Please help me, I'd really like to know what I could possibly be getting into</p>
<p>Uh 92%ile is not pathetic. It means that your SAT scores could very well be in the middle range of most selective universities.</p>
<p>Back when Mathson took EPGY courses (elementary school) I think you just had to show that your child had scored at least in the 90th %ile on a nationally normed test. EPGY offerings for high school students are pretty good, but they still have some of the disadvantages of any distance learning program. If they offer courses you can't get locally that interest you it could be helpful. But I don't think EPGY courses specifically would be a real hook for Stanford.</p>
<p>EPGY and other expensive "gifted programs" are not that selective. They just want students who are capable of doing the work to sign up and pay for it. Although, depending on your HS, these programs might provide you with educational opportunities you would not otherwise have, they will not by themselves help you get accepted to the institution they are affiliated with.</p>
<p>A few of my friends have taken multivariable calculus and post-AP physics through EPGY. Through conversations with them about their classes I have gathered that selection is based more on whether or not you can afford the program (it's exorbitantly expensive) than how "gifted" you are.</p>
<p>You shouldn't take EPGY classes just to get into Stanford. They'll only do you any good if you have a significant amount of self-discipline. If you can handle them, though, you'll get a lot out of them.</p>
<p>ok fine, let me change my question. Is the EPGY thing actually meant for gifted people, or is it, just like another person said, just a program sent to people who can afford it to try and make them feel good so that they pay for it?</p>
<p>It is meant to give above-average students opportunity to take more advance classes that may not be otherwise available to them. Many students can find a much cheaper alternative.</p>
<p>Depending on the policies of colleges & universities where you live, you may be able to take college courses for next to nothing, because you're in high school. For example, at my community college it's <$10 per semester for a couple fees everyone has to pay. (The nearby state U is free for high school students but it's harder to get into classes there, which is why I choose the community college. Besides, the CC is closer.)</p>
<p>The EPGY summer school is a different story and I am not sure if your
invitation was specific to that (i.e. equivalent to the Harvard SSP
which sounds good on paper); The EPGY online self study program though
is the oldest in the country (Smithsonian says so..?) and probably one of
the best if not the best (IMO).</p>
<p>The "giftedness" is inversely proportional to the age when you
take a particular course purely from a social perspective. :)</p>
<p>Yes, it is a major hook if your school does not offer Multivariable
differential/integral calculus or linear algebra or partial differential
etc. and you take the time to do it. The hook is because it shows
your passion to ask for punishment :eek: when you could have coasted
free with just school coursework. </p>
<p>Math and Physics at least are brutal compared to even tough schools
and an A or A+ on the EPGY University level or even the Calculus A/B/C
course is not a given for the best students. So this would be viewed
favorably by knowledgable admission folks in most universities.</p>
<p>EPGY actually has a financial aid program as well; Make no mistake,
do not sign up for an EPGY course thinking it is a cakewalk it is not!
Do this only if your heart is set on learning the math/physics or computer
science content because youa re truly driven by curiosity or cannot
wait for another year to do it.</p>
<p>The customary floor percentile level for EPGY distance learning course has been about the 85th percentile. My two older sons have taken those courses, and my oldest son is now taking five classes through EPGY</a> Online High School. If you like the courses, you can advance rapidly by using them, and end up getting a higher percentile score the next time you take a standardized test. :) </p>
<p>By the way, anyone interested in EPGY's offerings should check the availability of financial aid. EPGY financial aid eligibility extends upward into middle-class income ranges not eligible for financial aid from many other programs, so it is worthwhile to apply.</p>
<p>I'm currently taking the EPGY MV Calc class, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you are very good at working almost COMPLETELY independently. At least for my class, they give you a bunch of lectures on the computer, a textbook title (you have to get the book yourself) and you learn everything on your own and will send you and grade three 3-hour long tests for your course grade.
I doubt that it would actually help anyone get into Stanford, but the University-Level classes do give Stanford Credit- and are also thus rather pricey.</p>
<p>You also get assigned to an EPGY tutor who can help you with coursework when you need it. In my experience, getting in touch with them was not difficult, but definitely nontrivial just due to the phone- and e-mail-tag games that resulted. But I also rarely had a need to contact the tutors.</p>