“they have that whole Judaic studies track but no Hebrew or Aramaic.”
Huh. I wonder if most of the interested students already had Hebrew/Aramaic as part of their religious education, so there’s no audience for introductory material.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting the comments here, but I don’t understand why people are suggesting that what this kid accomplished is commonplace/not a big deal. Why the sour grapes?? I think it’s great that he had an opportunity to stretch himself. He’s a bright kid and his parents helped him figure out where to channel his inellectual interests, which were clearly beyond that of most high school kids.
Definitely easier today to educate gifted kids but also more expensive. Some have resources to do really cool things. On average we find most programs to be about 5K per child per program. Some are less but not many. This gets very expensive esp if you have multiple kids who are gifted.
Boy do I wish that the term “gifted” would be retired! Random comment I know. But wouldn’t it be nice if kids could move on when they have mastered material-just get to move to the next level on whatever. I know -not realistic but imposing these terms doesn’t help either.
@compmom also she only just turned 12!
@Hanna I figured that might be the case, too. It looks like they serve a consortium of Jewish day schools. I was thinking maybe they were more in the Yeshivah direction? Or maybe it’s just more of a general Jewish education the day schools can’t provide. I can’t imagine the Yeshivahs being interested in Israeli history.
@Bromfield2 I think part of it is sour grapes but the story seems to have literally run in every newspaper in the country. I think people though that seemed odd and sensationalistic.
@bromfield2. I don’t consider it sour grapes to question why this student is receiving such national media coverage. Compared to many of the profiles of students posted here on CC, I don’t see what this student did that is so extraordinary.
He took on a challenge, sure. But that’s all I know. Not ECs or impact, what courses or grades, what other stretch. Not even how he gets along with others. And I don’t feel like slogging through other reports to see if someone mentioned anything.
I reserve my awe for a little more than HES at 16. There are kids out there doing fabulous things that extend their reach and impact. The sort of kids who will do well and influence others, wherever they land, their records are that good, that full. Not just a cherry, the whole sundae. Those give me faith in the next gen.
When we get reports of kids, say, accepted to all Ivies, I want to see what they did, behind that, what inspires me.
No sour grapes. This kid will rise or fall based on his own ongoing merits, his own next steps. Even if he gets into law school, the story isn’t concluded yet.
It’s sort of same story where parents pay for expensive paid summer programs and courses for high schoolers at top colleges and expect student to be a shoe in for undergrad admission.
Only difference here between someone with a dual degree from community college or extension school degree is that this is Harvard’s own extension school and there is lot of free marketing created by this news so they may want to add a happy ending to it.
Good for him! We need to crack open our education mold and allow kids to get an education that is best suited for them. We talk a good game about “fit” but then balk at anyone that finds it in a non-traditional way. This story might help other families looking for ways to keep their bright kids from tuning out of school all together.
Why did it get national attention? Why not? Why is it national news when a kid gets into all the Ivy’s? How is that more relavent? As the parent of a kid who wrote a little local opinion piece that ended up in a national media frenzy I can tell you there is little you can do to control it, the way it gets used or all the nasty comments of strangers who know nothing about your child, their motivations or the situation.
Holy heck! Sour grapes indeed. A kid from rural Kansas did something different and unique. Well done!
I think people forget the real world is nothing like the oddity of the CC world…thankfully. Now back to fighting with the school district to bring multivariate calculus to my first grader’s classroom. And then rushing to symphony hall for my two year old’s rehearsal with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 
Not sure what sour grapes would be involved here. Over the years there have been many posts asking about Harvard Extension from young people who misunderstand what the school is. Often they have much better options… Articles like this just increase the misperception and lead more young people to pursue HES for the wrong reasons.
In Boston we know many people who took or now take courses at Harvard Extension because they are better fit then the similar courses at other area colleges. Not a big deal. Among many choices offer courses for retirees with no exams or grades.
But we know two with Harvard University stickers on their cars. Have to wonder what that gets them.
He did good but this is getting inflated beyond merit. His parents sure deserve a round of applause for seeing outside the box and finding a non conventional way for an average excellent student to look more accomplished and intelligent than he ever could on a traditional high school path. Someone without top grades, scores and ECs wouldn’t have gone this far on that route.
Almost 80% of top 10% kids any given year can do what he did and at least 50 % of them would do this better by having better scores as well but let’s be honest, how many parents would let them?
@CupCakeMuffins, the vast majority of top 10% kids have the intellectual chops to graduate from college at age 16*?
I don’t know what neighborhood you’re living in.
*Let’s leave aside that it’s HES. Substitute an ordinary flagship in instead (HES, while not HC, is probably at least as rigorous as an ordinary flagship; though getting in to HC is far tougher than that vast majority of classes at Harvard). I still don’t know of very many neighborhoods where most of the top 10% of 16 year-olds could graduate from an ordinary flagship at that age.
Re: Media attention: Who cares.
Re: Traditional college experience: Horses for courses. The majority of Germans (even the brightest ones) don’t get the “traditional (live-on-campus) college experience” as defined by Americans. Rather, they get something closer to the “traditional commuter school” experience. Somehow they manage to manage.
In prehistoric times, as I remember, gifted kids actually learned by reading paper books. It’s nice to have feedback from professors, but it’s not like you really need to have speaking practice in Ancient Greek.
This kid went to school all day and then went to school at night, online. I don’t think most kids can do that or want to do that. Most want to be in the school plays, playing sports, working at the grocery store. Most parents aren’t willing to borrow the money for a HES degree. Is it impossible? No. Is it common? No.
I am one who believes AP classes aren’t ‘just like college.’ In college teachers aren’t (usually) taking attendance, checking binders for organization, regulating cell phone use in class. Pass the final or don’t, but the college teacher doesn’t get a bonus like the high school teacher might if you get a 5 on the AP. Every 16 year old isn’t prepared for college.
Even to students much more intelligent and disciplined than him, I wouldn’t recommend overloading with academic courses. Its not a race and life needs balance.
Even to more dedicated and wealthier parents, I would recommend there is no point in making horse run faster, there are no long term benefits. He missed out on a normal highschool and undergrad experience and didn’t get into top law schools as they hoped for.
This five minute glory may be good for average excellent students like him but no real advantage for intelligent students who rather do research or focus on depth of learning than an slave for an online college degree.
“and didn’t get into top law schools as they hoped for.”
He’s 16. It’s not as if you only get one shot at applying to law school. Most law school applicants would be 22-25.
Spending $40k on an online degree for a 16yr old? Is there a value for the kid or a vanity for the parents?
Wow seems like so much animosity towards this kid. Funny thing is some kids sit in classes for years bored to tears. No programs for them at all. Others do this kind of thing. Good for him.