<p>Has anyone considered sending their gifted children to schools that are part of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology? Here's a list: National</a> Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology
We are considering having our sophomore twins apply to our state's boarding school. It provides college prep classes to 300 high school juniors and seniors from our state at virtually no cost to their parents. I'd miss my son and daughter but it would be a way for them to study with more motivated students than in their urban high school. I think the college advising would be much better than at home. </p>
<p>Anyone have any experience with these schools?</p>
<p>My son's school is part of the consortium, but it's not a boarding school. In fact, none of the consortium schools in my state are boarding schools.</p>
<p>My daughter attended the Alabama School of Math & Science (boarding school). It was the BEST decision we have ever made! She is currently a student at Vandy. We would highly recommend this school!</p>
<p>I don't know anything about those schools, nor do I know anyone who has attended one. But I do know that my D's roommate came into her Freshman year with 63 college credits in math and science, all earned during her HS years. In her case, this was not a good thing.</p>
<p>I'm sure these specialized schools greatly benefit at least some of their students. But you might try academic enrichment first: gifted programs from Stanford and Johns Hopkins, or academic summer camps. These can be done without compromising social development. JMHO.</p>
<p>I would like to comment on the social development. Each person's experience is different, but my daughter gained so much socially from her experience at the school that I believe this aspect may have even outweighted the tremendous academic benefit. She was bored with her home high school in 9th grade. After moving to the boarding school in 10th grade, she blossomed and made several life long friends. When it came time for college, she was much more prepared than her non-boarding school friends. It taught her how to be independent. This independence has allowed her to work as a Washington intern the summer after college freshman year and work as a British parliment intern the summer after sophomore year without batting an eye. I believe this was possible only because of the social enrichment she received at the boarding school.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our state only offers a math and science school, and it was placed in one of the most remote (from the majority of the population) spots in the state. Basically, a bone thrown to a community reeling from the loss of an airforce base. I have no doubt that this location cuts down on the number of students who consider going there.</p>
<p>I wish that they would establish more schools like Stuyvesant, in NYC, instead of concentrating only on science and math.</p>
<p>One word of advice . . . don't be deceived by the name of the school. Our state (Alabama) offers a Fine Arts school that has a great math & science program and a Math & Science school that offers programs geared to other areas, such as the Humanities. My daughter attended the Math & Science school and was interested in History. So be sure to check out the curriculum before making a decision.</p>
<p>I know of a family who sent both of their daughters (three years apart) to the residential school in our state(NC School of Science and Math). I don't know them that well but they must have liked it since they sent the second D three years later. It has about 600 students in 11th and 12th grade combined. I think I have heard that graduates are guaranteed admission to any in-state public and go tutition free. I know each of these girls ended up at one of our big state u's.</p>
<p>"I don't know anything about those schools, nor do I know anyone who has attended one. But I do know that my D's roommate came into her Freshman year with 63 college credits in math and science, all earned during her HS years. In her case, this was not a good thing.
I'm sure these specialized schools greatly benefit at least some of their students. But you might try academic enrichment first: gifted programs from Stanford and Johns Hopkins, or academic summer camps.** These ***can be done without compromising social development. JMHO*."</p>
<p>What does attending a boarding school and taking a lot of advanced classes have to do with stunting social development? You are with students your own age. It's not like going off to college alone. </p>
<p>I don't see why it's a problem to come in with a lot of credit, either. Maybe your D's roommate should have gone to a college with better math and science offering if she has no classes to take (if that's what you meant by that statement.)</p>
<p>Um, I wonder if semantics are getting in the way here. The OP specified "gifted." IMHO that includes a girl who can take two years of college mathematics and science AT UNIVERSITY during her HS years. She also took all the normal HS courses of course. This was WAY beyond "advanced courses in HS." I didn't mean to demean science and technology boarding schools in any way. All I'm saying is that gifted kids can do amazing things, but they're still kids.</p>
<p>I guess I still don't understand what point you are trying to make. Are you saying that a kid that was advanced enough to get 2 years of college credit would be too advanced to benefit from a math and science academy? The course offerings at these academies match most colleges; they are way beyond AP's. I knew kids that placed out of calculus coming into sophomore year and they still didn't run out of math courses. They could take number theory, abstract algebra, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, advanced topics classes. Same goes for science. (Classes like microbiology, organic chemistry, cell biology, and biochemistry are offered.) The only difference between taking these classes at a university is that your classmates are your age. </p>
<p>Also, you haven't elaborated why it wasn't a good thing that your D's roommate had that much credit. What problem did that create?</p>
<p>My d needed the boarding school badly.
She was completely wrapped up in activities at home, and not socializing much all thru middle and high school. She had 2 good friends in middle school, but they went to a different high school. 9th grade at the new high school was pretty forgettable in terms of friendships after school, although she did socialize some in class.<br>
In 10th grade, I lightly prodded and prodded on occasion, and finally got her to finish the essays for the boarding school application. I just explained that she didn't HAVE to go, and that we would decide what to do if she did get admitted. So she did the essays, then went back to her usual rut and forgot about them.
When the time came to spend a weekend getting to know the other students who were accepted, I just held my breath. Well, she went, she stood there while others milled around and met each other, she was too shy to say much, and hoped others would come to her, but who does that? Well, she fell in love with the buildings at the school, so was willing to go. I was so grateful that she choose it, no matter why.
She has just finished a year at the boarding school. I will say that, while she switched to heavy Internet use (we didn't have it at home) at the boarding school after class, instead of socializing, she has made some friends. It is a process. You can't expect to go from being a hermit to being a social butterfly. She has a lot of resilience and inherent social skill, too. She interviewed to be a student ambassador at the end of the year, and was chosen for that role, beating out 60 other applicants. One more little step forward.
The important thing was that her daily environment changed. She stopped being home, with her ingrained habits. She did say that she had to struggle for the first time, getting up for class on time without anyone helping, etc. She said looking back that her room at home was like a 'black hole' and that all she had to do was reach out and there were her fun activities, just an armstretch away. She says no way would she come home for her last year of high school. She's staying at the boarding school! I'm so very glad.
Had she stayed in that home environment for another 2 years, she would have just been that much more socially delayed, would have lost these 2 years of growth, and she would have been so behind as a college freshman, probably bungling at least her first year of college, just trying to catch up with her peers.<br>
This is a gifted girl with such talents. But you can't turn too much inward as a youngster, I think, without serious repercussions in the future.
I know this is not perhaps all that common a situation, but these schools have all kinds of uses. For my d, the academics were a minor consideration, as she was already at an excellent high school. The opportunity it gave for social growth is priceless.</p>
<p>An extreme case, I'm sure, but I predict that this boarding school will be the making of her, and I wish she had gone away for 10th grade, but that option wasn't available.</p>
<p>Our state doesn't have that option (Conserve school is private, in the middle of nowhere-way up north). We were able to work with our local gifted options and son had a good HS experience including activities. Relatives in another state considered it for their gifted children but they have a strong HS and kids involved in all sorts of ancillary activities, I looked at that school's website and wasn't impressed with the college choices their students had made after graduation. An important factor is the strength of the local HS and options available. Another important factor is the ability to have extracurricular activities, academic and otherwise, that give your child social skills and a reason to be at any school. I will not regret any grade accelerations since son had a good childhood. I do recommend summer GT programs such as those through Northwestern or WCATY for the opportunities to spend a few weeks with other gifted kids.</p>
<p>I didn't answer your questions, I got so wrapped up in our situation.</p>
<p>College advising is great. Kids are informed they have to have a final college list to hand in the first week after return from the summer, and they are assigned a counselor whose job is to focus on getting all the t's crossed and i's dotted on those college applications. This is a god-send for us! they also have something called Naviance, which helps in organizing the college search, and includes a personality test students take as well as interest inventories on the computer, and the results are matched with various occupations to assist in career identification. Another benefit is that students answer a lengthy and indepth questionnaire which enables the counselor to write a knowledgeable college reference based on those answers and having interviewed the student a few times.</p>
<p>My d will be taking organic chem (not offered at her home high school) for a semester this fall, taught by a Ph.D. chemistry teacher, if she doesn't drop it due to overwork--I'm giving her that option. (It was her idea to take it, despite my raised eyebrows.) Along with their hardest physics class (PhD teaching it) and calculus 2 and 3.<br>
And 4 other courses as well, plus a PE class. If she can survive and do well in organic, there is an enzyme reactions sequel in the second semester, also taught by PhD.
It will be her first experience with a really tough schedule and with having to study hard to succeed. </p>
<p>I advise you to let your children try it out. If they don't like it, they can always come home. A few students did leave in the first month due to homesickness.</p>
<p>TAMS (TX) kids seem to do really well. They basically take regular college classes at U. of North Texas (Denton) and then transfer for the last two years. Many end up at UT, but a number go out of state as well. They have their own dorm I believe, but take many classes with regular students.</p>
<p>My d has been anticipating applying for jr and sr year ever since middle school. She took a class at CTD Northwestern and loved being in a boarding situation with other motivated kids. I think she will love it. My s has NEVER wanted to leave home - not even for a summer camp but I think he might benefit even more than his sister. He is very introverted, has few friends, spends virtually all his time playing online role playing games. He isn't quite as motivated a student as d but equally capable. I'm trying to convince him to at least apply and then turn it down if he really doesn't want to go. I think he would probably find more geeky peers there than at his home school and would get better college guidance from a counselor who doesn't have to deal with struggling and misbehaving students. What do you think? They would be applying to The</a> Indiana Academy</p>
<p>I have heard good things about the Indiana Academy, although I didn't go to that particular one. However, you have to be careful about sending him there in order for him to break out of his shell. If he is averse to leaving home, I wouldn't recommend it. Homesickness is one reason some kids end up coming home after a semester. Also, he's got to be motivated because the classes and competition will be harder there.</p>