<p>Is his sister supportive of her brother? Can she help him interact? will she let him hang around her group of friends sometimes? That will at least break the ice for the brother.
By the way, your son sounds like he would fit right in. Video gamer? Oh, yeah, popular with a lot of boys to do that.</p>
<p>I would apply a little pressure to encourage him to apply. He will meet others like himself. Leave open the option that he doesn't have to attend. And don't say too much, either, about what a great school it is. Be low-key and ask him for his ideas.</p>
<p>All that gaming is making him a bit socially awkward, you know. Or it could be the reverse--he's socially awkward so he hides in gaming. Not unusual. This school could help with the social awkwardness. I would tell him just to try it for one year. It will take that long for some progress to be made in the social area. If after a year he decides to return home, I would allow that. Once kids know they have an out if they want it, it makes them more open to a new situation, knowing that it can be temporary if that's what they want.</p>
<p>Has your S ever gone to day camp? My S, who was also not very social, participated in CTY day camps for 5th and 6th graders; he was very willing to try the residential camps for older kids as a result of his experience with the day camps, loves them, and looks forward to going to camp all year.</p>
<p>You might also consider a day computer camp for your S to give him a positive camp experience that can be turned into a residential camping experience, and then into a desire for a boarding school experience.</p>
<p>One of my son's best friends at Dartmouth went to the one in Mississippi. Seemed to have enjoyed it. If your local school can't provide the enrichment your child needs, these seem like a great alternative.</p>
<p>Any more parents with experience with public boarding schools for gifted high school students? My son decided not to apply for 2009-11 but my daughter deferred a year to be an exchange student and now will begin at the Indiana Academy for Math, Science and Humanities in fall 2010. It’s a much better school than her local public school but I don’t think it is quite as good a school as I hoped. I was disappointed that they only had 5 National Merit Finalists this year out of a student body of ~130 seniors (still that’s more than the 3/700 from her local school). Since the students have to have a minimum sophomore SAT of 1500/2400, I was hoping that she would be with higher caliber students. I’m just hoping that since the classes are smaller than her local school and the teachers have advanced degrees and office hours and are AP readers in their fields, that this school will give her a better education than her local school.</p>
<p>my son is currently a senior at the al math and science school! Best experience we and he could have asked for. He was an excellent student here locally but had never opened a book and got A’s., had no opportunity here to take advanced courses . Going to his current hs has been wonderful The level of education is excellent, teachers are wonderful and caring, most have phd’s and teach at that level. He has already taken ap chem, organic and inorganic chem, pyrotechnics, been involved in research and directed readings, but still able to play in band and take art and language classes. Alot is expected of the students but they handle it well. He had to deal with his first ever B and how to manage his time. I think the value of this education has been proven by his college acceptances and scholarships and well as his level of maturity
The support staff at the school is like a 2nd family to him.
He has grown as a student by acquiring excellent study skills, has become much more responsible by the required work service, doing his own laundry etc. Has been involved in many community service clubs and activities,…key club, sga, etc
the hardest part is for the family left behind… i miss him desperately at times as he is 6 1/2 hours away but none of us would trade the experiences he has had.</p>
<p>It sounds like the teachers are good. What are the other students like? What are the admission requirements? Do they rank? How has the college advising been? The IAMSH doesn’t rank. I’m not sure how that will affect college admissions. The advising looks better than our local school.</p>
<p>college advising was quite good. organized and began early. There is the usual mix of students… but most were very academically driven, but able to have fun. there seemed to be minimal competition among the students, they all wanted to do well but were excited for others successes too. son’s school also does not rank…which at first worried me BUT it actually mades sense. at his school some kids enter in grade 10, some in grade 11. some come from schools with no ap classes, some come with ap courses already done. so the gpa’s would be totally skewed based on number of years and previous schools. the forms filled out by the gc at admission time, explain that there is no ranking and it doesnt appear to be a problem. there is also no val or sal at his school.
feel free to pm me for any info i can give you…</p>