National Young Scholars Program

[Warlock!]

Has anyone ever heard, been involved, or had a child attend this thing?

http://www.nationalyoungscholars.org/

My fifth-grade daughter was invited to come to their week-long program by a nomination from one of her teachers after (not bragging... if you knew me you'd know I had nothing to do with it) she tested at a 13th grade level on her Iowa tests. The programs are located at 8-10 universities throughout the States and run about $1800 for the week-long program.

My question is this... is it just a bunch of schools trying to gain $$$ by preying on proud parents of smart kids, or would this program benefit her in the future by actually providing a learning experience and sprucing up her college applications or resumes when looking for a job? My sis had three valedictorian kids and she says she was bombarded by stuff like this, more so when they were a bit older, but she doesn't remember this one... especially one that requires a teacher's nomination.

Can anyone shed any light?

[Spicoli]

You might try you State's Department of Education and see if they know anything. Or ask the program for local references in your area. Education is big business, and they are competing for your money and often, smart kids.

My first grader is already getting bombarded with summer-school for gifted students stuff, etc etc, and I'm pretty wary of that crap. Summer's short enough (especially at first grade), imho he needs to ride his bike, squish worms and hang out at the pool. :p

[Sean O'Gorman]

she tested at a 13th grade level on her Iowa tests.

So she is on the same level as a community college student?

[SteveH]

Have you considered a paternity test?















:runs:

[Insomniac]

My question is this... is it just a bunch of schools trying to gain $$$ by preying on proud parents of smart kids, or would this program benefit her in the future by actually providing a learning experience and sprucing up her college applications or resumes when looking for a job? My sis had three valedictorian kids and she says she was bombarded by stuff like this, more so when they were a bit older, but she doesn't remember this one... especially one that requires a teacher's nomination.

Can anyone shed any light?

I'm not sure what any kid does in fifth grade will have much of an impact on college applications or getting a job.

Also, is your daughter interested in attending? That might be the most inportant factor in what she will get out of it.

[eiregosod]

$2,000 for a six-day session.

LOL, not even MIT, Princeton charges that for 6 days of tuition :gomer:

The "National Young Scholars Program" are they a government agency, or some bored seasonally-unemployed educators?

probably better spending $30 to buy a book on advanced calculus for her.

[TKGAngel]

My first grader is already getting bombarded with summer-school for gifted students stuff, etc etc, and I'm pretty wary of that crap. Summer's short enough (especially at first grade), imho he needs to ride his bike, squish worms and hang out at the pool. :p

At that age, a kid should be a kid. But if you think you're getting bombarded now, wait till your kids take the PSAT. They'll be getting mail from colleges and programs you've never even heard of.

[Warlock!]

Also, is your daughter interested in attending? That might be the most inportant factor in what she will get out of it.
Yeah, she's into it... pretty fired up actually. I just told her to chill til I found out a bit more about it.

I'm also wondering if this wasn't a bone thrown out by her teacher, as we've been hitting her up about advanced or some kind of gifted classes. In our extremely rural setting, our school system has nothing as far as a gifted program is concerned. I guess all those years of churning out farmers and secretaries they never really had much use for gifted programs.

[G.]

Ask her teacher. It doesn't appear that the teacher will gain anything from your girl's attendance, so you should get some straight answers.

[cameraman]

NYSP is a high end academic camp. The programs are well designed and well run. It is also rather expensive. Is it worth it? That really depends on your bank account. If you can easily afford it then you may as well do it as it is a good experience for the kids. But if $1900 plus transportation plus add ons like school t-shirts is going to put a serious ding in the family finances then you may want to find a more affordable experience for the kids.

It is a good program but not worth serious financial damage. That is what college is for...

[RHR_Fan]

At that age, a kid should be a kid. But if you think you're getting bombarded now, wait till your kids take the PSAT. They'll be getting mail from colleges and programs you've never even heard of.

I second that 100%. Kids just need to be kids. I saw a report on the news months ago that some parents already have tutors for their 3 or 4 year old. Yikes.

~Nicole

[chop456]

Any of you have any experience with the Midwest Academic Talent Search? :gomer:

http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/mats/description.html

[Ed_Severson]

I did a similar program when I was a kid. At the suggestion of my school's guidance counselor, I took the SAT in 7th grade and scored a 620 on the math portion, which was good enough to get me into the Talent Identification Program at Duke (yes, yes, Duke sucks, etc.).

I don't remember the exact cost of the program, but I'm thinking it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500. At any rate, I spent 3 weeks on Duke's campus that summer taking what basically amounted to an advanced algebra course. I came home, tested out of my school's Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 courses (8th & 9th grades) and took no math course at all during 8th grade. From there on out, I was a year ahead of my classmates on math, finishing calculus my junior year and helping teach it my senior year.

In the long run, I don't know that it really made that much difference when I started applying to colleges, but it was a good experience. I spent three full weeks living on my own (with the supervision of a counselor, of course), learning how to keep track of my schedule and manage my time between studying and screwing off, and maybe most importantly, learning how to cope with having a total ******* for a roommate. :) It also created an extra spot in my course schedule my senior year of high school, which allowed me to take one class that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to squeeze in.

To echo what was said above ... if you can afford it and if she's interested, do it. If only one of those things is true, don't bother. Fifth grade may be a little early, but you'll have a better handle on her maturity level than I do -- I don't know many fifth graders these days. ;)