Yesterday, C, K and I went to Discovery Day" at North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) in Durham, NC.
What you may ask is NCSSM? It is a State funded residence type High School for students with an aptitude for Science and Math. To get into the school, each of the 13 congressional districts are approximately represented equally. This prevents any one High School from dominating due to high achievement area (like Raleigh area or Chapel Hill) The average congressional district initially gets about 25 offers to students, but all must qualify to the standards. There is no backing down the standards.
Should a student decide to decline the offer, the offer goes to the next highest qualifying student, not necessarily from the congressional district. This way, the school gets the best students available, while fulfilling the mandate for balance from each congressional district.
C really liked what she saw, as did K and I. The HS is run like a college, with most classes being chosen and specialty concentrations available. The thinking is that C is really unchallenged in her HS and this will help prepare her for the demands of college. She is the one that chose to investigate this school.
The State of NC funds it, so there is no direct cost. No cars are permitted. It will require a notebook computer.
The people that we saw did NOT look like geeks and nerds. All were very bright kids, but no pocket protectors, slide rules, and the stereotypical crazed looks. It would be like going to a HS where all the kids are high achieving kids. There are many varsity sports to join, like basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, swimming, all the normal HS sports except Football.
The final advantage of going to NCSSM is that tuition for any NC State funded University is waived for 4 years upon graduation from NCSSM. Books, Room and Board are extra, but tuition is free.
It is a very competitive process, one that has been very interesting for C. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she will find out in Mid-April.
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3 comments:
Woohoo, fingers are crossed here!
And it's been my (admittedly biased) experience that so-called nerd schools are populated with a range of normal-looking people doing normal things, with a few outliers in all directions. Just like regular schools.
The key difference that I've seen is that the playing field is leveled in one dimension so that one is no longer identified by one characteristic (smartness) which allows a fuller range of other personal characteristics to be expressed. So you get to see fashion-plates and stoners and nerdy-nerds and student-government grease types and jocks and surfers and goths, just like other typical kids of their age. They look normal because they are normal and because they don't have to wear "smart kid" group identification markers because that's the whole group. Smart isn't a differentiator or a mark of rebellion or status, allowing them to develop other definitions of who they are. Assuming the teachers don't constantly feed them the "You're better than them" line, that is, and these days, most know not to.
It's both a good thing and a bad thing that everyone is so smart though. Things really jump quickly and it's easy to get into challenging, fun material. On the other hand, suddenly, half of them are below average, which can be hard to deal with.
Again, good for C and my fingers are crossed!
Hey D - Hugs to C for even being considered! Also, hugs to C for also considering this move -- what a challenge academically and as a person!
I wonder if they have an internet connection there....cuz smart kids know how to use the internet....HA! - tag..you are it!
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