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Why, hello there. I would invite you to come in and take a seat, but this is an eNewsletter, not my house. Either way, go ahead and sit down. There's no point in reading while standing. Too much multitasking for me. Anyway, I'm Caelan Caudell, a senior this year at
The Davidson Academy. I've been at the Academy since my first year of middle school, so I've been able to see nearly everything at this school. I applied here because I heard that it was a great opportunity and boy, was that right. Applying to
the Academy is probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.
The first thing I want to mention is the fact that the Academy opens so many doors for its students. At
the Academy, there are all kinds of privileges and opportunities that students can take advantage of, particularly because
the Academy is connected with the University of Nevada, Reno. Academically, many students take University classes, either as a means to further advance their education or to explore a topic that isn't traditionally covered in high school.
The University offers even more opportunities than just classes though, and students at
the Academy are able to take equal advantage of those. The Knowledge Center, for example, is an excellent resource that is available to
Academy students. Within the Academy itself, there are equally great opportunities through clubs and classes, such as competitions, volunteering, and stuff that may be just plain fun or interesting.1
Let's face the fact that ye olde public school isn't too popular amongst many people. There are all kinds of criticisms that people can make about public schools, but I believe that there is little that people can truly complain about at
the Academy. Is it perfect? No, but nothing truly is. I do believe, however, that
the Academy offers one of the best experiences that intellectual students can hope for. If you read any (literally any) previous Student to Student section, you will read praise of all of
the Academy teachers. Praise that I believe is very well earned. The teachers are truly second to none. They do an excellent job of conveying lessons, helping students, and developing interest in a topic. The curriculum is definitely advanced, but with such great teachers around, it's never a struggle that you're on your own with.2 On top of that, they're just pretty cool people. Let's give credit where credit is due though; teachers aren't the only staff there. Of course there's the admin, counselors, and so on who probably do way more than any of us really know. When I think about all of the personnel at
the Academy (and, of course, Jan and Bob Davidson), I get the feeling that they are all truly dedicated to the students and to making their academic experience amazing.
 Naturally, a school isn't made up of only personnel; there are the students. We have a pretty small student body of less than 150 students, which is something that I like because it just makes the school feel close-knit (at least, more so than in regular public schools). Even if you don't personally know somebody, you still kind of "know" them. You know what I mean? Anyway, with such a small population, I find it easier to develop better relationships with not just other students, but with teachers and counselors. Even though we have such a small population, you can still find several things in common with many other people, so making friends shouldn't be too hard.
Now, the main message that I want to convey to potential students is this: do not be intimidated of attending. It can seem a bit ambitious when you apply to a school that labels itself "for profoundly gifted students," but if you get in, you will definitely have your own place in the school. Academically, if you are accepted, then you can and will survive. Trust me. Socially, we're all just kids and teenagers. A lot of people might have the impression that everyone here is a genius and that we walk around talking about quantum mechanics and discussing Faulkner. While there is naturally intellectual discussion around
the Academy, we still enjoy and appreciate everyday things. We joke around, have fun, be weird, and so on.
The Davidson Academy is definitely a world away from normal high schools. The experience that I've acquired here (an opportunity that is open to anyone who applies) is so unique and rewarding that I wouldn't trade it for anything else.
- Because the school is pretty small, the range of clubs may not be as wide as with traditional public schools. However, you can actually start a club for anything as long as you have enough people.
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The DA is really good with flexibility and work management. The curriculum can definitely get difficult, but the teachers, counselors, and admin all make sure that it's something you can handle.
~ Caelan Caudell, Senior Davidson Academy Student
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2015-2016 Application Available
The Davidson Academy of Nevada application for the 2015-2016 school year is now available! Visit the
How to Apply page to
access the online application system. If you are looking for an environment to better fit your social and academic needs, The Davidson Academy may be the place for you!
The Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of profoundly gifted middle and high school students who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests, such as the SAT or ACT. Please review the recently updated
Qualification Criteria page of our website as these scores are mandatory for student eligibility. On the
Application Review Process
page, you will find detailed information about the
on-site assessment.
Upcoming Tours for Prospective Students
Each month during the school year, The Davidson Academy hosts a tour for prospective students and their parents. At these tours, visitors meet current Academy students, parents, faculty and staff, and ask specific questions about the school.
Upcoming school tours will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the following
Fridays: 
- Sept. 26, 2014
- Oct. 24, 2014
- Nov. 21, 2014
- Dec. 12, 2014
- Jan. 30, 2015
- Feb. 27, 2015
For details, including directions to The Davidson Academy and RSVP information, please visit the
Tours page. If you would like more information, please contact us at
outreach@davidsonacademy.unr.edu.
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 In conjunction with the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS), The Davidson Academy will serve as a test site for the two-hour
EXPLORE® test on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. The EXPLORE® test, developed by ACT for 8th graders, is an effective above-level test for younger students (grades 4-6), and provides the opportunity to demonstrate their advanced abilities. An EXPLORE® test score can be used in the context of eligibility criteria for the
Davidson Young Scholars program as well as
The Davidson Academy. The goal of BESTS is to
discover students who need further educational challenge to
fully realize their academic talent. The cost is $65 and
the initial deadline to register
is this Monday, Sept. 1.
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A
number of Davidson Academy students traveled across the world this
summer. They describe their experiences below.
 My name is Karly McCutcheon and I am
15 years old and
entering my second year at The Davidson Academy. This summer I
traveled to Costa Rica with ten other Girl Scouts and two adult
chaperones from my council and had a fantastic time! I will have
been a Girl Scout in the Sierra Nevada council for 11 years this
coming spring, and leapt at the opportunity council offers every
other year to travel abroad. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and
I greatly enjoyed spending 10 days immersed in the culture and a
tour of several different regions. I planted an endangered species
of tree in a cloud forest, went horseback riding in the pouring
rain, and went down the longest zip-line in Central and South
America, almost a mile long! This trip was an incredible
opportunity, and I loved every minute. I made friends from a Girl
Scout council in Indiana (they shared our tour bus), and made
memories to last a lifetime. I am very grateful to have had this
amazing experience, and plan on traveling with the Girl Scouts again
soon!
 Hi! My name is Rebecca Bennett, I'm 16, and I'm about to enter my
junior year at the Academy. This summer, I've been living in China
on the National Security
Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Scholarship to study Chinese language and culture. I'm really interested
in the Chinese language and hope to one day become fluent enough to
live and work here full time! Because of this trip, I'll be
returning to the academy much more culturally aware and much more
motivated in my Chinese studies. I heard about this opportunity from
a friend during a debate tournament, and I'm so thankful that I did!
The NSLI-Y Scholarship is a Department of State funded program that
gives full scholarships to high-school-aged kids to study uncommonly
taught languages--not just Chinese. It's an amazing program and I
will always be grateful for the opportunity given to me! My Chinese has improved a lot, and my knowledge of
this wonderful place has increased as well. If you're interested in
traveling abroad, this is a great opportunity.
 I'm
Katherine Oakley and I'm a senior at The Davidson Academy. This
summer I had the opportunity to go to Warner Valley, Ore. to participate in archeological fieldwork focused on the ancient Paleo-Indians of the Great Basin, who lived about 10,000 years ago. As part of a team made up mostly of University
of Nevada, Reno graduate students, I got to experience what field work is really like (the tedious parts and the fun parts) and get a little glimpse of what it would really be like to be an archeologist. Professor Geoffrey Smith of
the University treated me like I was any archeologist in training, so I got the opportunity to dig up stone tools (both handheld ones and projectile points) that are older than the great pyramids in Egypt. Not only that, but I got to be there when ancient sandals were discovered, something very rare and very exciting in Great Basin archeology. As amazing as the archeological knowledge I gained is, the unique experiences I had driving all over the northwest with a bunch of grad students are equally as valuable and something I wouldn’t give up for the world.
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U.S. Senator Harry Reid (NV)
recently stopped by The Davidson Academy to meet and speak with
a number of students.
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This week The Daily Beast ranked more than 700 of the country’s public high schools using six key indicators. Ranked at #30, The Davidson Academy is listed as one of the top public high schools in America, with graduation and college acceptance rates weighing most heavily.
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 “One of the great things about The Academy is that it has a really diverse group of kids when it comes to pretty much everything. Not everyone here is completely engrossed in schoolwork, so if you’re like me, and you like to play sports more than you like school, there’s a place for you here. But, the even cooler thing is, if you are really into school, there is just as big of a place here for you.”
Lindsey Shoenhard, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
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