I’m Roberto. I’m a senior, and I’ve been at the school since I moved to Reno at the beginning of 8th grade.
Having spent the last five years of my life here, if I had to describe the experience with one word, it would be change.
Making the decision to move from Detroit, Mich. to Reno in order to attend
The Davidson Academy has easily been the largest change of my life.
The climate, scenery and people changed, as did the entire atmosphere.
The biggest change was in the educational opportunities that I was presented with. In my old schools I had been restricted from acceleration, and even occasionally stopped from progressing at all. I remember one specific case where I was actually forced to go down a grade level in math when I switched schools because they “had a different textbook” that they wanted to familiarize me with. But at the Academy, the entire dynamic is exactly the opposite. I have been encouraged to go as quickly and as far as I can with my interests, and if the Academy didn’t already have a class to accommodate me, they either created one or found me one at the University of Nevada, Reno.
The other major change was in the social aspect of life in and outside school. When I was in Michigan, I was a bit of an outsider and I had maybe one or two close friends
that I spent my time with. At the Academy, I have quite a few friends that I spend a lot of time with. The chance to interact with people who are not only as smart as me, but perhaps even smarter, has created an incredible social environment I don’t think I would find anywhere else.
The decision to attend the Academy was, without a doubt, the single best educational decision I and my family have made throughout my academic career, and the social aspect has been almost as influential. I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if I hadn’t attended, and I am really glad I got the chance.
~ Roberto Gochicoa, Fifth Year Davidson Academy Student
Students are
appropriately challenged while learning
at a pace and depth consistent with the
knowledge, skills and motivation.
Students develop Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) to guide them through a rigorous core
curriculum and choose electives.
Students can earn college credits while accessing resources and mentorship
opportunities at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Students build friendships and pursue extracurricular
activities with same-age intellectual peers.
Students regularly meet one-on-one with an academic advisor, who has
experience working with profoundly gifted youth.
2013-2014 Application Available
If you think The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the right fit for you, consider applying for the 2013-2014 school year! Visit the
How to Apply page to download the application PDF files. 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:
Jan. 25, 2013
Feb. 15, 2013
March 8, 2013
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.
2013 THINK Summer Institute - Applications Now Available!
Applications are
now available for the 2013
THINK Summer Institute,
a three-week residential summer program on the campus of
the University of Nevada, Reno where students can earn
up to six college credits by completing two university
courses. THINKers have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the University campus where the Academy is located. THINK will run from July 13 through Aug. 3. Tuition is $3,250 and covers course credits, books and materials, room and board and the cost of planned activities. Need-based scholarships are available. To qualify, students must be 13 to 16 years old during THINK and must meet or exceed composite SAT score of 1130 (excludes writing portion) or ACT score of 26. The application deadline is March 1, 2013. Homeschooled students are eligible to apply.
Apply today!
2013 Davidson Fellows
Scholarship Category
requirements for the 2013 Davidson Fellows scholarships are
available online.
Young people 18 and younger have the opportunity to earn
a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition
of a significant piece of work in the categories of
Science, Technology, Mathematics, Music, Literature and
Philosophy, or a project that represents Outside the Box
thinking. The application deadline is February 20, 2013.
Students recently had a blast dancing the night away at the Academy's semi-formal winter dance,
The Snow Ball. It was an exciting, fun-filled night for all involved!
The
Academy
student council recently hosted a dodgeball tournament on
the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The tournament was
designed to promote physical fitness among students at the
Academy.
What are some of the things you do to assist students at the Academy? Some of my responsibilities working with students include advising meetings where we discuss how everything is going for them and if there is anything they need support
or help with, such as assistance with study skills and organization. I also monitor independent study projects
each semester as well as help students set up these opportunities. I am one of the advisors for our Student Council, so I help this group with events and planning.
What is your favorite part about working with Academy students?
The students! They are a fantastic group and I find my work with them to be so rewarding. There is never a dull moment. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love with such a great group of young people.
How do you accommodate for the needs of first-time Academy students?
We meet with all of our students for academic advising a minimum of once a month. For new students, we make an effort to meet with them every other week to offer extra support as they make the transition to our school. However, we are always available to meet with them.
How do you work with the teachers to best determine how to guide the students? We work really closely and are in regular communication with teachers so that we can be as supportive and effective for the student as possible.
Filmed two years ago, this video still contains
relevant information for those wanting to learn what makes the Academy unique from firsthand accounts of those who know the school best – students, parents, instructors and staff. Hear about the school’s curriculum, social atmosphere and the Reno-Tahoe area. Subscribe to the
Academy's
YouTube channel where you can rate and comment on all the videos posted.
“While The Davidson Academy definitely has an awesome academic environment, the social environment is even better . . . I’ve made many, many friends, and had learning experiences that couldn’t happen anywhere else.”
Colbie Chinowsky, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
If you have been forwarded this Davidson Academy
Prospective Student eNewsletter, and wish to receive future
newsletters, sign-up here.
Dear Prospective Students:
The chance to interact with people who are not only as smart as me, but perhaps even smarter, has created an incredible social environment I don’t think I would find anywhere else.
What
Sets The Davidson Academy Apart?
2013 THINK Summer Institute - Applications Now Available!
Category
requirements for the 2013 
Some of my responsibilities working with students include advising meetings where we discuss how everything is going for them and if there is anything they need support
or help with, such as assistance with study skills and organization. I also monitor independent study projects
each semester as well as help students set up these opportunities. I am one of the advisors for our Student Council, so I help this group with events and planning.
“While The Davidson Academy definitely has an awesome academic environment, the social environment is even better . . . I’ve made many, many friends, and had learning experiences that couldn’t happen anywhere else.”
