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Student to
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 My name is Elliot Glazer, and I
am a recent graduate of The Davidson Academy. This was only my second year here, but they have been two of the most exciting years of my life.
You all know the story. I came from a school that didn’t handle gifted kids well at all, telling them to stick to the curriculum no matter what. When I came to the Academy, they actually gave me placement tests to see the level of my abilities, a concept apparently foreign to many high schools. Thanks to this, I was able to show that I could handle a curriculum that very few other schools would let me take. Taking all these hard courses has been very difficult, to say the least, but I am happy I have gotten
to learn all that I could. It certainly helps that my peers here are also able to fully understand and appreciate these classes, making for complex and interesting discussions about our lessons a common occurrence, in and out of the classroom.
Of course, most of you are probably aware of all of this from a simple stroll through the website. I suppose one of the more unusual parts of the Academy learning experience that I could touch on is the effects of the extremely low student-to-teacher ratio. My classes have ranged from having five to 12 students in them, making it very easy to connect with fellow students and our teachers. This allows us to avoid the stifling formality that is required to maintain order in the classrooms of much larger schools, with classes instead consisting of conversations between the students and the teacher. The teachers really enjoy this, being able to learn from the students and getting to know them personally. Discussions feel like they are among groups of rational adults and not just one learned person imparting information to students in a one-way streak.
I definitely have gotten quite close to some of my teachers. For example, the teacher of my first morning class begins each day with a “warm-up,” some 5-10 minute activity that helps to wake us (sometimes sleep-deprived) students up before our day of schoolwork begins. These activities have helped us as a class, including the teacher herself, to really bond and get to know each other. A couple of my teachers here even like to be called by their first name, helping to emphasize that we are all peers in this institution of learning, and that no one is inherently superior or holds all of the answers. I feel that I have had very good relationships with all of my Academy teachers, and that has helped our classes not only be more productive, but fun and enjoyable as well.
I know a lot of people interested in coming to The Davidson Academy feel bored at their current schools. If you come here, not only will you get to enroll in harder courses, but partake in more interesting classes as well.
~ Elliot Glazer, Davidson Academy Graduate
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Program Updates |
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The Right Fit for You?
While the deadline to submit applications for the 2013-2014 school year has passed, it’s not too early to think about 2014-2015. If you are looking for an environment to better fit your social and academic needs, The Davidson Academy of Nevada may be the place for you!
If you are interested in applying to The Davidson Academy for the 2014-2015 school year, the application will be posted
later this summer. Please review the
Qualification Criteria and
How to Apply pages of our website for more information. 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. On the
Application Review Process page, you will find detailed information about the on-site assessment.
Upcoming Tours for Prospective Students - New Dates Announced!
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. 20, 2013
- Oct. 18, 2013
- Nov. 15, 2013
- Dec. 13, 2013
- Jan. 31, 2014
- Feb. 14, 2014
- March 14, 2014
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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EXPLORE Test to be offered at Academy in October |
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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, Oct.
19, 2013. 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. To register,
click
here.
Also, The Davidson Academy will be hosting a
public tour the day before the Explore Test, on Friday, Oct.
18.
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Student
Activities |
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Academy Student Takes Part in 2013 Nevada Boys' State Delegation
 Academy student Anthony Dyer recently participated in the 2013
Nevada Boys' State delegation.
He describes his experiences below.
I participated in the 2013 Nevada Boys' State delegation this summer. I came in expecting little, but counselors kept telling me it would change my life.
Coming out of the program, I can honestly say it has. By the end of the week, I had negotiated and campaigned my way to the Governorship, the most powerful position anyone there could hold. More than that, I really found my voice during the program. I didn't write speeches, instead deciding to speak honestly from my thoughts and notes. I found that I really enjoyed being able to get a message across to 200 kids, moving them emotionally and persuading them logically.
This camp has changed my life not only in boosting my confidence and allowing me to make life-long friends, but also in helping me
find a passion and skill inside myself that I didn't know existed.
I'm re-considering some of my career choices, and I think as a
result of my experience at this camp I might look into student
government or speech and debate in college.
Academy Student Named Eagle Scout
Congratulations to Davidson Academy student Addison Cram, who recently became an Eagle Scout! Addison applied his work with the Davidson Academy’s Pedestrian Safety Project toward his Eagle Scout Project. The motto of the Pedestrian Safety Project, headed by the Academy Robots, Rockets & Radio (RRR) club, is “Look Up, Unplug, Stay Safe.”
“I congratulate Addison on his achievement of being named an Eagle Scout,” said Bob Davidson, co-founder of the Davidson Academy. “The perseverance and resilience involved in becoming an Eagle Scout teaches valuable lessons that mirror many of the Academy’s core values, such as responsibility, integrity, leadership and respect. Everyone at the Academy is very proud of Addison and this accomplishment.”
Pictured below are photos from Addison’s Eagle Scout ceremony.
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In the News |
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 GreatSchools.org
Davidson Academy student Nathan Bergrin was featured in the GreatSchools.org video, "Educating Nathan: One mother’s epic quest to find the right school for her profoundly gifted son."
Colleen Harsin, the director of the Academy, was also
interviewed.
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 “While athletically and socially the school has really supported me, hands down, the academic opportunities the Academy offers are my favorite part of the school .
. . Little did I know how much I really did fit in intellectually and how much it would have an impact on me. At first it took time and hard work to adjust to the rigorous classes, but thanks to the help of teachers, advisors, and other students I actually adapted to the new environment faster than I expected.”
Sofia Baig, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
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