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Dear Prospective Students,
I'm Ian Oh, a 15-year-old student at The Davidson Academy. This past school year, 2013-2014,
was my fourth year at the Academy. I moved here from San Jose after I was accepted. Though I had already taken a tour of the school, it was a completely new experience being able to step through the doors as a student. It was a lot of challenging work, but that's the reason I applied. There were so many features at the school that I couldn't wait to take advantage of. The biggest one was probably the ability to take classes suited to your level.
For example, it didn't matter if you were performing at your age level in English
- if you were 12 and could do Calculus, then you took Calculus. Another thing that sets
the Academy apart from other schools is the ability to take college courses at
the University of Nevada, Reno. There was no limit to what you could do, as long as you could do it. For these reasons, I think that moving to Reno to attend the Academy was one of the smartest choices I've ever made.
The fact that the school has such a small population has a lot of effects on the way the school functions as well. More one-on-one time with teachers means that you understand anything that may seem confusing in the class. The teachers are really motivated to help the students get what they want done. At
The Davidson Academy, opportunities are everywhere, you just need to grab them.
~ Ian Oh, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
What's up, prospective students?
I'm Dylan Bowman, and I'm a Davidson Academy Senior. At the Academy, I've gotten a ton of experiences I don't think I'd be even close to having anywhere else. Between Sophomore and Junior year, I got the chance to be an intern at a local news station, where my stories were read on air from day one. I've taken some awesome classes that have led to really fun outside-the-school opportunities, like touring a semiconductor factory with Computer Science and making a Yearbook DVD at a University lab. Our teachers do whatever they need to so we can understand the material.
One thing that makes the Academy stand out to me is that I don't have only students for friends, but some of my teachers as well. Whether it's talking about concerts with my math teacher, learning how to play guitar from my history teacher, or getting life advice from my yearbook teacher, the staff understands that although academics are important, there is more to life than sitting in a classroom and they are willing to help us find a perfect balance.
Our link with the University of Nevada, Reno is something that (in my
opinion) can never be utilized to the fullest extent. As
pessimistic as that sounds, it's because there's SO MUCH at
the University to take advantage of. You can take classes (for example, I'm taking Calc III in the fall), use university facilities (I spend a lot of time editing video in the Dynamic Media Lab and play basketball at Lombardi Rec Center), or attend all sorts of great campus events (football games, movie nights, unlimited nacho bars [it was for charity]). Just when you think you've taken advantage of everything the campus has to offer, you discover there's even more to do.
Finally, I grew up in Reno, and all teenage angst-y "I wanna get outta here!" aside, the Reno area is a truly great place to be. Within an hour drive, you can go explore the desert (which is more fun than it sounds), go swimming in Lake Tahoe, go skiing/snowboarding, or check out all the cool places in town (I wouldn't even know where to start).
Overall, the Academy/University/Reno isn't just a place, it's an experience unlike any other. If you're at all interested in the school, I suggest applying. I think you'll love it.
~ Dylan Bowman, Sixth Year Davidson Academy Student
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 The Right Fit for You? While the deadline to submit applications for the 2014-2015 school year has passed, it’s not too early to think about 2015-2016. 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 2015-2016 school year, the application will be posted
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. 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.
Academy graduates from the classes of 2008 through 2014 have been
accepted to the colleges listed on the
Our Graduates page.
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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.
Register >
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Twenty-six Davidson Academy students celebrated their graduation at a ceremony last
month.
Read the press release.
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 Davidson
Academy student Karthik Rohatgi was featured
in the Edible Reno Tahoe article,
Building Good Habits. In 2011, Karhik created Farm Fresh For Kids, designed to help economically challenged, nutritionally at-risk families incorporate more fresh produce into their diets while simultaneously promoting and supporting small scale local farmers.
Karthik recruited several other Academy students to
participate in the project through the
years, and when he heads to Washington University in St. Louis for college in the fall,
Academy student Sarah Tacner will take over the leadership role.
Photo courtesy of Edible Reno Tahoe.
Davidson
Academy student Grace Hong has been awarded a full
scholarship to the
2014 Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) at the
University of Michigan, "Modernism Through Modern Art
and Theatre." Admission to the TASPs is highly
selective, with only 64 participants chosen from 1,275
applications from across the world.
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 “Something that is very unique to this school is the closely-knit student body. I find the small population to be a positive characteristic because it is very easy to make friends, and I can honestly say that I know the name of every single student who attends the Academy.”
Anna Fuchs, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
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