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Student to
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 Dear Prospective Student,
My name is Prem Kumar and I am a senior at The Davidson Academy of Nevada. This is my fourth year at the Academy and I feel sad knowing this
is my last one.
Before I even joined the Academy, I was uncertain on whether this school was right for me. It seemed great academically on paper, but more importantly, I wanted to know the learning atmosphere of the school.
The Academy has truly been a blessing for me; the amount of effort and time that goes into creating a better academic environment is amazing, and is something I am extremely thankful for. The opportunity to take classes at the University of Nevada,
Reno is invaluable. At normal schools, I was never particularly challenged or interested in any of the classes they offered. Now I am free to take any class I desire and have it satisfy some requirement for graduation
- there is no restriction to what I can take at the Academy. Another added benefit of taking classes at
the University is the connections you can have with the University professors. The many research positions that professors offer
are great learning experiences and have proven priceless when the time comes for college applications. There is no other school that offers so many educational opportunities and challenges its student body
like the Academy does.
The Academy instructors and staff continue to do everything they can to make this school the best in the nation. Due to the school’s scheduling flexibility, I am now able to manage Academy classes, University classes and volunteering/sports activities during the school day. In the years I attended the Academy, I have always been appropriately challenged at this school.
I have never regretted my decision in attending The Davidson Academy of Nevada; it is undoubtedly the best decision I have made in my life. This school offers so much more than normal public schools. I hope you apply, because The Davidson Academy can really impact your future for the better.
~ Prem Kumar, Fourth Year Davidson Academy Student
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Get to Know Us |
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 As the school year moves forward, it’s hard to believe we are already approaching the midway point of the semester! With
16 of our students graduating in May, we are helping them think about their future and locate the best match
for their future academic and personal options. To accomplish this, we have set up weekly guidelines to assist graduating students throughout this arduous process, and have an independent college consultant working closely with them. For more information, see the
College Advising page on the Academy website.
We hope you will consider applying to The Davidson Academy for the 2013-2014 school year, or attend one of our tours (see details below)!
~ Colleen Harsin, Director of The Davidson Academy of Nevada
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Program Updates |
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 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. 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: Nov. 30 and Dec. 14. 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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Student
Activities |
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Coinciding with
the upcoming presidential election, students at The Davidson
Academy also recently held elections for this school year.
Dixee Kimball
(pictured, left) was elected as Student Council President
and Vishvass Ravikumar (pictured,
right) was elected as Vice President.
It was just Spirit Week at The Davidson Academy. Students showed their school spirit and creativity by dressing up and having some fun!
 Davidson Academy students recently participated in a Fall Festival to help raise funds for Academy clubs. The event, organized by the Student Council featured
Super Smash Bro Brawl, Mario Kart, Stellar Frisbee, Oobleck, Plinko,
a bake sale, Wheel-of-Fortune, a beanbag toss and more!
Congratulations to the following Davidson Academy students for their recent accomplishments:
- Davidson Academy students Sofia Baig, Roberto Gochicoa, Ikya Kandula and Min-Soo Kim are among about 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation recognized by the
National Merit Scholarship Program
for their exceptional performance on the
2011 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test. Commended Students placed among the top
5 percent of more than 1.5 million students
who took the test.
- Academy students Amanda Bak, Rebecca Bauer and Dennis Wei have been accepted to participate in the 2012 Washoe County
School District High School Honor Orchestra.
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Meet Ms. Xu,
Academy Instructor |
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 What subjects do you teach at the Academy?
I teach Mandarin Chinese, Advanced Asian Studies and Eastern Philosophy.
What is your favorite part about working with Academy students?
I enjoy working with the Academy students because
they allow me to be constantly challenged in class. The challenge makes me firmly believe that teaching is re-learning and keeping learning pushes me to teach better.
How do you make studying foreign languages both interesting and fun?
I often integrate pair and group work, the Total Physical Responses method, games, audio-visual equipment, and other electronic and visual resources in my teaching to engage students. Whenever possible, I encourage my students to personalize the contents and to make the knowledge relevant to them. I also teach cyclically, frequently recycling what has been learned and presenting course materials as a cohesive whole rather than as disjointed elements. This helps students see that the bits of information they learn each day are pieces to a puzzle and will
give them a sense of accomplishment in the end. To keep students motivated, I also accommodate their personal interests and learning styles.
How important is it to have a grasp on foreign languages in our increasingly globalized world?
I personally think that with the irresistible globalization of today’s world, the mastering of a foreign language not only enables one to be more competitive in the global job market but more importantly, it encourages understanding and respect for other people and cultures.
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Campus Home on the University of Nevada, Reno |
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 The Academy is located in the
renovated Jot Travis
building, centrally located on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. This
30,000 square foot facility includes classrooms, student study areas, music
practice rooms, a school library, a courtyard and a high-tech security system.
Wireless Internet and SMART classroom technology are
available throughout the building. Laptops can be checked out for use
during the school day, and Academy students have access to University
resources including an extensive online library system.
University of Nevada, Reno Fast Facts:
- Offers more than 145 undergraduate and graduate degree programs
- Recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Program sponsor school
- Has an enrollment of 18,000 students
- Established in 1874 as Nevada’s land-grant college
- Located in northern Nevada at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain
range, minutes away from downtown and less than an hour away from
Lake Tahoe and skiing
For more information, please view the
University Resources page on the Academy website.
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“The Academy is an amazing experience
because everyone here truly wants to
learn. Having academic peers for almost
the first time has been a truly
wonderful experience as well . . . none
of us have to be 'the smart kid'
anymore. Because we don’t have to fit
into this stereotype we are perfectly
free to be ourselves.”
Chloe Williamson, Davidson Academy Graduate (pictured, left)
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