UW News

November 26, 2002

Academy for Young Scholars seeking Puget Sound’s best and brightest

The University of Washington’s new Academy for Young Scholars, like the Marine Corps, is looking for a few good recruits. The academy is seeking outstanding young scholars — high school sophomores — in the Puget Sound area for its fall 2003 class.

The academy will hold an informational meeting for prospective students and their parents from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec.11 in room 147 of Architecture Hall on the UW’s Seattle Campus.

“This new program offers an exciting opportunity for students ready to do college work,” said Robert Vaughan, associate director of the academy. “The academy is for high school sophomores who are preparing themselves to take college-level courses in such programs as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Running Start. We’d like them to consider entering the UW and the academy as freshmen in the honors program.”

The academy was launched this fall with 32 students in the initial class and hopes next year to have an enrollment of 35 students living within commuting distance of the UW. Eventually the academy will grow to 50 students a year from throughout Washington when special housing is available for participants.

The academy is part of the UW’s Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars, which is nationally known for serving students who enter college early. The academy is distinct from the center’s Early Entrance Program which is for middle school-age students. In addition to early admission, the academy also offers incoming students special classes to do intensive college preparatory work prior to the fall semester and is designed to create a cohesive peer group among the students who will take some common honors classes such as western civilization and English composition, according to Vaughan.

The informational meeting is designed to allow prospective students and their parents to talk with staff and students enrolled in the academy. Participants include Kathleen Noble, director of the Robinson Center; Julie Villegas, acting director of the UW honors program; and Vaughan.

Interested students or parents may obtain more information about the academy by calling (206) 543-4160 on the web at http://depts.washington.edu/cscy/

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For more information, contact Vaughan at (206) 543-4160 or rvaughan@u.washington.edu