The Early Entrance Experience

Testimonials From Those Who Have Lived It

This page contains observations and remarks regarding the
Transition School and Early Entrance Program at UW

Comments below are sorted with most recent submissions first.

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I am a former student of the TS/EEP class of 2006. I was accepted when I was 13 years old, and stayed from September 2005 until February 2006. The TS/EEP program is a very good idea. It is too often that gifted secondary school students are made bored and apathetic by an educational system that is tailored for average kids. Most of my classmates are now happy freshmen at UW, well on their way to getting an undergraduate education. The classes at TS are engaging overall, and provide an in-depth and intriguing look into subjects that are usually made otherwise mundane. The teachers are all of the highest caliber of intellectual capability, and are willing to help whenever it is needed. However, I would strongly urge students who are considering the program to think about the other, very real side of this experience. The academics are not a problem for most people-all the subjects can be conquered with application and motivation. The problem is that the students are teenagers. It was a common phrase in my class that especially scattered people were "as forgetful as a TSer." There is a LOT of work thrown at TS students to complete in a very small amount of time. This is usually not a problem, but only for those who have not developed problems in other areas. My chief problem, and that of many of my classmates in TS was that I needed time. Not to do my homework, necessarily, but to grow as a young person. It is extremely hard to experience normal middle- and high-school situations in a very high pressure environment. In normally paced high school, the gifted student often has time for extracurricular activities, and can deal with social situations with a measure of perspective and time. TSers, on the other hand, do not have time. We felt we had to resolve complicated and sensitive situations nearly immediately, which led to a lot of problems. Also, in TS, there is a problem of approval. Every student is evaluated on a weekly basis not subjectively, but objectively, through a series of tutorial assignments. Unless the student has everything in order, which is only sometimes the case, or if the student is having serious emotional issues, there is no time taken to evaluate the student's well-being in a relaxed manner. The compounded stress of tutorial assignments and the scrutiny associated with every class assignment led to many problems with my class. I, as well as a few classmates, developed destructive approval-based behaviors that I believe would not have developed given more time. Additionally, many of my classmates got extremely low grades in subjects that were relatively easy, not because we didn't understand it, but because we had no time to really study and apply the information. This review is not meant to discourage anyone from applying to TS/EEP. For the right people, it provides an environment which can be very beneficial to socioemotional and educational development. There is simply a strong need to call for a serious consideration of priorities. It is much, much easier to speed up a high school education than slow down a college education. I thought I could completely succeed in TS before I entered the program. But, halfway through, I realized that I wanted some of my priorities to be outside academia before I became an adult. Now I am a sophomore in a public high school, and there are many somewhat boring school days, but I am still very busy with things I love to do. I have been able to take AP and college-level classes, and they have been challenging and fun. I would call TS a success for me. Not because I was able to complete the program, but because it gave me a strong reminder of where my real priorities lie. I have been able to pursue passions that I would not have been able to pursue in full strength at the UW. I am working hard and getting A's in classes that I failed in TS. I am still eagerly awaiting college, but now I will have a better sense of myself as a person and student when I get there, much more so than I had at the age of 13.

- Claire, Former Student (Class of 2006) Transition School and Early Entrance Program at UW

Looking up how my alma mater was doing on the Internet, I came across your web site as it shares similar keywords. I graduated from TS in 1989, finished my BS in 1994, went on to medical school, residency training, subspecialty fellowship training, and public health school before leaving academia and going into practice. Although the program has had a lasting impact on me - it taught me critical thinking, gave me extra years to pursue my intellectual interests, and led to some lifelong mentors/friends - parents need to look at it as only one part of hopefully the long, interesting life their children will lead. People care about what I am now, not what I did when I was in my teens. I worry about the trend of parents pressuring their kids to do more faster - witness the worlds of tennis, golf, etc. I was lucky to have parents who supported my education but encouraged me to take time off too (which I didn't do much of - I was quite eager to finish!). Parents need to assess the emotional maturity of their children and realize short-term gains do not really mean anything if it leads to early burnout. Extracurricular activities are important. The first question I was asked in one medical school interview was "What do you do for fun?" I played the violin and was stage director for the EEP's drama group. I also did 2.5 yrs of research and volunteer work in medical settings and schools. I think the true mark of an early entrance program's success should not be merely the number of Ph.D.s produced but the number of productive, happy alumni (of which I count myself as one).

- Lily Chu, Student (Class of 1994) Transition School and Early Entrance Program at UW

I am a graduate of the TS/EEP program about to receive my Master's of Arts in Education from UC Berkeley. I graduated in June 2002 from the UW with a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Zoology. (TS class of 1997) I plan to teach high school chemistry and/or biology in the Bay Area. I found EEP to be a wonderful program for me, it allowed me to explore many options that were unavailable at my high school. I was unable to advance at the pace I needed to and I felt unchallenged in high school. Going to TS and then EEP allowed me to be challenged again by school. I majored in science, but I also took several Roman history and art history courses and 2 years of Spanish. College allows you to pick what you want to study, rather than being told what classes you'll take each year. Even with the requirements, there's a lot of variety to choose from. Some people have concerns about the social aspects of early entrance. Yes, you won't get your typical high school experience. But to me, it was better then the "high school experience." I've made lifelong friends, and had a whole lot of fun doing it. EEP is a bonding experience, and the experiences we had, and continue to have when we get together during holidays or summers, are some of the most memorable in my life so far. As an example of the EEP experience, I've gone to 2 dances, been a techie for at least 3 plays (which actually broke even!), held and gone to multiple parties, gone on year-end trips with the whole of EEP, and gone on weekend trips with groups of people to Vancouver (twice) and the ocean. Some EEPers like to go on roadtrips, but I'm not that fond of them. :) In addition to my peers, I found the staff (my UW family) to be one of the most helpful things about EEP. In TS, you have 4 teachers who want you to succeed, and are available after hours and at home. (Try asking your high school or college teacher for her home phone number) Once in EEP, and taking all the classes out amongst the huge number of students, having a base of people that know the university, know you, and know how to help you is a BIG help. Most undergraduates have advisors that they talk to once or twice in their entire undergrad. And then it's just to change majors and ensure they take the correct courses. I talked to my advisor and the other staff probably at least once every week, and they were always available for quick question or to help me navigate the university system. This is not to say everyone should go to EEP or that it's perfect. It's hard, it's frustrating, and sometimes you just want to quit. But if you (the STUDENT) are motivated and really want to do this, you'll usually find a way to manage it. Plus, your peers, your family, and the staff all work to help you. If you're making a decision, talk to the staff, talk to the TSers and EEPers, and think about it!

- Katrina, Former Student (Class of 2002) Transition School and Early Entrance Program at UW

I am a Transition School graduate going on to the Early Entrance Program next fall. The quality of instruction, academic challenge and social life that I experienced as a TS student were greater than anything I had encountered in public or private school. We were treated as independent scholars on certain projects such as the history research paper, but encouraged to ask for help at any time. Each week, in fact, students have a one-on-one tutorial with the instructors. Everything in TS is designed to build the appropriate skills in time-management, research, mathematics, note-taking, the ability to ask for help, etc., that I'm sure will help me excel, not just survive, at UW. TS/EEP does require sacrifices of extra-curricular activities in the first year especially. During TS, a student can expect to have five hours of homework on a normal day. I found that keeping up violin, an instrument I had played for six years, very hard. However, if you are excited by the prospect of intense academics -- like I was -- you'll be surprised and pleased to learn that fellow students actually continue talking about issues discussed in class among themselves, and have fun with the schoolwork. The biggest concern for me in applying for EEP, besides my long commute, was the sponsoring university. I had always planned to go to a small liberal-arts college and the size of the classes at UW intimidated me. However, as I learned to navigate the university during seminars in TS and be aggressive in tracking down professors, it seemed to shrink and finding smaller classes in the Honors program and within departments seemed much easier. Though prospective EEP applicants might have planned on attending a university like the one I had hoped to attend, I have found that, with insider knowledge and skills that you learn in TS, the UW becomes a smaller and friendlier place. The students who will survive at TS/EEP cannot only be smart but also self-motivated, with a real love of academics and learning. If you have the necessary qualities, I think you would find the program a thrilling experience -- not only for academics but for the social life with other smart teenagers who -- as I found -- have more diverse interests than the high school prom.

- Emma, Student (Class of 2006) Transition School and Early Entrance Program at UW

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