I agree about the peer group - we do our local group activities and also attend the Summit. The Summit has educational and social opportunities for both parents and children. My DS goes to a HG school but he is still a bit of an outlier there so it is nice to have DYS for that. I have not really used an advocate but have scoured the online resources for school/parenting/social emotional development and 2e issues.

ElizabethN - check out his link - my DS did this daycamp this past summer and there are lots of kids that like to play god/goddess there.

http://bookpeoplecamphalfblood.wordpress.com/

I know they had something in Vancouver/BC last year but don't know much about it. http://imaginestem.org/Campdemigod/camp-...ts-wa-branch-3/

Forgive my naive question... My son is in 8th grade. Is it still beneficial for him to become a DYS scholar at this point? Also, does everyone who meet the criteria get in, or is it just a minimum requirement for applying? I'm sure these questions have probably been asked many times before, but hope someone will let me know... Thanks.

There are several programs just for that age range, to age 18, so it would be worth looking at whether they would be useful for him.

Thanks indigo and connectingdots. The main purpose would be to find a peer group, to get advice on navigating high school and to find more summer programs... I will definitely read about the programs carefully.

Playandlearn, I would say "yes" and "pretty much." I have learned tons from other DYS parents about issues related to high school and college, and there have been plenty of older kids at the gatherings I have been to. As for the 2nd question, if you spend time looking back at the posts on this board, you will see that kids who meet the minimum requirements on both IQ and achievement do tend to get in, as long as the letter and other info in the application don't raise any red flags.

We had good experiences for our oldest son when he was in the Davidson Young Scholars program, and he still keeps up with young people he met in the program now that they are all aged out. As a parent, I cherish the parent community I met through the program. We may be applying for a younger sibling of our YS alumnus in a while, and we will be glad to be back on board if he gets on board.

I'm looking at applying for DD9, and will be using her ACT Explore scores and a portfolio. My question is about the portfolio pieces - do they want to see .pdfs of her actual work or would something like a STAR Reading Diagnostic Report showing her reading at a post-high school level be a good piece to include?

I am also considering applying for DD10 with EXPLORE scores and a portfolio. She is strongest in reading and science. Where can I find worksheets that show above grade level? It is hard for me to understand what is above grade level and what is not. Any sites people like to print things from?

We have only been to one relatively local event and it was good to see the kids connecting and also to meet parents who have been through or are going through similar experiences.

I exaggerate for effect here but walking into a room full of DYS folks felt a bit like how you would imagine people (humans) would feel in a post apocalypse zombie world when they find a sanctuary full of other humans LOL

Don't be intimidated by the entrance requirements I think anyone that can jump the bar is in barring red flags.

We are looking forward to leveraging the summit when our DD gets a bit older ourselves as the importance of finding fellow chrysalids will undoubtably increase as she gets into her teens.

You are freaking out unnecessarily.