Swimming in Deep Waters: 20 Years of Research About Early University Entrance at the University of Washington

Abstract

Radical acceleration from secondary school to university is an unusual educational option in the United States of America, yet it is one that more than 500 gifted young scholars have chosen at the University of Washington in Seattle since the inception of the Early Entrance Program in 1977 and the UW Academy for Young Scholars in 2001. From the beginning, research, using multiple methodologies, has carefully guided the evolution of these programs. The findings from these studies and recommendations for viable and successful early entrance programs are discussed in the context of early entrants’ intellectual, emotional, and social needs.