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Early entrance from secondary school to university, based on the principle of optimal match, is a rare but highly effective educational strategy for many gifted students. The University of Washington offers two early entrance options for gifted adolescents: the Early Entrance Program for students prior to age 15, and the UW Academy for Young Scholars for students after Grade 10. This study assessed the elements of optimal match that are best suited to different age groups. Four cohorts of Early Entrance Program and UW Academy students were surveyed on various themes, including their assessment of the transition and support services available to them, their satisfaction with the degree to which they had accelerated their education, their experience with family and friends, and their assessment of their own talents and abilities. Results suggested that similarities and differences in accelerative components exist for students of different ages. All early entrants need a period of intellectual preparation in a supportive and rigorous environment; a peer group; a home-base; communication with parents; a faculty and staff who enjoy teaching, advising, and mentoring gifted young scholars; and a welcoming university or college environment. However, programs for younger students need to provide more intensive academic transitioning during the first year, and programs for older students must balance students' competing needs for independence and guidance. Adequate preparation of parents and the institutional environment also are important to the success of early entrants, regardless of age. (Contains 3 tables.)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert