Best Summer Programs, and Competitions I should know about

J_Ho
Sat, 25 Dec 2004 19:27:30 +0000

Keep in mind that what I know of NCSSM is based upon the opinions of several friends and acquaintances who go/went there. What they say is not all there is to know, and it probably isn’t fair to judge the school just by what they say. But when these kids have all of these gripes about NCSSM, well, I think that’s something to keep in mind.

Anyway, my best advice would be to get to know NCSSM as best you can and be certain you are ready to specialize. Don’t forget, you have college and graduate school and the rest of your life to focus on math and science; it may not be a bad idea to try and get a more well-rounded education in high school. That was my reasoning in deciding not to go to NCSSM.

Also, my school system has a pretty awesome AP curriculum and great facilities for AP classes, so I can get pretty stellar instruction in math and science at home. You should probably consider the quality of your school system’s science curriculum and how going to NCSSM would improve. If going to NCSSM would be a major step up (and I bet it is most places), then maybe it is a better option for you than it was for me.

Lastly, the drug problem shouldn’t deter you. If you are willing to avoid it, it’s perfectly avoidable. NCSSM is a lot of work and stress, and I think there’s a lot of desire for some crazy escapism there. If you can be a bit more reasonable about all that, drugs probably aren’t something to worry about.