<p>Vlines, thank you, I did not know about the program you mentioned! It looks interesting!</p>
<p>premed4, No my parents are not actually. My mother is a wonderful mother, but not much an of scholar. My dad is more scholarly (BS in Physics) but not anything noteworthy. He did demand rigorous studies in the mathematical sciences though from an early age, starting with me (I have three sisters…an only boy). My older sister is a psychology major, and my youngest sister is a 7 year old (though not NEARLY as gifted as my eight year old sister).</p>
<p>IBfootballer, I actually used to think she was until several doctors and family physicians said that she was not. She just really likes mathematics.</p>
<p>enfieldacademy, Actually one of the most decorated performers at the IMO is a female, Lisa Sauermann (German). To answer your question yes, we are black, we are first generation Americans. I came to America when, I was 6, I’m originally from Eritrea, a small country in East Africa.</p>
<p>Even if she’s mentally able to handle a college courseload, college is just not an appropriate environment for an 8 year old. College kids may be nice to her but they’ll probably have trouble seeing her as a true peer, and she’ll miss out on a lot socially. It seems that what would be better is either sending her to an elite high school (if that’s an option), continuing enrichment programs outside of school (this would also allow her time to develop her own interests, and since she’s smart enough to go off to college as a child she’ll be able to find worthwhile ways to spend her time), or, and I still wouldn’t suggest this so young, at least an early college, like Bard College at Simon’s Rock, a college for kids who are graduating a few years early. It gives kids a college education while still allowing them to be with a student body closer to their age group. Not that I’m an expert or anything close, but my recommendation would be to look into other options.</p>
<p>Wait so you go to the school, and you attend school with your peers, but you graduate with a degree while they are completing their high school courses? Or am I way off?</p>
<p>Admittedly have not read the last two pages, but I would highly suggest she stays in school until she understands how to be humble. Look - I can sympathize, I learned the equivalent of BC Calc when I was 10. I stayed in HS until I was 18 regardless, and I didn’t even have maturity issues like calling people out for every error, etc. The number one way to get picked on is to come off as a prodigy who can’t restrain themselves. Nobody likes feeling the fool, least of all tenured professors or more ordinary students.</p>
<p>Did I stay in HS too long? Yeah, probably. I developed horrible habits because I never needed to apply myself in anything other than English (although on that front, my writing improved DRAMATICALLY in HS). But kids are not really self-aware enough to do well on their own. I would suggest planning for 14-15, 13 at the earliest. Remember - not letting a kid learn how to socialize well is just setting them up for professional failure. There’s very few places anymore where a neurotically brilliant recluse can thrive.</p>
<p>Random anecdote: I was talking to a Harvard alum who graduated at 19 the other day, and she was saying pretty much the same thing.</p>
<p>AbielB
Profoundly gifted kids just don’t last in college at an extremely young age unless a parent lives with them and continues in their role as a parent. That is why it is so rare for a child to actually go away to college- 4 year colleges simply don’t have the support systems in place for a pre-adolescents or have places where a parent can live while a child attends classes. Very, very few will take the chance and accept a child for those reasons.<br>
Have your parents investigate the Davidson Institute- there simply isnt a better place for someone her age, and with her abilities.</p>
<p>No, if your sister can get perfect scores on the IMO, she is a savant. Someone who just really likes mathematics can maybe get on the US team sometime in high school, and even that is a huge accomplishment. And you should at least let your sister compete once. It sounds like a lot of fun.</p>
<p>Aren’t savants EXTREMELY brilliant in one area and then extremely sluggish in others? My sister is top notch when it comes to mathematical sciences, but she isn’t brilliant in other subjects. She’s not a terrible humanities student, but relative to her maths, and science skills her humanities abilities are terrible. She will compete for the IMO, that is a guarantee, no point in training if one isn’t going to compete right?</p>
<p>I’ve seen some of the Davidson Fellows, what they are doing there is impressive. I told my dad and he is intrigued by the idea, and is actually considering it!</p>
<p>from what you’re telling me, your sister is EXTREMELY brilliant in math.</p>
<p>at an age where most kids are learning their multiplication tables, your sister is mastering math which is beyond many grad students three times her age.</p>
<p>I would very, very strongly urge your family to have your sister work with an institute which is experienced in dealing with the hyperbolically gifted, both for the sake of her happiness and wellbeing and for the sake of everyone who could benefit from her brilliance.</p>
<p>Thank you, and my sister also thanks you all for your encouraging and somewhat rightfully critical words. Honestly her skills are astonishing! I’m considered to be a great maths/physics/CS student but she is exponentially smarter than me. Now that I think about it, I don’t even know what her favorite subject in math is…I’ll ask and then let you all know. I read somewhere that Number Theory is a favorite amongst mathematically precocious children (i.e. Tao, Gauss, Ramanujan).</p>
<p>I’d try to avoid exposing her to the conversations on this board. An 8-year-old does not need to feel pressured to meet the astronomically high standards which some strangers are setting for her.</p>
<p>She knows what others have done. She knows about Fefferman, Tao, Gauss (of course), and others, she doesn’t really mind. I just wanted to show her what the Davidson Institute was and what not.</p>
<p>I think that’s a bit too young. It’ll hamper her social life. What a lot people don’t realize is that social skills are VERY important once you leave college and get a job. You can always make her study at a local university and then move on maybe around 15? An 8 year old is still very innocent. I don’t think she would fit in at college (socially). She sounds like a genius though.</p>
<p>avatarimage, My dad is suggesting (rathering pushing) that she ventures maths and science on her own for the next two or so years and then delving into a university, but I’m trying to dissuade him. I just don’t want her to become complacent with her abilities…</p>
<p>Actually from an academic standpoint, wouldn’t it be beneficial? Going to college to become a surgeon at age 10-13 doesn’t really matter, because you’re just going to become another surgeon. But if you’re a mathematician, or scientist, then you can make groundbreaking discoveries. I’m not saying that you can’t do this as a surgeon or a physician or anything, its just unikely and without precedent.</p>
<p>Is it a possibility to study directly with a college prof. (say at UC Boulder, then she can stay at home), as a supplement to her standard school curriculum? Sounds like she could benefit, as any eight-year-old, from growing socially with her peers, and perhaps the non-math academic component also.
Would not have to worry about it until she “outgrows” the professor, think of it similarly to child prodigies in music, they may audition, study and perform with professionals in their field extracurricular to their formal education. Similar also with olympic-level athletes.
In the far-reaching event of her actually enrolling in a university and being accepted by her peers, it’s not a matter of the other students being “nice,” just that outside of her math courses, there is little likelihood of her being easily included in social activities with her peers.</p>
<p>A, I noticed that you said you were from CO. I am Brittney’s mom and I live in CO. I would be happy to give you some advice. Please message me if possible.</p>