Following a rigorous application process, twenty-seven 2027 Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholars were selected from a nationwide pool of highly qualified, accomplished young people who will be entering high school in the fall of 2023. The new cohort of CDB Scholars are:

• Abigail Hurst from Riverside, California
• Ansel Effah from New York, New York
• Antonia Elliott from Naches, Washington
• Aubrey Ewing from Chicago, Illinois
• Bellen Anastas from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• David Hadi from Burbank, California
• Nikki Primiani from Santa Monica, California
• Dominic Gasper from Zionsville, Indiana
• Edward Zhang from Irvine, California
• Freya Bikel from Los Angeles, California
• Jack Gonzalez from St. Michaels, Maryland
• Justin Kearse from Bronx, New York
• Kai (Tiger) Wang from Princeton, New Jersey
• Kiye Corbitt from Washington, D.C.
• Lenah Faustin from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Linda Pistun from Gainesville, Virginia
• Margaret (Molly) Svrluga from Washington, D.C.
• Marin Lohner from Manhattan Beach, California
• Nia Guillemet from Los Angeles, California
• Santiago Soto from Montebello, California
• Shantanu Jha from Waycross, Georgia
• Shreyan Jain from Santa Clara, California
• Taryn Hwang from Los Altos, California
• Trillian Creath from Phoenix, Arizona
• Vikram Goudar from Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Warren Edwards II from Atlanta, Georgia
• Waverly Lansford from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Each of the new CDB Scholars represents the highest ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, community service and personal achievement in passions including athletics, research, debate, peer tutoring, robotics, engineering, website design, coding and visual and performing arts.
The class of 2027 CDB Scholars has the distinction of being the twentieth Scholar class selected since 2002’s inaugural class.

What are some educational, personal and professional highlights and/or accomplishments of yours since graduating from high school?

I’ve been lucky to spend most of my time since graduating from high school as a student. At Harvard College, I was mentored by amazing professors in the history department, read lots of old books in archival libraries, helped to create an honor code system, and met friends with interests from astrophysics to Slavic literature that I still keep in touch with. I then spent a year at the University of Cambridge, where I donned long black robes for candlelit dinners in centuries-old halls, traveled across Europe, and lived with other graduate students from all over the world. I am now in my final year at Stanford Law School, where I have worked in legal clinics, interned for a federal judge, and learned how to use Zoom! None of this would have been possible without the support of the ������Ƶ team (particularly Bonnie!) and the CDB Scholarship while I was in high school.

What is a favorite ������Ƶ/CDB memory?

During high school, the CDB Seminar was a major highlight of my year. I loved getting to know the other scholars, learning about their interests, and hearing about their experiences in high schools across the country. We always had a good time together, whether we were wandering the Freedom Trail in Boston, scavenger-hunting through the San Diego Zoo, making ourselves sick tasting variations of Coke at the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, or exploring the laboratories of Silicon Valley startups. We had a great time during off hours, too. My best memory is from one night during my first Seminar, when the freshman cohort of Scholars stayed up together into the early hours of the morning getting to know each other in the hotel’s emergency stairwell. Eventually, we were sent to our rooms by hotel staff responding to noise complaints. The Scholar community includes a wide range of clever, curious people, and it was so much fun to get to know them for the first time.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to current ������Ƶ students?

First: value relationships with the advisers and mentors that you will meet as members of the ������Ƶ community. As a CDB Scholar, Bonnie Raskin was my most important counselor and confidant from high school placement onward, and our monthly email correspondence became my greatest impetus for self-reflection and greatest source of support. Students across ������Ƶ programs have access to incredible mentors and should seek out the transformative relationships they can form with those mentors.

Second: invest in relationships with other students within the ������Ƶ community. As a CDB Scholar, I met curious and compelling high school students from all over the country, and I know the same can be said for participants in other ������Ƶ programs. You never know when the people you meet through ������Ƶ will reappear in your life. For example, I reconnected with a fellow CDB Scholar on a backpacking trip in college, and we became (and are still) close friends. That wouldn’t have happened were it not for our initial introduction through ������Ƶ.

What are some educational, personal and professional highlights and/or accomplishments of yours since graduating from high school?

After graduating high school in Maryland in 2010, I studied aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech. I completed my undergraduate degree in 2014 and master’s degree in 2015. Virginia Tech was an amazing experience. I had an incredible opportunity to conduct undergraduate and graduate research for the Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department, played some awesome courses as part of the Club Golf team, and made many lifelong friends.

 I moved to Texas in August 2015 to work for Lockheed Martin in the Aeronautics division and have stayed there ever since. I have been able to work on some amazing teams and incredible aircraft during my time at Lockheed, and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

On a personal note, I married my amazing wife in November 2019, and we are very happy as new homeowners. We love to get outside and go hiking, and I still get out to play golf (albeit poorly) when I can.

What is a favorite ������Ƶ/CDB memory?

This might be the most difficult question I’ve ever been asked. I think it’s impossible for me to pick just a single memory. My first Bradley Seminar was in Cocoa Beach, FL. I was intimidated and shy going into the weekend, but came out of it with lots of new friends from all over the country. I can still remember how much time we spent at the pool at that Marriott, and don’t even get me started on the organized chaos that is CDB Seminar game night!

Some of my favorite memories with ������Ƶ are actually from post high-school. I love how CDB alumni are welcomed back into the community to participate in the seminars. I will never forget things like exploring the San Diego zoo, sightseeing in Pasadena, and sharing my experiences with the current Scholars. It’s amazing how, from freshman to senior year, you only spend 12 days in person with a group of people, yet graduate high school with new best friends that you feel like you’ve known your whole life.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to current ������Ƶ students?

A manager at work shared a quote with me last year that really resonated with me- “There’s no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” If you are driven to climb the ladder and want to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, go ahead and do it. If you want to find a comfortable 8:30-5 job and prefer to prioritize things outside of work, like family, volunteering, or hobbies- that’s great! There is no single right way to live your life and develop your career, and there’s no magic work-life balance that applies to everyone. The key is to find what works for you, even if it takes some trial and error!

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the U.S. To date, ������Ƶ has awarded 263 scholarships to gifted learners, and alumni are already making their mark on the world.�� Currently there are 126 alumni, 89 of whom have graduated from college and are in the work force, attending graduate school and/or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in an appropriate, challenging and engaging educational environment. We must support our advanced students to grow as individuals and global citizens who are able to contribute to the innovation, strength and growth of our nation,” said Elizabeth Jones, President of ������Ƶ.�� “Thanks to the generosity of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 30 gifted students of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholar class of 2018 are assured resources to fuel their passion and support their advanced learning in a challenging learning environment.”

Three regional Selection Committees comprised of a diverse group of school admissions directors, CDB alumni, university personnel and community and business leaders nationwide were tasked with choosing 58 finalists out of a pool of hundreds of applicants. Each of the 58 CDB Finalists, from which the 30 were chosen, met with members of the CDB staff for an interview.

Over the course of the next several months, ������Ƶ staff, current CDB Scholars and CDB alumni will provide guidance and assistance to the entering class of 2018 Scholars as they begin to identify potential high school programs, completing applications and preparing their individualized educational plan for next year.

2018 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars:

• Benjamin Acosta, Montclair, VA
• Veer Agarwal, Farmington Hills, MI
• Joy An, Bellevue, WA
• Evalynn Bogusz, Leesburg, VA
• Josh Caruso, Stone Mountain, GA
• Vivian Chan, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
• Daniel Choi, Hartsdale, NY
• Soren Cowell-Shah, Portland, OR
• James Crabtree, West River, MD
• Sophia Eno, Woodside, CA
• Luke Gialanella, Marina Del Rey, CA
• Sadie Hastings, Los Angeles, CA
• Aurora Jackson, Oswego, IL
• Davin Jeong, Beverly Hills, CA
• Arul Kolla, Arcadia, CA
• Joyce Li, Lake Zurich, IL
• Michelle Mahoney, Hillsborough, CA
• Desirey Manon, Santa Fe Springs, CA
• Stella Nakada, New York, New York
• Olivia Oh, New York, New York
• Abraham Rochez, Los Angeles, CA
• Stella Schick, Durham, NC
• Espen Slettnes, Castro Valley, CA
• Carter Smith, Jersey City, NJ
• Mia Tavares, Burlingame, CA
• Maya Vendhan, Highlands Ranch, CO
• Abigale Wee, Menlo Park, CA
• Yunrui (Ryan) Yang, Easton, CT
• Jessica Zhao, Austin, TX
• Alex Zitzewitz, Hanover, NH

Congratulations to the 2018 Scholars! We welcome you to the ������Ƶ community.

Applications for the 2019 scholarship will be available in November 2018. To be notified when the application is available, .

To celebrate the beginning of a new year, we wanted to take a look back at some noteworthy moments from 2017!

������Ƶ has expanded and bought a house!

Through the generosity of our donors, ������Ƶ was able to purchase a beautiful craftsman home in Pasadena. The new space houses our programs, Academy classes, and monthly�� Gifted Support Groups. This past December, we hosted a Tree Trimming and Open House where families had the opportunity to take a guided tour, observe Academy classes, meet our dynamic Academy instructors, make DIY holiday ornaments, check out student work and nosh on cookies and hot cocoa.

������Ƶ released results from a .

We commissioned the first ever national survey assessing the American public’s views on gifted education which found overwhelming bipartisan public support for increased funding for programs and resources for gifted students. It also indicated that the public recognizes the gifted population is often underserved. As a follow up in September, ������Ƶ gathered gifted education leaders from across the country in Pasadena to discuss the next steps in advocating for a policy solution championing gifted learners. The gathering included a presentation of the poll results, roundtable discussions, ��and a conversation on how organizations can work together to advocate for our nation’s gifted students. We are working on to inform and create change.

Students, parents, and supporters gathered for ������Ƶ’s Summer Spotlight.

In July, over 100 students, parents, and supporters of ������Ƶ gathered at The Barder House for event where families enjoyed interactive demonstrations of our programs conducted by ������Ƶ students and Academy instructors, connected with other families with gifted children, and chowed down on a complimentary barbeque dinner and drinks!

Twenty-eight middle-schoolers from across the country were named 2017 Scholars.

From an applicant pool of 386 students, CDB’s largest-ever applicant pool, 55 Finalists were selected by three Scholarship Selection Committees comprised of a diverse group of school admissions directors, CDB alumni, university personnel and community and business leaders nationwide. Following extensive personal interviews, 28 of the Finalists were selected as recipients of the 2017 scholarship. Congratulations to our !

Twenty talented high school students worked with distinguished Mentors through .

Students were thoughtfully matched with mentors who shared similar passions in their career field of interest and had professional trajectories externs hoped to pursue in the future. These externs conducted college level research and work in fields such as biomathematics, computer science, architecture, pediatric medical research, ethnomusicology and more. Also, as a new component of EXPLORE, students met every Friday to attend educational excursions and workshops geared towards building their college and career readiness.

Yunasa brought together 113 campers for a summer of fun outdoor activities, workshops led by our beloved Fellows, and community-building events.

This year, Yunasa accepted the most campers it has in its 15 years of operation. We welcomed back 77 returning campers and 36 new campers for Yunasa and Yunasa West. The goal of the one week camp is to balance all sides of giftedness –��intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical. Hannah, a 4th year Yunasa camper, shares her experience about finding her tribe at Yunasa .

Teacher trainings brought Academy instructors together to share their experience, knowledge and creative ideas.

Academy conducted 3 pre-session teacher trainings to help prepare our instructors to work with our community of gifted learners. Trainings covered such topics as support for twice-exceptional students and guest speakers included Sharon Duncan from GRO Gifted and ������Ƶ’s very own, President Betsy Jones.

������Ƶ honored three valued members of the ������Ƶ community, Dr. Tony Travouillon, Jason Roberts and Sandy Roberts, at the .

In November, we hosted 90 guests at the University Club in Pasadena for our annual fundraiser. The evening brought together program alumni, Mentors, parents, board members, and supporters of ������Ƶ ��and we also honored including Academy Instructor, Dr. Tony Travouillon, who received the Educator Award, and Sandy and Jason Roberts of Math Academy who received the Community Advocate Award. The event raised nearly $30,000 to support ������Ƶ’s programs for gifted youth! Thank you to all who attended and contributed to this event!

We’ve grown our online presence through our redesigned .

The Gifted Resource Center (GRC) is a free public tool created and curated by ������Ƶ which serves as an online database of resources for the gifted community. To date, the database has over 450 gifted resources and over 15,000 page views.

������Ƶ hosted nine free meetings.

During the school year, we offer complimentary monthly talks featuring experts on various aspects of gifted youth and education. These talks are intended for parents and educators of gifted children to provide support and community, a venue for shared discovery, and a space to exchange resources and ideas. Previous topics include Mindfulness and the Whole Child, Gifted Resource Swap, Gifted and Teenage, Homeschooling 101 and Finding the Right School Fit.

Four joined our small but mighty team.

Anvi Kevany, Administrative Assistant
Abby Daniels, Director of Development & Communications
Nicole Endacott, Program Assistant
Hillary Jade, Program Manager

And, most importantly, ������Ƶ programs supported more than 453 bright young minds!

Needless to say, ������Ƶ had a lot to celebrate in 2017 and we could not have done any of this without the help of our amazing community!

������Ƶ continues to receive remarkable support from families who have benefited from our programs, as well as community partners who believe in our mission and work. Thank you to everyone who generously contributed this year, and to our amazing volunteers who assisted in our programming, marketing, and fundraising efforts. Thanks to you, we are able to deliver highly customized programs to more bright and eager learners across the country.

We look forward to an impactful 2018!

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]]> /blog-iea-2017-highlights/feed/ 0 /blog-2017-caroline-d-bradley-scholars/ /blog-2017-caroline-d-bradley-scholars/#respond Tue, 12 Sep 2017 15:20:07 +0000 https://ieadev.wpengine.com/blog-2017-caroline-d-bradley-scholars/ The Institute for Educational Advancement (������Ƶ) is excited to announce that 28 middle-schoolers from across the country have been named 2017 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars. The is a four-year high school scholarship for gifted learners to attend an optimally matched high school program to help them meet their unique intellectual and personal needs.

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The , is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the U.S. Students apply for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship in the seventh grade and are required to complete an in-depth application process, which includes essays, middle school transcripts, two recommendations and a work sample. Eligible applicants must also achieve scores at or above the 97th percentile on nationally normed standardized tests and score competitively with high school seniors on the SAT Reasoning or ACT tests.

“Gifted students are far more likely to actualize their intellectual and personal potential when their learning environments match their capabilities and address their individual challenges,” said Elizabeth Jones, President of ������Ƶ. “Thanks to the generosity of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, 28 gifted students of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholar class of 2017 are assured a challenging and engaging learning environment to fuel their passion and support their advanced learning capacity.”

Of the 386 applicants this year, CDB’s largest-ever applicant pool, 55 Finalists were selected by three Scholarship Selection Committees comprised of a diverse group of school admissions directors, CDB alumni, university personnel and community and business leaders nationwide. Following extensive personal interviews, 28 of the Finalists were selected as recipients of the 2017 scholarship.

2017 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars:

• Audrey Acken, Mountain View, CA
• Alondra Cardenas, Montebello, CA
• Neil Chowdhury, Bellevue, WA
• Andrew Chu, Palo Alto, CA
• Graham Curtsinger, Verdigris, OK
• Jacob David, Fort Worth, TX
• Pascal Descollonges, Menlo Park, CA
• Max Ehrlich, Eagan, MN
• Rachel Faust, Bloomfield Hills, MI
• Jake Payne Grodner, Los Angeles, CA
• Leila Hardy, Lake Oswego, OR
• Diamond Head, Wauconda, IL
• Emma Hermacinski, Zionsville, IN
• Lina Huang, San Dimas, CA
• Steven Hwang, Corte Madera, CA
• Storrie Kulynych-Irvin, Annapolis, MD
• Alexander Miller, Vacaville, CA
• Maxine Park, Hanover, NH
• Alexander Popescu, Spokane, WA
• Samuel Qin, Greer, SC
• Gayatri Rajan, Mason, OH
• Minki Shin, Studio City, CA
• Josephine Stockton, Aurora, CO
• Lily Wang, Foster City, CA
• Diego West-Hedlund, San Francisco, CA
• Thisbe Wu, New York, NY
• Olivia Yang, Charlotte, NC
• William Zhu, Lincolnshire, IL

Congratulations to the 2017 Scholars! We welcome you to the ������Ƶ community.

Applications for the 2018 scholarship will be available in November 2017. To be notified when the application is available, .

“It is the province of knowledge to speak and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes

Every year, the Bradley Seminar brings together our national cohort of current ��Scholars along with alumni, parents, educators, guest speakers and ������Ƶ staff for a weekend event where they can connect as a community, discuss issues of personal and global significance, and explore engaging content through cross-generational dialogue. And every year, it comes and goes all too quickly. The 2017 Bradley Seminar took place March 10 – 12 in ������Ƶ’s hometown of Pasadena, California. This year’s theme was Listen Up!, a topic we hoped would be particularly relevant to the current social, political, and cultural climate. We explored the theme of listening to ourselves, others, and the world through sharing open dialogue and diverse perspectives in cross-generational formats, small group workshops, and conversations of personal connection and depth.

Since 2002, the has been supported by the generous vision of one donor, founded on the premise that our nation’s most gifted young students will best thrive and actualize their unique individual potential through access to the most challenging, nurturing, and flexible learning environments suited to their intellectual and personal needs. Since 2014, the CDB Scholarship has been funded in perpetuity, expanding its annual scholar identification from 15 to up to 30 Scholars per year.

This year’s Bradley Seminar welcomed the Class of 2015, our second annual class of 30 Scholars, making this our largest seminar to date with over 200 attendees! The weekend kicked off on Friday afternoon with a Welcome Reception for the freshmen Class of 2015 held at The Barder House, a space rife with meaning for the CDB community. The home is dedicated and named for the scholarship’s visionary, Sarah D. Barder, who generously donated the space to the Institute for Educational Advancement in 2011 to serve as the main offices for ������Ƶ, as well as a meeting place and touchstone for the CDB community.

CDB Class of 2015

Scholars Billy Menken and Ethan Yan practice the art of blind drawings led by ������Ƶ staff

CDB freshmen enjoy refreshments at The Barder House

Throughout the weekend, we visited the theme of listening through presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and group activities. – licensed psychologist and ������Ƶ senior fellow – delivered a keynote address on the value of balance and holistic listening: to ourselves, to each other, to nature and the world, to intuition. Betsy Jones – president and co-founder of the Institute for Educational Advancement (������Ƶ) – facilitated intentional, inter-generational conversations between scholars, alumni, parents, educators and guests. These conversations focused on questions like: Have you ever felt like your words weren’t being acknowledged, heard or understood? What do you think are the most important things you can do to impact your ability to listen? How can these changes affect your life, your relationships and your community?

On Saturday afternoon, CDB Scholars spent time exploring the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, The Broad Contemporary Art Museum, and The Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens. Parents and guests were privy to a unique screening event for the upcoming film, , including an exclusive Q & A with the producer and lead actress, McKenna Grace. Reviews were glowing – we recommend the film, which will be released nationwide on April 7, to anyone who has ever raised, taught or been a gifted child.

CDB Scholars at The Broad

Scholars Junah Jang, Trisha Boonpongmanee, Sarah Jung, Ellie Surman and Sarah Smale enjoy the Chinese Gardens at The Huntington Library

Actress McKenna Grace and Producer Karen Lunder give an exclusive Q & A for the soon to be released film, .

Finally, threaded throughout the weekend were speeches from our graduating Class of 2012 Scholars. Senior speeches are a highlight of the seminar every year, a 3-5 minute opportunity for each of our seniors to share some of their most transformative memories and moments from high school, the lessons they have been taught along the way, and how the CDB Scholarship has prepared them for the new road ahead.��One parent commented:��“I expected intellect and passion. I wasn’t prepared for the humility, integrity, and wisdom.�� I feel more hopeful now, knowing that these young students are becoming our next generation of leaders.”

Thank you to our entire CDB community, ������Ƶ staff, and for a refreshing and memorable weekend – we can’t wait until 2018!

Congratulations, CDB Senior Class of 2012!

CDB Junior Class of 2013 – it’s your turn next year!��

CDB Sophomore Class of 2014

CDB Alumni at the 2017 Seminar

See more photos of the Bradley Seminar on our !

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“Attention is the doorway to gratitude, to wonder, to reciprocity.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

The annual Bradley Seminar is a place where you can’t help but pay attention. In the blink of an eye, it has come and gone. The Seminar is significant because it brings together some of the most interested and accomplished national merit-based high school scholars; it provides a venue for Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, parents, educators and professionals to connect, discuss issues of intellectual, personal, and global interest; and it strengthens a community that they will continue to influence and rely upon in perpetuity. I love it precisely for its strength of attentiveness – a weekend filled to capacity with such extraordinary individuals, challenging conversations, and genuine connectedness demands we lay distractions aside and keep our eyes open. Wide open.

The 2016 Bradley Seminar commenced in Pasadena, California from March 18 – 20, hosting over 180 participants from across the country. The weekend events kicked off on Friday afternoon, welcoming the Class of 2014 Scholars to The Barder House, a space rife with symbolism for the CDB community. Dedicated and named after the Scholarship’s generous benefactor, Sarah D. Barder, it was donated to the Institute for Educational Advancement in 2011 by Ms. Barder to serve as the home base for ������Ƶ, as well as a meeting place and touchstone for the ������Ƶ and the CDB community.

Following a welcome dinner and introductions, parents attended a session led by Dr. Jim Delisle, while Scholars and Alumni participated in ice-breakers and a hotel-wide scavenger hunt. Among the various tasks that teams were instructed to complete were items like, “find something at least 100 years older than anyone on your team” and “record a video of everyone on your team doing 20 jumping jacks in unison”.

Each year, the Seminar is guided by a different overarching theme intended to serve as the focal point for thought and conversation throughout the weekend. The 2016 theme was Finding & Cultivating Your Voice, which pursued questions like: What am I passionate about and what matters? What does it mean to have a voice and how do I share these passions with a community, local or global, in meaningful ways?

KR Sridhar, Founder, President, and CEO of , explored this theme on Saturday morning through a keynote presentation on the relationship between voice, passion, and resilience. ��Betsy Jones, ������Ƶ President, guided intergenerational conversations between students, parents, visiting educators, and guests to examine the Seminar theme in smaller intentional groups. ��These discussions channel incredible value for their ability to bring a diverse group of individuals together as equals to discuss issues of common interest. One Scholar noted, “The table talks helped facilitate open and serious conversations… The topics addressed were relevant to my life, especially the topics in the intentional conversations.”

Saturday night featured workshops and panels led by CDB Alumni and parents, educators, clinical psychologists, and consultants covering a range of topics: American Misconceptions of Giftedness, Career Paths, College Counseling, Finding Your Voice Through Depression, Intensities and Sensitivities, and Mindfulness.

While the day was bookended with content-heavy sessions, Scholars and parents were able to relax through various outings on Saturday afternoon to the Griffith Observatory, Huntington Library & Gardens, and EscapeRoom LA.

As the Seminar concluded on Sunday morning and good-byes became imminent, I reflected on the wonder of the weekend. I recalled Kimmerer’s words on attention, gratitude, and reciprocity as I watched the generosity of the CDB community extend outward in the form of financial support and volunteerism to the ������Ƶ community. ��This only confirmed my feeling that when we come together and pay attention – when we put down our phone, participate in our environment, engage in what it means to be present – something happens. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” I can’t help but agree.

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Finding the right high school can set the stage for the rest of a child’s academic and professional future.�� The key to choosing the best high school for your child lies first in understanding your child’s specific needs, but it also requires both child and parents to learn about the various options available.�� While at the outset, this can seem like a daunting task, here are some tips we use to assist the and parents as they��choose the best high school for their family:

DEFINE YOUR CHILD’S NEEDS: Some children learn and work better in a structured learning environment, while others thrive in classrooms that allow students to guide the process.�� Look at a school’s curriculum and disciplinary policies.�� Does the school stress group projects over individual assignments? What are the homework policies and discipline practices? What services are available to help students learn or provide additional tutoring support?

DETERMINE YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING STYLE:�� Is your child a visual or auditory learner, and does he work better in groups or individually? Does your child have any learning disabilities that the school will need to address, and if so does the school offer specific programs for those types of learning issues? If possible, talk to parents of children with similar learning styles to find out how they think the school is performing.

WEIGH YOUR OPTIONS: ��Today, most parents needn’t limit their high school choices to the neighborhood high school. Research your options across charter, magnet and signatory public schools, independent day and boarding options, homeschooling networks and online educational opportunities, as well as early college and community college programs for accelerated learners.

CONSIDER DIVERSITY: While diversity may be a significant factor for minority students in particular, a diverse student community benefits all high school students, providing a range of life experiences, points of view and the opportunity to hear, learn from, and work with people different from oneself.

EXAMINE TEST SCORES AND ALUMNI SUCCESS: ��Test scores are a factor to consider when choosing a high school, although it should never be the only factor. Look at the trend of test scores in recent years: have scores moved up or down? This may indicate whether a school is actively pursuing improvement or declining in terms of academic rigor and quality.�� Is there an indication of how students with disabilities are performing, as well as the rest of the student body.�� This may indicate how well the school addresses a diverse range of available test-taking options within its student body.

Beyond test scores, look at college enrollment/matriculation data: Are alumni attending��the caliber of university that��you hope for your child?�� Are their students immersed in rewarding occupations or career options? Do alumni have an ongoing relationship with the school after graduation?

LOOK AT ACADEMIC PROGRAMS: Look for a school where your child’s brain will be exposed to a wide variety of subjects, cultures and pursuits, both in and out of class. Are you looking for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs that challenge academic achievers with more rigorous curricula? Are there dual-enrollment programs that allow students to earn college credits while still in high school? Are there strong programs in STEM and/or arts/Humanities programs that offer depth in course offerings as well as the potential for acceleration and placement tests?

FACILITIES: ��An excellent private school should offer many kinds of enrichment from study abroad programs to a diversity of foreign languages and in-depth subject area curricula.�� Libraries, computer labs and facilities for art, music and drama should be well-equipped and staffed with specialist teachers.

ITS ABOUT THE TEACHERS: Many aspects of a school are fundamental, others are luxuries, but teachers can make or break a child’s natural curiosity. Their passion for the subject they teach can—and should—ignite a young mind. If your child attends a shadow visit to a school, find out from him what he experienced during his class time:�� how did the students engage with the teacher? What was the class size? Ask your child if she would want to be in this class with this teacher? Look for teaching staff who can be inspiring mentors.

IN EDUCATION, SMALLER TENDS TO BE BETTER: ��Educational research has shown that working in small groups fosters closer relationships between students and teachers, and also that a smaller student-to-teacher ratio leads to greater success in college. But numbers can be misleading. In their published student-to-teacher ratios, some schools count every adult and coach as a teacher. If you want to forecast the amount of attention your child will potentially get from classroom teachers, multiply the number of sections a teacher has in a day by the average class size. This will give you a sense of how much individualized contact a teacher is likely to have with each child. Also inquire about extra “support” hours a teacher makes available and if the teacher maintains an online presence via an e-mail where students can reach him/her off hours if necessary.

WORK WITH THE TEENAGE BRAIN, NOT AGAINST IT: ��The teenage brain is wired for risk taking, and when it comes to harmful or unhealthy behaviors, this can be a negative. High schools that understand this inherent issue try to channel this drive by challenging students to travel, try out for a play or team or something they’ve never done before, take initiative on a school project, perform in front of the student body, participate in a class retreat, or tutor other students. Risk taking is a necessary part of identity formation, so investigate the opportunities your child will have to test himself and grow in positive ways.

LIST EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES: These run the gamut from sports and specific subject teams to drama and technology clubs, music offerings such as band or orchestra, robotics, debate, Model UN, and regional/national competitive options such as science fairs, Olympiads, etc. Larger schools tend to have a wider selection of extracurricular options, but if the smaller private school offers specific programs your child is looking for, this could end up as a better fit. Find out what programs the school offers, which programs get the most attention and funding, and whether participation in extracurricular activities is required at the high school.

THE BEST WAY TO LEARN LEADERSHIP IS TO PRACTICE IT: ��Rather than only looking at a list of clubs and government positions at school, find out if a particular school provides opportunities to practice leadership by creating a club, teaching a noncredit course, initiating a fundraising effort, starting a new chapter of a national organization or assembling a team for competitive participation in an area of interest—robotics, science fair, Math Olympiad for example.

CONSIDER PRACTICAL FACTORS: In addition to the various options offered to students, practical factors must come into play for parents as well.�� What is the commute like?�� Does the school provide transportation? Are there buses or metro services the student will have to rely upon on a twice-daily basis?�� If the school is far from home, how will this impact the time for the student’s commute and wake-up time?�� How feasible will it be for the student to attend afterschool and weekend activities at the school? Do most of the student community live far from your child’s home, and if so, how will this affect get-together opportunities like group projects and socializing?

OBSERVE THE SCHOOL IN ACTION:��Plan visits to see the school environment in action—not just at specified Open House dates which are usually held during non-school hours.�� If possible, schedule a shadow day or half day for your child where she can actually attend classes, meet other enrolled students and be an active participant in a typical school day to see firsthand how classes are taught and the makeup of the student body and faculty. If your child wants to participate in sports, attend a sporting event at the school, or a play or musical performance.�� How do the participants perform individually and as a team or group? What is the audience behavior like? Are there parents and other students in attendance to support the program?

TALK TO YOUR CHILD:��Maintain an ongoing dialogue with your child concerning pros and cons of each school he is considering. While parents have significant say and sway in the final decision, by the time a child is considering high school, she should be able to define and identify that school best suited for her optimal high school experience academically, extracurricularly and socially.

AFTER SELECTION AND ENROLLMENT: The following are signs that I use with the CDB Scholar community to review and assess fit:

• Your child is eager to go to school.
• Your child acts energized and engaged at the end of the school day.
• The pace of learning in core subjects is, overall, about right for your child: challenging but achievable.
• You see progress in your child’s overall development- academic, physical, social and��emotional–�� throughout each school year.
• Your child feels that her abilities and interests are appreciated and addressed at school.
• Your child is achieving and performing academically at the level of which he is capable.
• Your child has friends and acquaintances who like and accept him at school.
• School work and friends are important but not all-consuming aspects of your child’s life.

When your child’s and family’s needs fit well with what a school offers, I call that a GREAT FIT.

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The 2015 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars are:

• Trisha Boonpongmanee,��Washington
• Amelie Buc,��New York
• Matthew Burke,��California
• Bernard Cassidy, Washington
• Amy Cavet, California
• Rishi Dange, California
• Katherine Duan,��New Hampshire
• Iris Ducker,��Colorado
• Sanath Govindarajan,��Texas
• Isaac Hershenson, California
• Arjun Jain, Oregon
• Junah Jang,��Washington
• Sarah Jung, California
• Malaina Kapoor, California
• Jeremy Kim, New York
• William Leggat, New York
• Kaitlin Lim, California
• Bennett Liu, California
• Brian Liu,��Indiana
• Gavin McDonell, California
• Billy Menken,��Minnesota
• Patrick Newcombe,��Maryland
• Nora Rodes,��Pennsylvania
• Sarah Smale,��Washington
• Ellie Surman, California
• Kristian Walker,��Illinois
• Thomas Wang,��New Jersey
• Ethan Yan, California
• Julia Zhu,��South Carolina

Congratulations to the 2015 Scholars! We are excited to have you as part of the ������Ƶ��community.

Applications for the 2016 Scholarship will be available at the end of 2015.