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As a senior in the Vancouver School District, I thought I might be able to provide a different perspective.

Through 7th grade, I went to school in the Evergreen School District (another school district in Vancouver). They have an accelerated program called EXCEL that starts when the student is in third grade. I was placed in this program, and although it was more advanced, I was never truly challenged. But I was NEVER bored. The teachers were very engaging and the curriculum was always interesting. I continued with the EXCEL program through 7th grade when I moved to the Vancouver School District. I was placed in Challenge program for 8th grade, another accelerated program. I found myself much more disinterested than with EXCEL, but my drive for academic excellence kept my grades high. Unfortunately, I did have to attend the local high school every morning because the middle school didn't have the right math class.

For the most part, high school has been very easy for me, I have nearly a 4.0 (a 3.993), scored in the 98th percentile on my ACT, and scored 4's and 5's on the hardest AP tests. The only classes that have been more challenging are those with material I have never encountered before, such as AP Statistics, and AP Economics. I have been accepted into the University of Washington Honors College, a program that only accepts about 200 of the incoming freshman.

I am fairly neutral on my experiences with accelerated programs, I definitely could have been more challenged, but being in a class with other advanced students and teachers that know how to teach advanced students was a positive experience, much better than if I had been in a normal classroom.

posted 5 years, 3 months ago
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