The PEG Admissions Process or "I have my application, now what do I do? Should I apply?"

Hello, your friendly neighborhood admissions representative here. Welcome once again to the PEG blog!

I receive questions about applications every day, much to the effect of the question above. So, those of you who have the same but have until now been afraid to voice your concerns, I hope that I can alleviate your fears with this installment.

Simply put, the PEG Admissions process is a lengthy one, as it should be. The materials needed for a complete application include:

1. A completed application form (including student and parent essays, and school information form

2. Transcripts from the applicant's 6th grade year to her current grade

3. Official SAT or ACT scores

4. Two letters of recommendation from teachers (I would prefer current teachers, if possible)

5. One letter of recommendation from a school administrator (a principal or a superintendent)

6. A completed family interview that must be conducted at the PEG Center

If this sounds like quite a bit of information to be collected, it is. The PEG Admissions Committee (including myself, the Director of PEG, and three members of the faculty) use this information to determine not only whether the applicant is a good fit for the program, but whether the program is a good fit for applicant. The Committee looks at each applicant using a case study approach and makes their decision accordingly.

There is no deadline by which applications must be received and complete. However, I would like to have the rest of a student's completed application when they visit for their family interview.

Please refer to this website http://www.mbc.edu/peg/admitdeadlines.asp for a timeline of how to proceed with your application.

PEG Enters the Blogosphere!

Yes, that's right, for the first time the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) has now started a blog to answer the questions of any and all comers about the program.

I, Gretchen Watson, Assistant Director of Admissions for PEG, will be your moderator, and all around blog guru.

Here's a little background....

Founded in 1985 the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) is the only early entrance, residential program in the nation that accepts students as young as 12 years of age to live and study on a college campus with other gifted students. Housed in a state-of-the-art residence hall, PEG students share their living space with full-time professional staff who are dedicated to their intellectual and emotional well-being, as well as their safety.

Some quick facts about PEG:

• The PEG center is a state-of-the-art residence hall and headquarters with home-like features including room clusters, lounges, kitchen and 24-hour adult supervision


• All PEG students benefit from a student to faculty ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 17


• Fully 85% of PEG’s graduating students are accepted to fine graduate institutions including Johns Hopkins, Columbia Law School, Stanford University and the University of Virginia to name a few


• PEG is routinely named a premier program for gifted young women. PEG has been cited as exemplary in publications that include The Handbook of Gifted Education by Colangelo and Davis


• Studies have shown that young women who attend all-female academic institutions have a more positive attitude toward academics, a greater willingness to take healthy risks, and draw confidence from their academic abilities rather than from their physical appearance.

I'll be posting here every few days with updates about the program and answers to some common questions.

I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Gretchen