The Transition School and Early Entrance Program is an early college entrance program located on the University of Washington campus at the Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars. The program was begun in 1977 by the late Halbert Robinson, who recognized the need for extremely gifted students to have an acceleratedacademic program. The Transition School, founded in 1980, gives a small group of talented middle school age students the chance to enter the University of Washington while also developing the skills, knowledge, and support needed to succeed in college. The Center is now under the direction of Dr. Nancy B. Hertzog, and the associate director of TS/EEP and Transition School Principal is Dr. Maren Halvorsen. The physicist Ernest M. Henley is a former physics instructor. The Early Entrance program starts with a one-year Transition School. Enrolled students are generally called TSers. Between 15 and 18 students are enrolled each year. They are initially provided with a curriculum comprising five courses, English, History, Pre-Calculus, and Biology during fall and winter quarters. In the spring quarter, the Biology class ends, and the students each enroll in an entry-level University class of their choice. The curriculum changed Fall 2015, replacing Physics with Biology. This provides a taste of what actual University work is like before making a full transition to university classes in the following fall. During Winter Quarter they take a course called U-Ready where they learn about registration and other things necessary before they take their Science course in Spring. In Spring Quarter, students all take part in service learning through their history class. Following the Transition School, the students become full-time freshmen at the University, and many also enter the University's Honors Program. Students usually stay at University of Washington for four years, culminating their Early Entrance Program years with a bachelor's degree. In 2001, another option was added alongside the Early Transition Program and the Transition School: The UW Academy for Young Scholars, or "The Academy". This provides a more fast-paced and quicker transition into university classes and university life than the Early Entrance Program, with a two-day, one night orientation that provides students with necessary university survival skills known as Academy Camp, and two Academy courses on composition and honors seminar. The Transition School and Early Entrance Program, as well as the UW Academy for Young Scholars is a non-residential program open only to residents of Seattle, Washington and the surrounding area. Prospective students from other areas are welcome to apply if they are willing to move to the Seattle area upon acceptance.
Curriculum
The Transition School curriculum is designed to prepare students for entrance into University. One of the major skills that it focuses on teaching is argumentation, and the interpretation, development, and writing of specific, complex, and academic arguments. Both the History and English classes make this a focus throughout the year. TS English starts the year by focusing on the development of said arguments, as Fall Quarter is devoted to teaching students "how to write". In Winter Quarter, the focus shifts as students start implementing different methodologies for their reading, including formalism and ideology critique.
Quick facts about the program
In 2003, the Robinson Center for Young Scholars received the Brotman Award for Instructional Excellence from the University of Washington.
The Robinson Center also has for talented students in the Seattle metro area.
In 2002, the Robinson Center added another early entrance program, the Academy for Young Scholars. Academy students drop out of high school at the end of tenth grade and enter the University of Washington as freshmen Honors students.
