LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM â 2016 APPLICATION INFORMATION PACKET .... the test prep, all Lang students in 11th and 12th grad
LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM – 2016 APPLICATION INFORMATION PACKET Are you a 5th grader who gets really excited about science? Do you enjoy learning about nature? and dinosaurs? and galaxies far away in space? and human evolution and cultures around the world? and different types of rocks and minerals? Do you want to meet scientists, and work together with students with similar interests as yours? Then keep reading! The American Museum of Natural History is proud to host the Lang Science Program, a 7year science program for New York City students. Our students study the exhibits at the Museum and the work that the scientists do, visiting their labs and collections, and hearing directly from the people doing research. Lang students take classes, meet scientists, conduct their own research, and go on field trips to places like zoos, forests, museums, and scientific research centers. As our students get older, they also explore science careers, career and life skills, and they participate in college trips and workshops about the college application and transition process. Our students develop close friendships and a lifelong curiosity and love of science. If you are interested in being part of the group, we encourage you to apply! The Lang Science Program is looking for students who: • currently are in 5th grade (or homeschool equivalent) in the five boroughs of NYC. • love science, and can’t get enough of it! • are able, willing, and eager to commit to a 7-year program: 3 weeks every summer and 18 Saturdays per year. • enjoy working collaboratively with others. Additionally, students must be able to attend all dates of this year’s summer session, which will run from July 11 – July 29, 2016. More information follows, as well as application instructions and materials. Additional information, as well as links to videos and articles about Lang students, is available at: http://www.amnh.org/Lang AMNH offers several additional programs for the same age group. One in particular, the Science Alliance Program, meets for a maximum of three years on Fridays during the school year, and covers many of the same topics as the Lang Science Program. For more information about the Science Alliance Program, please see: http://www.amnh.org/ScienceAlliance PLEASE NOTE – Students may only apply to one of these programs, either the Lang Science Program or the Science Alliance Program. For additional programs that are open to all, with varying schedules and commitments, please see http://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/grades-6-8
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Page 1
The Lang Science Program – Frequently Asked Questions Who can apply? New York City students who are currently in 5th grade (or homeschool equivalent). Do Westchester, Long Island, and New Jersey count as New York City? Unfortunately, no. Students must live in and/or go to school within the five boroughs of New York City. Can my 4th grader apply? Do you have spots for older students? At this time, we are only accepting applications from students currently in 5th graders who will be entering 6th grade in the 2016-17 school year. What does the program cost? A very generous number of FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to the program are available, based on financial need. For those that do not qualify, the full cost of the program is $2000/year. Your ability to pay will NOT be a factor in determining acceptance into the program. When does the Lang program meet? We meet for 3 weeks each summer, and 18 Saturdays each school year. In the summer of 2016, we will meet from July 11 – July 29th. Schedules for following sessions will be handed out well in advance of program dates. How is the Saturday schedule planned? We base our school-year schedule on the NYC Department of Education calendar. To the best of our ability, classes will not be held on long weekends or during breaks, or on major national/religious holidays. Our schedule comes out before many test dates are released (e.g. the SAT), and sometimes we cannot avoid conflict with those. Due to the variety of calendars used by independent, private, and parochial schools, we are unable to fully accommodate their schedules, and some dates may be planned during breaks at non-public schools. Seven years?! What do you do in seven years? In middle school, students take introductory courses in the major sciences that are exhibited and studied at AMNH. Starting in 8th grade, students also take part in annual research projects. In high school, students choose courses and research topics, allowing them to concentrate on particular fields if they so choose, or continue taking a wide selection of different sciences. Courses in preparing and applying for college, and building career skills are also offered to students in high school. Are the classes hands-on? Yes! And more! Students are constantly learning by doing, observing, and creating. But the Lang program has much more to offer, including special shows in the planetarium, tours of the Museum’s labs and collections, meetings with scientists, trips to area science-related institutions, special guests, and more. ––CONTINUED––
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How many students are in the program? Each year, we recruit approximately 20 new students who are entering 6th grade. In the 201516 school year, there are over 130 total active students from 6th – 12th grade. When is the application due, and what does it require? The 2016 application is due on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Part of the application is online at http://bit.ly/Lang2016, asking for basic information (name, address, school, etc.). The application also has a supplemental portion, which needs to be sent in separately. The supplement includes written responses from the student applicant, two recommendation letters from teachers (or other adults who are not family members), and the student’s report cards. For more information, see pages 4 – 8 of this packet. After the application, then what? Selected families will be invited in for interviews. More information on the interviews will be available at the appropriate time. When will decisions be made? We hope to have all decisions made, and families informed, by the beginning of April, 2016. However, we cannot guarantee a specific date due to the extensive review process that each applicant receives. Other than classes, what else is offered? Each year, we strive to hold a special graduation and family night event. In the past, this has included special guest speakers, tours of temporary exhibits, and film screenings. Additionally, we hold an annual Research Showcase of the research that students have completed, plus special lectures about current topics of interest, workshops for parents of students applying to high school and to college, and more. Keeping families engaged as well as the students, is an important focus of the program. In addition to these events, we also offer free tickets to the Museum for families that are redeemable on any day. Bring your friends! Bring out-of-town guests! Do you offer assistance in applying to high school and college? As of the 2016 application release, we are able to offer free test prep for 8th graders for the SHSAT (the Specialized High School Aptitude Test, to get into Stuyvesant, the Bronx High School of Science, and several other schools), and test prep for 11th/12th graders for either the SAT or ACT. Courses are delivered solely through Kaplan Test Prep. This availability is subject to change based on the relationships between Kaplan Test Prep and the Museum. In addition to the test prep, all Lang students in 11th and 12th grade take summer courses in college preparedness. Families will also be invited to participate in workshops both for students applying to high school and to college. Does the program provide lunch and transportation? At this time, neither lunch nor transportation to/from the Museum can be provided for students in the program. However, for field trips in the Lang program, all transportation to/from the Museum and admission costs are covered. Page 3
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 Application Instructions The application requires three parts: 1. An online application, available at http://bit.ly/Lang2016 (case sensitive). 2. Supplemental information that must be sent to us, detailed below (pages 5 & 6). 3. Two recommendation letters from adults who are not family members. These may include teachers (school or otherwise), coaches, religious leaders, or anyone that can speak to the child’s interests and commitment (pages 7 & 8). We MUST have all three parts of the application for the process to move forward. If you are missing any part of the application, it will not be considered. Supplemental information The supplemental information is required, and can be mailed in, or scanned/emailed in, or dropped off. It includes: • a questionnaire to be filled out by the student applicant (see page 5). • signatures from the applicant and a parent or guardian affirming their support and interest (see page 6). • a copy of the applicant’s full 4th grade report card. • a copy of the applicant’s most recent 5th grade report card. If there were excessive absences or latenesses, please feel free to attach an explanation. Please note – we cannot return materials, please only include copies of the report cards. Getting the supplemental information to the Museum You are welcome to send in the packet and the recommendation letters in three ways. Please choose one and only one way, but keep a copy for yourself. By email (preferred method) – please scan and email to
[email protected] By mail – please mail it to: American Museum of Natural History Lang Science Program, Education Department 200 Central Park West New York, NY 10024 By dropping it off – Place the application in an envelope addressed to “The Lang Science Program”. Enter the museum UNDER the main staircase on Central Park West, and leave it with our security guards. This entrance is accessible 24 hours/day. Questions? If you have any questions, please feel free to email us (preferred) at
[email protected], or call the manager, Brian Levine, at 212-313-7172. Please note, due to the high volume of calls received, messages will be answered as quickly as possible. Email is always faster. After we receive your completed application, it will be thoroughly reviewed. Qualified applicants will be contacted after the application deadline and invited in for an interview. Page 4
LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM – 2016 APPLICATION STUDENT APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE (SUPPLEMENT, PAGE 1) Applicant Name __________________________________ The questions below are to be answered by the student applicant. Parents/guardians may explain the questions, but the student should answer in their own words and in his or her own handwriting. Feel free to attach drawings, pictures or other creative work that helps him/her explain the answers. For those who are physically unable to answer in their own handwriting, please type the answers and include an explanation. 1) Please explain why you want to be in the Lang Science Program.
2) What are some of your favorite things to do in your free time?
3) Tell us something that has made you curious that you want to know more about.
4) Describe a time that you learned something about science outside of class at school.
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LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM – 2016 APPLICATION COMMITMENT SIGN-OFF (SUPPLEMENT, PAGE 2) FOR PARENT/GUARDIAN The Lang Science Program is a 7-year program that meets at least 33 days per year – three weeks in the summer and eighteen Saturdays during the school year. As the parent/guardian of this applicant, I understand this and am willing, able, and eager to support my student in this endeavor. We will take this commitment seriously, and will make this program a priority over other activities for my child, except for family and school. Name:
______________________________________________
Signature:
______________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________ Relationship to applicant: ______________________________________________
FOR APPLICANT As the applicant, I am willing, able, and eager to participate in the Lang Science Program! I have a deep interest in science and the natural world, and I want to work with other students who share these interests. If I am selected, I will be an active member of the program, will respect other students, and work together with others. I realize this will take up a lot of time, and am willing to commit three weeks each summer and eighteen Saturdays during the school year be a part of it. Applicant name:
______________________________________________
Applicant signature:
______________________________________________
Date:
______________________________________________
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LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM – 2016 APPLICATION SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATION FORM, PAGE 1 Student’s name ____________________________________________ Recommender’s name ______________________________________ To the recommender, Thank you for taking the time to tell us about this student who is applying to the Lang Science Program. The Lang program is a 7-year, extracurricular, out-of-school time science program concentrating on the sciences studied and exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History. Students take courses, conduct research, prepare for college and careers, and also meet scientists, work collaboratively, and explore the natural world. For more info, please see http://www.amnh.org/Lang All answers will be kept confidential. Answers below should be written legibly, or can be typed/printed, or sent in via email. See the next page for details on returning answers to us. 1) What is your relationship with this student, and how long have you known her/him?
2) How has this student demonstrated an interest in science?
3) Has this student’s family supported her/his interest? If so, in what way(s)?
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LANG SCIENCE PROGRAM – 2016 APPLICATION SUPPLEMENT RECOMMENDATION FORM, PAGE 2 4) Does this student work well with others (including classmates and adults)? Please explain.
5) Describe a time when this student has displayed one of her/his greatest strengths.
6) If you have any concerns about this student being in the Lang Science Program, please describe them below.
7) Is there anything else we should know about this student?
Please return your answers to us by January 19, 2016 in one of three ways: • By email (preferred method) – please type your answers, or scan this form, and email to
[email protected]. Please use your professional email address (e.g.
[email protected]) • By mail – please mail it to: American Museum of Natural History Lang Science Program, Education Department 200 Central Park West New York, NY 10024 • By dropping it off – please drop it off with the security guards at the Museum’s 24-hour security desk. This desk is located UNDER the main entrance on Central Park West and 79th St. Please include “Attention: Lang Science Program, Education Department.” Page 8
