The new class of 2019 for Gatton Academy was just announced and Greenwood’s Sydney Wheeler was selected to attend her junior and senior years.  She felt that this experience would challenge and push her outside of the typical high school classes.  Sydney is most excited about the new friendships she will be able to make and about all the different experiences she will be offered.

For eight consecutive years, The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science has been ranked among the top performing high schools in the United States by The Washington Post.  The students attend classes on Western’s campus and live in the Gatton Academy residence hall their junior and senior years instead of going to a traditional high school.

The Academy admits 95 Kentucky students based on GPA, standardized tests scores, extracurricular activities, recommendations, essay responses, and interviews.  By the time these students graduate, they have earned between 60 and 72 hours of college credit, which is equivalent to two years of college.

In the past two years, five Greenwood students have been accepted into this rigorous school:  Meigan Niu, Benjamin Kash, JJ Marquardt, Meghan Perez, and Elaine Losekamp.

The four students who left last year are enjoying their experience at Gatton. They applied for the same reason as Sydney: they wanted a challenge..  The application process required four essays and a short answer question, along with a resume of everything the students did in high school.

After the application process was complete, the applicants attended an interview in front of several different Gatton faculty members.  Once they got accepted, they were a little nervous, but very excited to start. The Gatton schedule follows the Western Kentucky college schedule, including when the college is shut down and their breaks.  While at Gatton, the students do an average of 3-4 hours a night.  This was one of the hardest transitions for the students going from the high school to college environment.

While the students aren’t studying, they are usually getting food or participating in the various activities that Gatton offers, such as school dances, theme nights, or game nights.  If their families live close, many of the students go home on the weekends.

“Gatton has been an experience of a lifetime and I’m so glad I’ve been given the opportunity to attend,” says Ben Kash.