Scholar Response to the Program

The atmosphere that develops among the Scholars in this Program is unlike that seen in other youth organizations.  This is due to the fact that The New Jersey Scholars Program draws together an extraordinarily able and motivated group of students which develops an extraordinary sense of mutual support.   When they come for their interviews in the spring, the applicants receive a tour through the campus from the previous year's Scholars who make the academic demands of the Program vividly clear.  The Program has been described by a previous director as "a boot camp for the mind," and it attracts students ready to be challenged.  For many Scholars, their experience during the Program is an awakening to the life of the mind in a way they have never experienced before.   When all of these young people live in one dormitory and meet the challenges together, an extraordinary camaraderie develops.  The spirit of the experience has a way of discouraging cliques, and young people from many different backgrounds make firm friendships that bind the group together during the session and for many years afterward.  The social lessons they learn from each other can be as powerful and enduring as the academic ones.  In fact, the social and academic benefits are inseparable for it is the academic challenge that provides the opportunity for these students to unlock their own potential and learn how to meet the challenges with the help of their fellow Scholars.  This year's Scholars had just that kind of elevating experience, as evidenced by some of the following excerpts from their anonymous evaluations of the Program:

The New Jersey Scholars Program is a life-altering experience. 

I have never had an academic experience like the New Jersey Scholars Program and I likely never will have another like it.  I am immensely thankful to all of the trustees and every person that helps run this program because have directly contributed to changing my mindset.  Now I feel as if I will question my ideas more and strive to form educated opinions on every issue after gathering enough information.  I’m proud to say that I am a better speaker, thinker, student and teacher after this program.

I enjoyed the interdisciplinary education – it works better than any form of education I have received before.

NJSP was a major confidence boost for me.  Having been discouraged from competitive programs and colleges repeatedly, I doubted my ability to be noticed in our competitive world.  NJSP made me realize that I do have a fighting chance to do well, and I have a wonderful experience to show for it.

My time at NJSP resulted in me becoming confident in my voice and more enthusiastic about the college experience, who I am, and what I can achieve.

NJSP completely changed the way I think.  I’ve learned to listen more completely, to never ignore differing views and to engage in the experiences around me completely.

NJSP taught me how to learn from my peers as well as teachers.  Up until now, I never felt as if my classmates were able to help me excel in the classroom.  However, being around 38 other smart kids, I learned that by working together and with our teachers yielded fantastic results and conclusions.

The biggest thing I experienced is what it really takes to be successful in the real world.  That is, you just can’t have all the knowledge but you have to be able to speak that knowledge to your community in a compelling and comprehensive manner.

The seminars didn’t feel like a class which made me very comfortable and prompted me to participate.

My incredible peers inspired me to take my academic argument to the next level.  All that I gained at NJSP has enriched my way of thinking, which will make my life-long learning experiences ever more rewarding.  Finally, NJSP has equipped me with the knowledge and perspective to combat climate change.

NJSP isn’t just a learning experience.  It was a process of growth.

I feel that I learned about how to think rather than what to think. 

The program gave me a more complex and sophisticated mode of thought.  Before, my opinion on climate change and any topic were narrow-minded; now I have an interdisciplinary way of thinking.

NJSP was undoubtedly the greatest academic experience I have ever had.

I learned how to listen, to be patient enough to hear people and then articulate my own arguments.

NJSP has changed the way I think.  I am far more open-minded and I see connections where they eluded me before. 

Scholars is about removing artificial distractions between the classroom and the real world: they are one and the same, and I got to witness that first hand.

Before NJSP, my study habits were incredibly lacking.

I trust myself a lot more now, too.  Before NJSP, I wondered if my ideas were really valid.  Now, while I still question my own ideas, I am confident in myself.

Non-academic wise, I highly enjoyed and will always cherish the freedom and trust placed in me.

The NJSP experience has been an academic and social event without compare.

I learned to manage my time under stressful circumstances [writing the interdisciplinary paper]. . . I learned to listen to my peers and respond in a meaningful and respectful manner.

The “magic” of this program is that it is an intensive course in friendship as well as academics.

NJSP really broadened my horizons academically.  Conversations that I’ve had here made me consider my values and my place in the world, something I’ve never done before.

I have school friends and non-school friends and each sees me as two different people.  At NJSP I felt I could be my true self without judgment and not have to hide or edit my opinions for fear of being put on a pedestal.

NJSP granted me a taste of the college experience.

From this experience, I found a lot of myself that I didn’t come here with.  I became an independent person who is confident with the premise of relying on myself.  I also found my self-worth in a sense that I realized that in the future I’m going to do better for myself because I know I am capable and deserving.  I developed a better work initiative and drive to do better more efficiently.

To describe the extent of NJSP’s impact on me in words would be equivalent to drawing the Taj Mahal with only straight lines.  It has truly changed my perspective on the world and opened my eyes to many different kinds of learning.  I can honestly say that I’ve pulled out the stops during the last few weeks, and I’m a stronger, braver person for having done so.  I’ve learned to take risks and run – not step – out of my comfort zone to pursue new endeavors.  And I’ll keep that with me for my entire life.

I feel as though my mind was stretched with every conversation in the seminars.  It forced me to defend my assertions and open my mind to others’ opinions and was much more engaging than a typical classroom setting.

NJSP was an experience like no other.  I engaged in an entirely new form of learning. . . I truly felt like I was thinking independently, both inside and outside of the classroom.  I’m not sure about my academic future, but NJSP has made sure that I’m ready to deeply consider any problem I encounter from here on.

At NJSP, I improved my work ethic and I was pushed to my full potential.  Sometimes, I would stay up until a studying but it felt great because I was learning.  It encouraged me to think big, to chase after what I want, to want to have the desire to learn.  NJSP inspired me to be better, to discover/explore my surroundings.  I will never forget what I learned from this program – it changed me.

The Scholars program was life changing.

The experience changed my life to the extent that my parents told me that I was a different person only after 3 weeks at NJSP on the long weekend at home.   I had learned not to just listen to other’s opinions but also consider them as equal as my own. . . I have become more aware of the world around me, which I am really grateful.