The 2008 Washington Search for Young Scholars (WSYS) began its annual hunt for gifted students in grades five through eight throughout the state this month.

The Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars at the UW orchestrates the annual WSYS, and also administers programs that eligible young scholars can participate in at the UW.

The purpose of the WSYS is to identify Washington's most academically advanced students in intermediate and middle schools, according to the Robinson Center Web site.

"The greatest value is in recognizing academically-talented young students who love to learn, encouraging them to continue to strive for intellectual excellence and a passionate commitment to their chosen interests, alerting their schools and communities to their achievements, and making more challenging academic opportunities available to them," said Kathleen Noble, director of the Robinson Center.

Academic benefits of the WSYS include eligibility to participate in the Robinson Center's summer programs, as well as enrollment in "special distance learning courses through Northwestern and Duke Universities," according to the program's Web site.

Students who receive the award are invited to a formal recognition ceremony complete with a certificate of participation, and their local newspapers are alerted of their achievements.

Some, however, question the merits of identifying "gifted" students.

"I think its problematic to peg students so early on in their intellectual development as [a] 'genius' or not, and it can be devastating to those who do not score as high," junior Pamela Saunders said. "I think that can create a lot of problems later on," she said.

Higher education should have other priorities, she added.

"It is more important to make sure the child is challenged and receiving a good education than to identify them as gifted or not," Saunders said.

To participate in the WSYS students must submit an application, the fee for which is now subsidized by Washington State Legislature, by Jan. 25.

Test score requirements differ according to the applicant's grade. For those in seventh and eighth grades, students must take the ACT or SAT and submit standardized test scores by Feb. 1. Applicants in the fifth and sixth grades must score at least within the 97th percentile on standardized achievement and aptitude tests that rank scores across the state or nation.

"We have had about 1,000 students each year since 2004 qualify for and be recognized by WSYS," Noble said. "WSYS applicants 'self-select,' so very few apply but don't qualify. ... I would guess that maybe 15 percent don't qualify."

The Robinson Center "is a leader and resource in gifted education for the state, nation and international community," according to its Web site. There are two different tracks for young scholars to study at UW: the Early Entrance Program (EEP) and UW Academy for Young Scholars.

EEP consists of one year at the Transition School, where, as the name suggests, students prepare for college-level work in classes taught in the Robinson Center. In the second step of the program, the young scholars are plunged into full-time enrollment at the UW.

Each year, 16 students are accepted to the Early Entrance Program. The applicants must be younger than 15 and have finished sixth grade.

The UW Academy, which provides access to the University and admission into the Honors Program, is for gifted high school students above grade 10.

"I think it's great to recognize these kids, but there should be awards for all types of talent, not just for high scores on standardized tests," UW alumna Rebecca Platter said.

It is hard to tell how the WSYS serves as a gateway to the Robinson Center's other programs. Nobel estimated that approximately 30 percent of WSYS award winners enter the EEP, and 80 percent participate in the summer programs. Of last years' 35 students accepted to the Academy, eight were WSYS winners, said Noble. She expects these numbers to increase as the program becomes more established.

In the future, the Robinson Center hopes to form a partnership with UW Admissions to reach out to more academically advanced students around the state, Noble said.

"[WSYS] is critically important in helping to keep any talent alive," she said. "If students turn their talented minds off when they're in elementary and middle school, they rarely turn them on again."

[Reach reporter Sonia McBride at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]