Summer Institute for the Gifted

We used their online 8 week course during this summer. Here are the positives.
1) My kid actually liked the experience
2) She learned something new
The negatives
1) Pre-​requisites: No upfront disclosure of what the pre-​requisites are. Basically you sign up for a course labeled 7 years, but once it starts you realize that your kid should have already known long multiplication, long division, factors, fractions and decimals. Even if you have a gifted child, they’re not born with this information.
2) Disengaged kids: In our case, we got extremely lucky because I just happened to be at home when the course started. And I have a math background, so I ended up teaching my kids all the background needed. But it was just a very fortunate coincidence. Of the ~20 kids who registered in the course, only about 6 – 7 actively participated (there are online stats that show you if the others are even looking at the course work). I think the ~12 kids who were turned off, was because they didn’t have the necessary background.
3) No instruction: There is no «instruction» within the course. You need to really do all the «teaching» yourself. Basically the coursework each week consists of games and videos. Also, these videos are typically not the teaching kind (unlike Khan academy which I find extremely useful).
4) Partially disengaged instructor: The instructor also kind of lost interest before the course was complete. Diminishing feedback on any assignments, and delayed posting of coursework online.
5) Expensive: For a mere posting of assignments weekly (which I am sure don’t change from year to year), it is a very expensive course.
I have actually heard good things about their in-​person classes (which are really expensive). However, I wouldn’t recommend their online course. Instead see if your kid is driven enough to learn a new topic on Khan academy (all for free). Which I would strongly recommend.

UC Berkeley, UCLA or Princeton at the age of 9?
I, like most parents, believe in actively seeking the best educational opportunities for my child. I would never passively allow the school system to care for her. That would be absolutely insane given the condition of our current education system.
The Summer Institute for the Gifted is an excellent program. It allows gifted children to attend a prestigious college during summer. It’s a three week event in which the child stays inside the dorm with supervision. Children have the opportunity to interact with other gifted children, and experience college in a safe environment.
You should be prepared to spend upwards of $ 5,000 for this program. It’s worth every penny.