Keeping their talents alive:Young women's assessment of radical, post‐secondary acceleration

Twenty‐seven of the 30 young women who entered the University of Washington's Early Entrance Program (EEP) between 1988 and 1992 completed a 25‐item questionnaire which asked why they chose early college entrance, whether gender played a role in their decision, and how their and others’ attitudes toward themselves were affected by their participation in the EEP. They were also asked about their perceptions of sexism in educational and work environments; the values and dreams that guided their educational, professional, and relational decisions; and whether they thought early college entrance had been a help or a hindrance to their goals. Results indicated that although gender was not a factor in most respondents’ decision to enroll in the EEP, young women derive a number of unique benefits from radical acceleration, including a rare combination of acceptance and encouragement at a critical age that might help to inoculate them against less supportive environments as they grow older.