No. Synthesis is a weekly enrichment program for students who want to learn how to be innovative thinkers and problem solvers. It is extracurricular and students attend weekly one-hour sessions.
Our students are introduced to an array of intellectual concepts (e.g. network effect, contingent value) that arise throughout our simulations. Additionally, they practice critical thinking and improve their ability to collaborate with a diverse collection of peers.
Your tuition payments begin on the first day of class and continue monthly at $180 USD until, or unless, you cancel.
Since we got started in the fall of 2020, demand has grown exponentially at Synthesis. We are currently on a reservation system. When you reserve a spot, you are securing a seat and your opportunity to enroll in upcoming cohorts, which are opened every month. You can make a reservation for a child of any age up to 14, and they can enroll beginning at age 6.
The reservation fee is not refundable.
Like many competitive schools, our average wait time is two to three months. At Synthesis, teacher quality is our utmost priority. Because we strive to deliver an outstanding (and wildly different) learning experience, we put a lot of effort into ensuring only the most qualified applicants get hired. We currently only accept between 4% and 6% of teachers that apply. While this means we can’t immediately open cohorts for all students, we are guaranteeing we prioritize quality over quantity.
Once you pay the reservation fee, your child’s place is guaranteed at Synthesis. On or around the 10th of every month, we send enrollment invitations via email to those parents that are next in line on the reservation list. Enrollment remains open until the cohorts are full.
Your tuition includes your student's one-hour weekly cohort session. We also offer student free-play sessions for enrolled students who have to miss a class, or who just need more Synthesis in their lives! We also have seasonal tournaments and other competitions throughout the year. Don't forget about our Parent Orientation Play Sessions, where parents can experience Synthesis for themselves! Synthesis works hard to foster a sense of community through our parent Facebook page, through our private Discord channel, and other facilitated groups.
Yes! We offer a sibling discount - each child beyond the first child receives a 20% discount.
No. Synthesis is not about math, or any standard subject that is taught by a traditional school. It's about helping students to experience, think, and make decisions. Every student we accept, regardless of how they are measured in other settings, can excel at Synthesis.
Synthesis isn't for everyone. That's why we offer a full refund of the first month's tuition up to the beginning of the third session. No hassle, no questions asked. Just send us an email at admin@synthesis.is. (The reservation fee is not refundable.)
Absolutely. This comes up most often when a student's schedule changes. You can switch your child to a weekly cohort session at a more convenient time in your Parent Portal as often as you like.
We want to bring the Synthesis experience to students of all ages! We are thinking about how to best design a program that serves the needs of our older students. More to come.
We are now offering Synthesis Juniors for 6 and 7-year-olds. Class sizes are smaller and are geared to the younger crowd, although they experience the same simulations as older students.
Yes! We have multiple simulations and will continually develop new simulations. Each is designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
All of our facilitators are selected through a competitive application process. Their backgrounds vary, from experienced educators to engineers to animators. Each brings a passion for reforming the current education model and helping children become world-class problem solvers.
Yes. The caveat is that they would need to be in the same age grouping. We group the students from ages 6-7, 8-10, 11-12 and 13 to 14.
Yes! The cohorts are designed to be a cohesive group where students make friends and develop relationships with other students and their facilitator. They will continue with the same cohort unless you switch them to another.
We hope to offer cohorts taught in various languages soon. For now, all of our classes are taught in English, though a number of our facilitators are bilingual in an array of languages. If the situation arises, they are more than happy to help a student in their native language.
Just let us know if you need/want to cancel. Simple as that. No advance notice, no strings attached. You can manage your subscription in your Parent Portal or email us at admin@synthesis.is.
While some of our simulations can be navigated on tablets, it comes at a high cost in terms of the quality of experience both for the child using the tablet, and the other students in the cohort. As a result, use of a laptop or desktop computer with the Chrome browser is required.
Not at all! The most important thing that a child needs to possess is the willingness to learn and evolve. Apart from that, basic commands in Zoom and the ability to switch between tabs will be sufficient. We have a short instructional video on those matters that we share with parents if they request it!
We are encouraging parents to leave their kids alone during the sessions. That way, they can feel more independent and focus purely on the problems that they need to solve. If you want to experience Synthesis and see the sessions through your child's eyes, you are welcome to join one of our Parent Oriented Play Sessions.
Our teachers provide a general update after each session and a detailed personal email at least once a month.
We have a lot of plans for the future. We want to give students more freedom when it comes to scheduling and challenge levels. We are working hard on making that happen.
Discord is an online communication platform. We have our own channel there that is being monitored 24/7. It is a safe environment where students can communicate, discuss or share knowledge between sessions.
Synthesis facilitates cohorts every day of the year, including on U.S. legal public holidays.
