The application deadline for Ayn Rand Institute’s Objectivist Academic Center is approaching quickly:

This is a reminder that the deadline for submitting an application to the Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) is April 16, 2006.

The undergraduate program is designed for high school and college students who want to systematically study philosophy and Objectivism while developing their thinking and communication skills. The program offers students an unique opportunity to study one-on-one with leading Objectivist intellectuals and to get individualized feedback. OAC students are also eligible for other specialized ARI programs such as conference scholarships, graduate advisors and teaching skills workshops. We have also just entered a pilot program whereby students can get college credit for OAC courses, which will lighten the courseload students will have to take at their universities or colleges.

I cannot possibly recommend the OAC strongly enough. Although I skipped the first and third years, I’ve found my two years of courses to be of stellar quality. In particular, the second year course on Objectivism taught by Onkar Ghate far surpassed all the dozens of philosophy class I’ve taken as an undergraduate at Washington University and as a graduate student at Boulder. (Non-students can audit that course and any others for a fee.)

The only downside to my OAC classes has been the extra burden of work without credit from Boulder, although given the education offered, that was an easy price to pay. Still, I’m delighted to see that students might be able to get credit for their OAC classes this year, since that might make a difference to others, particularly undergraduates.

More details on the program of study, as well as the application form, are available on ARI’s web site. Again, I cannot recommend this program highly enough. It has exceeded my wildest hopes for education in Objectivism.

And speaking of applications, I think I probably need to officially apply for the graduate program!