re: Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (Natchitoches)

LSMSA class of 2000 here.

Listen to those who actually went there, or talk to the school itself to see if it fits for your child.

I consider my two years there the most foundational for my entire education. It saved me from an absolutely mediocre education at my local high school.

I'm not aware of any other school in the state that offers/offered its students courses like:
- Differential, Integral, Multi-Variable, and Vector Calculus (4 different courses)
- Differential Equations
- Modern Algebra
- Intro to programming with C++ (may be a different language now)
- Data Structures
- Assembly (it was a one-off, special course taught by a great teacher who is still there)
- Operating Systems (actual design of OS's, this is usually a junior/senior-level course in college)

The list could go on and on. The staff there was (and I'm sure still is) amazing. Many of them hold PhD's, and it really opens the students' eyes to what could lie ahead academically if that's the route they'd like to take.

After LSMSA, I found that the residential aspect became a huge advantage for me. As a freshman at college, I already had two years of experience living on-campus. I saw many around me flounder with the newfound freedom and responsibility of college life. LSMSA was a great "on-ramp" to living away from home, since it was a well-controlled environment that still gave us some freedom (but not too much).

If your child feels constrained by their current school, LSMSA should be considered.