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Miss Helen Adams Keller's First Year Of College Preparatory Work

From: Helen Keller Souvenir: No. 2, 1892-1899: Commemorating The Harvard Final Examination For Admission To Radcliffe College, June 29-30, 1899
Creator: Arthur Gilman (author)
Date: 1899
Publisher: Volta Bureau, Washington, D.C.
Source: Available at selected libraries

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On Saturday there was one hour for Elementary French, and one for Elementary German. Both of these were easy, though the German is more to Helen's taste than the French. While we were going through this German paper, there was a ring at the door, and Professor Schilling was announced. He had come to let me know that Helen had been successful in her advanced German, the paper being pronounced excellent. It was very kind of the Professor to let me know this, for it gave Helen her first encouragement, and she went off for her summer vacation in an hour with a lighter heart, though I believe she had no doubts at any time.

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Since then I have heard from all of the examinations. She was successful in every subject and took "honors" in English and German. I think that I may say that no candidate in Harvard or Radcliffe College was graded higher than Helen in English. The result is remarkable, especially when we consider that Helen has been studying on strictly college preparatory lines for one year only. She had had long and careful instruction, it is true, and she had had always the loving ministrations of Miss Sullivan, in addition to the inestimable advantage of a concentration that the rest of us never know. No man or woman has ever in my experience got ready for these examinations in so brief a time. How has it been accomplished? By a union of patience, determination, and affection, with the foundation of an uncommon brain.

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Arthur Gilman

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