CTY shakeup

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the original story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/27/johns-hopkins-cty-canceled/


I know, I know, a lot of people say this is a privileged camp for rich kids (that is all over the Post comments) but those criticisms are misguided. This camp supports super smart kids who sometimes feel alienated or ostracized at school and I can tell you from experience it is way more diverse than critics think, with financial aid available as well. It is a great program that Hopkins made a mess of this year.

You must be rich to afford CTY, period. Believe me, I'd love for my brilliant, socially alienated child to attend but a $5k camp (plus travel expenses) is not remotely within the realm of possibility. Please don't front your like super-special child *needs* this opportunity in a way others, who can't afford this camp, don't.

This is a private camp run by a private university, which hires highly trained staff, including TAs, RAs, Office Staff, and of course, the instructors. All of those people require salaries, and in most cases, room and board. It is not free to run the program, and JHU also wants to turn a profit. It's a business. Not everyone can afford to patronize every business. I'd LOVE to send my kid to private school, but we cannot afford the tuition. Am I going to complain about it? No, he goes to public and we fill in the rest as parents. If I want to afford him send him to private, I will make a sacrifice somewhere else, or I'll get a side hustle. Do you have a side hustle? You could probably earn 5k driving Uber, it is very lucrative right now.

[Anonymous]

They offer financial aid to FARM kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the original story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/27/johns-hopkins-cty-canceled/


I know, I know, a lot of people say this is a privileged camp for rich kids (that is all over the Post comments) but those criticisms are misguided. This camp supports super smart kids who sometimes feel alienated or ostracized at school and I can tell you from experience it is way more diverse than critics think, with financial aid available as well. It is a great program that Hopkins made a mess of this year.

You must be rich to afford CTY, period. Believe me, I'd love for my brilliant, socially alienated child to attend but a $5k camp (plus travel expenses) is not remotely within the realm of possibility. Please don't front your like super-special child *needs* this opportunity in a way others, who can't afford this camp, don't.

My parents were MC, grew up in LCOL area, and the most they ever made per year was $60k (with LOTS of overtime that year). But they scrimped and saved and sacrificed to send me to CTY one year, because I was that nerdy fish out of water kid and it definitely changed the trajectory of my life. And I still stay in touch with people I met there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is the original story:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/06/27/johns-hopkins-cty-canceled/


I know, I know, a lot of people say this is a privileged camp for rich kids (that is all over the Post comments) but those criticisms are misguided. This camp supports super smart kids who sometimes feel alienated or ostracized at school and I can tell you from experience it is way more diverse than critics think, with financial aid available as well. It is a great program that Hopkins made a mess of this year.

You must be rich to afford CTY, period. Believe me, I'd love for my brilliant, socially alienated child to attend but a $5k camp (plus travel expenses) is not remotely within the realm of possibility. Please don't front your like super-special child *needs* this opportunity in a way others, who can't afford this camp, don't.

My parents were MC, grew up in LCOL area, and the most they ever made per year was $60k (with LOTS of overtime that year). But they scrimped and saved and sacrificed to send me to CTY one year, because I was that nerdy fish out of water kid and it definitely changed the trajectory of my life. And I still stay in touch with people I met there.

Same here!! 45 yrs old, and to this day my best friends come from that period....these friends have known me since I was 13/14....Truly an exceptional experience. It opened up my world and gave so much confidence to break out in other social settings later in life. I flourished and sought leadership positions due to the spcio-academic experience of CTY. It was a huge, huge sacrifice for my mom for me to be there.

[Anonymous]

+1. CTY was a life-changing experience. I’m so glad my parents saved to send me there.

[Anonymous]

My parents complained bitterly and continually about the cost, but they made it happen. I’m still grateful. It saved my sanity when I was at a tough age. If not for CTY I think I would’ve ended up in serious mental health trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids tested as eligible for CTY programs and I was excited about the offerings but absolutely shocked by the price tag! There was no way we could pay for them. It was disillusioning considering the original mission of CTY. They never took a single CTY class.

My family's situation exactly. I don't know whether I regret the cost, stress, and time of the testing-in, since we didn't use it and there isn't a middle-schooler resume in which we could include that honor. Ah well.

The weekly fundraising emails and monthly fundraising cold calls also hurt.

[Anonymous]

Bump— did anyones kids go to the jhu program last year? Has it bounced back since the covid fail (i think that was only at other campuses, but could be wrong?)

[Anonymous]

Mine went to a 3 week session at JHU (her first time) - it was her favorite academic experience ever. We don't have enough experience to say whether it bounced back to pre-COVID standards or not, but she loved it.

[Anonymous]

I have a very dumb question about CTY.

The website says that age groups in camp are based on grades as of June 1.

On June 1, my kid will have graduated 8th grade, and so I guess he'll be a 9th grader. His BFF, who he wants to go to camp with, will have another week of 8th grade to go.

Surely they don't actually mean to draw the line there. Either they're both 8th graders or both 9th graders.

Does anyone know what grade they count as? Why wouldn't they go by grade on Jan 1 or something that's super clear?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump— did anyones kids go to the jhu program last year? Has it bounced back since the covid fail (i think that was only at other campuses, but could be wrong?)

Bump to gather info from people who have done it: what did you do to obtain transfer credit/advanced placement for CTY math classes in DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump— did anyones kids go to the jhu program last year? Has it bounced back since the covid fail (i think that was only at other campuses, but could be wrong?)

Bump to gather info from people who have done it: what did you do to obtain transfer credit/advanced placement for CTY math classes in DCPS?

I’m curious myself. From the website I believe it says you need to check with your school whether it’s accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents complained bitterly and continually about the cost, but they made it happen. I’m still grateful. It saved my sanity when I was at a tough age. If not for CTY I think I would’ve ended up in serious mental health trouble.

I know this is a very old post and whoever wrote these are probably not reading my post, but you have convinced me that it might be worth sending my kids. That is a lot though, $10k for 2 kids.