how much does being in the GT program affect college admissions?

[Anonymous]

sorry for the probably stupid question but I am new to all of this and this board! Just curious if it weighs at all in college admissions?

[Anonymous]

they all go back to the same high schools, so I don't see how it makes any difference at all. Unless they get into TJ.

[Anonymous]

^^ the above refers to the situation in Northern Va. Don't know about GT programs elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

thanks, we are in NoVA. I really had no idea myself, thanks

[Anonymous]

it doesn't

[Anonymous]

Weird answers. I think it helps a good bit if a student is in the toughest classes that his/her high school offers. Those classes may be described as GT or honors or whatever. You had to be in the secondary honors program at my high school to take AP classes, and having several APs improves a college application a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weird answers. I think it helps a good bit if a student is in the toughest classes that his/her high school offers. Those classes may be described as GT or honors or whatever. You had to be in the secondary honors program at my high school to take AP classes, and having several APs improves a college application a lot.

In FCPS, the former GT (now AAP) program ends at 8th grade. Being in GT has no affect whatsoever on college admissions. Taking AP classes in high school certainly does, but those are available to all, not just GT kids. You don't have to be GT to pass an AP exam - I'm sure plenty of non-GT kids take and pass the exams. So the answer is it doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Doing GT in ES or MS is not going to contribute directly to impressing a college. It's true that competitive colleges want kids who are taking the most challenging courses possible - this is one message that came through loud and clear during our college trip over spring break. But they are talking about challenging courses in high school, not in ES or MS because they don't see these transcripts, and at most your kid will enter the name of the ES or MS which, unless it has "magnet" in the name, won't signal much to them. (Unless some of the MS classes count as HS courses, which is the case with one of my kids, but the general point still holds.)

The one indirect way I can see GT helping is that it gets a kid on the advanced/honors track, especially in math. If you don't start early on the advanced track, it's nearly impossible to skip ahead from regular math to, say geometry without doing algebra I in between. Also, if your kid likes the GT peer group, they could be a good influence in a general sort of way.

As for the APs, to elaborate on 22:26's point, the colleges don't see the AP test results unless you send them. The competitive colleges generally want 2 SAT IIs (don't get me started on these) and they also generally look to see whether a kid is taking APs because these are known to be challenging. But they don't require you to say whether you got a 2 or a 5 on the AP tests. Of course, if your kid got a 5 on AP Calc (like mine did), then by all means send it to colleges, but it's not required.

[Anonymous]

22:26, my AP classes were filled with all the same students from my GT classes in middle school. You have to score at least a 4 or 5 on the tests to get any college credit. Show me an average student who can score a 4 or 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:22:26, my AP classes were filled with all the same students from my GT classes in middle school. You have to score at least a 4 or 5 on the tests to get any college credit. Show me an average student who can score a 4 or 5.

Collges do not care if you were in the GT program; you don't even indicate it on your application. Many school districts accross the country don't even have a GT program and somehow their students manage to get into college.

[Anonymous]

And if you want your kid in the most advanced math class, he or she can take math over the summer. DC has several friends who did this so they could take calculus as juniors and then whatever comes after that as seniors.

[Anonymous]

13:51- really? Of course, average students can score a 4 or 5 if they study, anyone can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: 13:51- really? Of course, average students can score a 4 or 5 if they study, anyone can.

I have to agree with this. Most of these, except maybe AP calculus, are about how many history facts you can memorize, or how much grammar you can stuff in your head. The real question is whether the kid is determined and dedicated, especially if this is a kid without a photographic memory, because finding time to study is tough junior year.

[Anonymous]

Former admissions counselor here. No, GT programs generally make no difference in college admissions. AP scores can be important, as well as any other advanced programs your child participates in, especially in the final two years of HS. The first two years are not as influential, especially if the GPA trends upwards over the whole HS career. As for whether admissions will know about the curriculum for your HS and its rankings, it depends a lot on where your child applies, the geographic distribution of applicants, and the size of the school.

In other words, we all generally know the top HS in most states, what schools are magnets, or selective admission, and what schools have IB diploma programs, but if I'm working for, say, University of Michigan, I may or may not be familiar with the number 3 HS in Virginia. I hope this helps answer the question.