Is it really time to talk about HGC already?!

[Anonymous]

My third-grader came home from school yesterday telling me that her friend Larla is going to be in a special center next year because she is smart, and a couple other friends said they were going to go as well. My daughter asked me if she was going and I told her that we do not know, and in fact Larla can not possibly know either. (Larla is the self-proclaimed smartest person int he grade, who will tell even parents this at any opportunity.) My daughter is convinced that her friends are going, and if she is not, then she is not as smart as them. Ugh.

The MCPS website says that information about the application/test will be up after September 18. Can anyone give me any insights on when the applications will be available and the tests will occur. She did well enough on the Inview, but I have no clue if my daughter would get in, or even if we would send her if she does get in. I just want to have facts to give her to counteract whatever chatter is going on at school.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

There isn't really an application. All parents get a letter asking if there child should be tested. You just answer yes. Later there is a very short parent input form asking about your child..

[Anonymous]

Is this in a w school cluster?

I believe testing is in January.

My DC#2 in 2nd grade started talking about it yesterday. My DC#1 is in HGC. I told DC#2 that taking a test and not doing well doesn't mean your are not smart. Sometimes, people do very badly on tests even if they are smart. They could've had a bad day, not feeling well, just not used to those questions. Some people learn differently than others.

I have no idea if what I told her is sinking in. My DC#2 is not as bright as DC#1 was at that age. So, I'm thinking DC#2 wouldn't make it.

[Anonymous]

Here is what I told my children: the only thing getting into the HGC says about you is that you got into the HGC. Plenty of smart kids get into the HGC. Plenty of smart kids DON'T get into the HGC. And some kids get into the HGC and you wonder why, but you don't know, because you didn't see their application file, plus it's none of your business anyway.

OP, which school is your daughter at? I'm surprised that there is so much talk about the HGC among the children so early in the year.

[Anonymous]

There is an easy application (parents only, no kids' section in the past), often due in November (if memory serves). Tests are given to all applicants sometime around January. Admissions decisions around sent out around spring break.

[Anonymous]

Goodness, conversations like that irritate me so much, because somewhere along the line it means there's a parent who has communicated incorrect information and generated false hopes. Some of these self-declared center-goers are in for a big disappointment - not all of them will make it.

HGCs are highly selective but easy to apply for. A simple application from the parents, plus a checklist ("letter of recommendation") from the teacher, and a test in January. HGCs are for children who are so much head and shoulders above the rest that they really need a different environment. Sometimes these children are atypical in other ways too - they may have a tinge of Asperger's or ADHD (my child is one). Your typical bright child will be equally well-served, if not better, at his or her home school.

Squash any thought that children who are not accepted must be of lower intelligence. It's not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Goodness, conversations like that irritate me so much, because somewhere along the line it means there's a parent who has communicated incorrect information and generated false hopes. Some of these self-declared center-goers are in for a big disappointment - not all of them will make it.

HGCs are highly selective but easy to apply for. A simple application from the parents, plus a checklist ("letter of recommendation") from the teacher, and a test in January. HGCs are for children who are so much head and shoulders above the rest that they really need a different environment. Sometimes these children are atypical in other ways too - they may have a tinge of Asperger's or ADHD (my child is one). Your typical bright child will be equally well-served, if not better, at his or her home school.

Squash any thought that children who are not accepted must be of lower intelligence. It's not true.

This is not true, in my experience. There are certainly some incredibly-super-smart children at the HGC. There are also lots of just plain regular smart kids at the HGC. And there are also just plain regular smart kids at the home school who would do well at the HGC but didn't get in (or maybe didn't even apply).

So if you have a smart kid who you think might do well at the HGC and who doesn't have test anxiety or anxiety about not getting accepted, go ahead and apply and see what happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Goodness, conversations like that irritate me so much, because somewhere along the line it means there's a parent who has communicated incorrect information and generated false hopes. Some of these self-declared center-goers are in for a big disappointment - not all of them will make it.

HGCs are highly selective but easy to apply for. A simple application from the parents, plus a checklist ("letter of recommendation") from the teacher, and a test in January. HGCs are for children who are so much head and shoulders above the rest that they really need a different environment. Sometimes these children are atypical in other ways too - they may have a tinge of Asperger's or ADHD (my child is one). Your typical bright child will be equally well-served, if not better, at his or her home school.

Squash any thought that children who are not accepted must be of lower intelligence. It's not true.

I agree with all of the above. I have one at HGC and one in 3rd grade at home school. 3rd grader hasn't yet mentioned any talk on the playground, but he's mulled over whether he wants to apply. His Inview scores were not the same as his brothers, but if he wants to apply and see if he gets in and then decide we support that. We've also been very careful to point out that just because one is at HGC and the other isn't doesn't mean anything about what they'll achieve or "how smart they are." It just means that the HGC was better suited for the older one's needs at that time in his life. Honestly it's a bit soon for kids to be discussing - I think the big handouts etc are in October and there are parent meetings etc. with a test in January. OP - could this be a Mean Girl situation with one girl trying to put herself on the top of the pecking order and your daughter is internalizing it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Goodness, conversations like that irritate me so much, because somewhere along the line it means there's a parent who has communicated incorrect information and generated false hopes. Some of these self-declared center-goers are in for a big disappointment - not all of them will make it.

HGCs are highly selective but easy to apply for. A simple application from the parents, plus a checklist ("letter of recommendation") from the teacher, and a test in January. HGCs are for children who are so much head and shoulders above the rest that they really need a different environment. Sometimes these children are atypical in other ways too - they may have a tinge of Asperger's or ADHD (my child is one). Your typical bright child will be equally well-served, if not better, at his or her home school.

Squash any thought that children who are not accepted must be of lower intelligence. It's not true.

Why "better" at the home school... curious?

We are somewhat new to mcps. My oldest is in hgc. I have no idea how different HGC is from the home school in terms of level of work. I do know that the curriculum is the same. From what I can tell, there is way more writing HW in HGC than home school (I have talked to some parents at the home school about 4th grade hw and such).

I would think that the class discussions and group project work (which there were many) would be on a different level at HGC than at the home school simply because of the level that most if not all of the kids are at in HGC vs. the home school.

[Anonymous]

We had some behavior issues with our 5 yo and were referred to a behavioral psychologist. Part of the eval (fully covered by insurance) was an IQ test and other cognitive abilities tests, amoung other things. She was in the 98-99th%. Our doctor told us he'd be very surprised is she didn't qualify for the gifted program.

I'm not going to tell my daughter that, but maybe Larla has good reason to think she's going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had some behavior issues with our 5 yo and were referred to a behavioral psychologist. Part of the eval (fully covered by insurance) was an IQ test and other cognitive abilities tests, amoung other things. She was in the 98-99th%. Our doctor told us he'd be very surprised is she didn't qualify for the gifted program.

I'm not going to tell my daughter that, but maybe Larla has good reason to think she's going.

Because some kids just don't do well on test taking.

[Anonymous]

There's a difference between an individually administers WISC (IQ) test, and a group one done at school.

[Anonymous]

Both you and your daughter sound grounded. Congrats, OP.

Larla sounds intense.


But, yes, testing is in early to mid January. I wish I could clearly remember how many kids took it from my DC's classroom (no idea about the entire 3rd grade). About 10? There were 5 3rd grade classrooms in total. Fewer than 10 kids were accepted from the entire school, if that gives you any perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had some behavior issues with our 5 yo and were referred to a behavioral psychologist. Part of the eval (fully covered by insurance) was an IQ test and other cognitive abilities tests, amoung other things. She was in the 98-99th%. Our doctor told us he'd be very surprised is she didn't qualify for the gifted program.

I'm not going to tell my daughter that, but maybe Larla has good reason to think she's going.

There are a lot of 98-99th percentile kids here in Lake Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Goodness, conversations like that irritate me so much, because somewhere along the line it means there's a parent who has communicated incorrect information and generated false hopes. Some of these self-declared center-goers are in for a big disappointment - not all of them will make it.

HGCs are highly selective but easy to apply for. A simple application from the parents, plus a checklist ("letter of recommendation") from the teacher, and a test in January. HGCs are for children who are so much head and shoulders above the rest that they really need a different environment. Sometimes these children are atypical in other ways too - they may have a tinge of Asperger's or ADHD (my child is one). Your typical bright child will be equally well-served, if not better, at his or her home school.

Squash any thought that children who are not accepted must be of lower intelligence. It's not true.

this.