Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

Just curious if you went to a demanding high school with a lot of smart students. I was looking at the website yesterday and I was torn about whether I wanted to suggest CTY to my kids when they get so much out of sleepaway camp and other summer and extracurricular activities plus they have the option of an IB high school program if they want a challenge. But maybe I am missing something. I could definitely see the value for a kid going to a school that wasn't very good though or for kids who can get scholarships to CTY and don't have other great summer options.

I am not PP but had a similar experience. (I was also an RA and TA at CTY during my college years so I am a big CTY cheerleader). It's not really for the academic challenge per se, but the fact that everyone, socially, is at an advanced academic level. It's different, and special, and was really useful during the middle school years. I am still in touch with both fellow campers and staff 25 years later. The coursework is also FUN, there are so many extras that you can explore that aren't offered at a public school. My two cents.

This is good to hear. My 3rd grader was just telling me yesterday that sometimes it makes him sad that none of his friends are interested in what he is interested in and he has no one to talk science about. I doubt we will do CTY until it is not virtual, but I think he would love being around similar kids.

Maybe try AoPS next year, they have math and LA classes. DS enjoyed his AoPS math class this year, third grade. They will be in person next year but it is a class full of other kids who enjoy/are advanced in math and LA. I have heard similar things about Russian School of Math (I think that is the name). And there is a new Scouting program called STEM Scouts that is starting to take off in the area. It is all STEM, the kids belong to laboratories and conduct experiments and do other STEM type projects.

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone taken the Process of Writing or Writing for an Audience class through CTY? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as well as any other classes there you liked. Thanks in advance.

One of my kids took the Process of Writing last year. Excellent course and less costly compared to other CTY classes. But I would not use the CTY student grade level to determine if it’s suitable for your child. Instead, notice that it’s a (college?) level class I believe. You may need to motivate and organize your child a bit, and my child qualified at the Advanced Verbal level. I will not be trying to get my kid into the more advanced writing classes at all.

Looks like it is only online this year?

You should look at the DCUM posts in the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) discussion. Search for CTY and there're tons of people with experience with the program.

I'm the person who said it was so meaningful, and it's the other poster's experience exactly. All at once everyone those summers was just like me in terms of being interested in learning, just for learning sake and to be around other learners. My husband calls it nerd camp, and he's right but also that's what made it so special. I was always pushed in school, but CTY summers meant everyone WANTED to be pushed. I also got out of my bubble, got away from my parents, made friends with people from much different backgrounds, and got to pretend to be a college kid for 6 weeks. The independence of getting to/from meals and class everyday was its own experience. I completed 4 years of high school french in 3 summers before my sophomore year of high school (took the AP french exam) and then was able to take and complete 4 years of German in high school (took the AP German exam), leading to being able to graduate with a third major in college. Back in my day, the long distance creative writing course was basically a correspondence course, but having a relative stranger review and critique my work made me love writing even more than I did. And I don't think I would have been as honest in writing, were it not for that stranger on the other end of the envelope. So, I wouldn't push my kid to qualify if they didn't, but if they do, it's a great program.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

Just curious if you went to a demanding high school with a lot of smart students. I was looking at the website yesterday and I was torn about whether I wanted to suggest CTY to my kids when they get so much out of sleepaway camp and other summer and extracurricular activities plus they have the option of an IB high school program if they want a challenge. But maybe I am missing something. I could definitely see the value for a kid going to a school that wasn't very good though or for kids who can get scholarships to CTY and don't have other great summer options.

I am not PP but had a similar experience. (I was also an RA and TA at CTY during my college years so I am a big CTY cheerleader). It's not really for the academic challenge per se, but the fact that everyone, socially, is at an advanced academic level. It's different, and special, and was really useful during the middle school years. I am still in touch with both fellow campers and staff 25 years later. The coursework is also FUN, there are so many extras that you can explore that aren't offered at a public school. My two cents.

This is good to hear. My 3rd grader was just telling me yesterday that sometimes it makes him sad that none of his friends are interested in what he is interested in and he has no one to talk science about. I doubt we will do CTY until it is not virtual, but I think he would love being around similar kids.

Has anyone taken the Process of Writing or Writing for an Audience class through CTY? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as well as any other classes there you liked. Thanks in advance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

Just curious if you went to a demanding high school with a lot of smart students. I was looking at the website yesterday and I was torn about whether I wanted to suggest CTY to my kids when they get so much out of sleepaway camp and other summer and extracurricular activities plus they have the option of an IB high school program if they want a challenge. But maybe I am missing something. I could definitely see the value for a kid going to a school that wasn't very good though or for kids who can get scholarships to CTY and don't have other great summer options.

I am not PP but had a similar experience. (I was also an RA and TA at CTY during my college years so I am a big CTY cheerleader). It's not really for the academic challenge per se, but the fact that everyone, socially, is at an advanced academic level. It's different, and special, and was really useful during the middle school years. I am still in touch with both fellow campers and staff 25 years later. The coursework is also FUN, there are so many extras that you can explore that aren't offered at a public school. My two cents.

Anonymous wrote:What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

Just curious if you went to a demanding high school with a lot of smart students. I was looking at the website yesterday and I was torn about whether I wanted to suggest CTY to my kids when they get so much out of sleepaway camp and other summer and extracurricular activities plus they have the option of an IB high school program if they want a challenge. But maybe I am missing something. I could definitely see the value for a kid going to a school that wasn't very good though or for kids who can get scholarships to CTY and don't have other great summer options.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got in with ERB scores and is taking online Chinese this summer, which is why we did it. She was uncomfortable going somewhere for a test. Next year, if she wants to do more advanced courses she can just take the SCAT. NBD.

So that was one of my questions. Does applying now under the pilot program make you ineligible to ever apply under the talent search? It kind of sounds like it does on the website but I was not sure. It says this "Students who submit scores through this pilot will not be eligible for Talent Search recognition or Advanced CTY-level courses"

My daughter got in with ERB scores and is taking online Chinese this summer, which is why we did it. She was uncomfortable going somewhere for a test. Next year, if she wants to do more advanced courses she can just take the SCAT. NBD.

Anonymous wrote:What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

Thanks! So under the pilot programs they can participate in summer classes and long distance courses but only those at the CYT level NOT the CYT advance level. So you can do summer programs via the pilot program. But was the talent search portion itself beneficial? Getting in via the pilot program would mean that he would keep him in the program through High school. so he wouldn't miss out later on (except for the advanced courses).

I did look into SCAT and PSAT but felt it was kind of a bit much to make my 3rd grader take that and if we decide not to enter via the pilot program will probably wait till middle school to apply.

What is now the talent search was so meaningful to me in middle and junior high that I wouldn't forgo the ability to participate later. I benefited greatly from both the summer programs and the long distance courses. Have you looked into the SCAT for your elementary student? It seems so much more intense than I'd be up for with my 3rd grader, but if you're interested in true gifted programing, it may be worth it?

I saw that Hopkins now has a new pilot program where they accept scores on a number of other tests for admission to the CTY program. If you are accepted through the pilot program you are not eligible for the talent search or advanced CTY courses. I was wondering if anyone knew what the disadvantages of that would be? DS1 qualified with his CogAT score but I was wondering if it would be a big disadvantage to not be able to take the advanced courses later on?

https://cty.jhu.edu/talent/testing/testing-pilot.html