I think about 20% of students who apply are selected. But not everyone applies so keep that in mind.

Most important factor is most certainly the test. If kid scores super high on the test then they will be admitted. Simple as that. If scores are borderline then the teacher recs and grades will play a role.

Since MCPS is less than transparent about the process, it's all anecdote. There have been manybreports on this board of school staff being very surprised on the results. I don't think it's worth worrying about. OP if you think your child would benefit from the program, apply.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:12:13 here again.

What the selection committee looks for is a consistent ensemble of facts. So if scores are good, yet the teacher says the student can't stay on task and some grades are bad, the student might not be accepted. If scores are right at the median of accepted students, grades are mostly Ps and teachers recommendations are good, that student might get accepted. If all the scores are below the median of accepted students, good grades and glowing teachers recs will be a harder sell.
You see my point? They don't want students they might have to worry about. They want the whole package.

There are certainly students they might have to (and actually do) worry about at my child's HGC. It's the Center for the Highly Gifted, not the Center for Kids With High Test Scores, Whom Teachers Like.

I completely understand what you're saying, but the selection committee is trying to minimize the ACADEMIC risks of that happening. They are not necessarily made aware of behavioral problems or family issues during the application process. And unfortunately it does turn into a teacher popularity contest in so far as grades and scores are good enough. Any selection system will always have its kinks anyway.

And to answer another PP, there are no significant behavioral problems this year at Chevy Chase HGC. The OP was specifically asking about that school. I have no inside knowledge about other HGCs.

Anonymous wrote:In the case of MCPS, how would a kid who had "an off day" be identified and admitted into the HGC?

Even if the kid had an offday during the day of the test, I would assume that would mean that he just didn't score as high as he could've. But, he should still be able to score reasonably high. But, this is also why they look at grades and teacher recommendations.

Isn't this also why a lot of colleges are moving away from SATs? They are finding that grades in HS are a better indication of how well a kid does in college, rather than a one or two day snapshot of how well they took a test.

In the case of MCPS, how would a kid who had "an off day" be identified and admitted into the HGC?

Anonymous wrote:So, is there a good measure of highly gifted (behavior, aside) that is not a test? Isn't the concept of highly gifted based on IQ test scores?

Not always. Some kids just don't test well, or they had an off day.