Posted by Catherine on 13:22 Sep 12
In Reply to: I need advice about Johns Hopkins talent search. Please help! ...More posted by Anita in PA
My son, now 12, was identified after a school standardized test, and went to their summer camp for 3 summers. I have read articles in the local (Baltimore) paper and the New Yorker about CTY, and it serves many purposes. It was originally started as a "talent search" to identify children who were "one-in-ten-thousands"-kids who were way out there brilliant, and to follow their academic careers. Ordinary bright kids, who test into the top 1-2 percent of their peers, also benefit from the program's summer camps, online courses, and counseling. The counselors help with issues like financial aid for participants, learning disabilities, and locating resources. These counselors can be accessed through links on the CTY website. For kids in brick and mortar school, they can also assist in negotiations for placement into academically appropriate classes. Many kids for whatever reason have parents who cannot advocate for them, and CTY has helped these kinds of kids.
I think that the scholarship thing comes from simply having the "CTY stamp of approval" attached to your name. When my son, now homeschooled of course, applied to private school, the interest level in him skyrocket when the admissions director learned he had been to CTY summer camp. I think that homeschoolers must contend with the perception that they may not be doing real academic stuff with their kids, and sadly, many don't, but if colleges see that a child has handled CTY courses, they *know* they are very bright and capable of advanced work. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?
As far as the benefits, the courses were not, to be honest, worth the cost IMO, but seeing the grin on my son's face when he came home from a place where there were plenty of kids just like him was worth the price tag.
Catherine