<p>Way over here on the left coast, the LMU (Los Angeles) campus is quite nice. We were already familiar with part of the campus since my S previously attended youth sports camps at their extensive sports facilities. The pool is pretty new and CTY kids can use it.</p>
<p>I know this isn’t the east coast, but consider perhaps a family trip before/after the CTY session if your family hasn’t been to CA. Throw in a few college campus walk throughs of UCLA and USC while you’re in the area. Just a thought.</p>
<p>I believe enrollment tends to be in the high 300s. This campus also attracts some of the international attendees from India, Japan and China.</p>
<p>ecossaise: I went to Saratoga Springs, so I’m a bit biased in that direction, but everyone I knew there said that the site was their favorite, including a few people who had originally gone to Lancaster. Of the PA ones, I’ve heard that Carlisle is a bit more low-key, a bit quieter, and that Lancaster is louder and very focused on the traditions.</p>
<p>I’ll add that Saratoga Springs has fewer students (250, if I remember correctly, as opposed to 500-600 at the PA ones), which I think is a good thing especially for new, younger campers because it fosters a real sense of community. There’s a reason that unlike the PA sites, which rarely keep the same camper for consecutive years, Saratoga is known for having campers come back.</p>
<p>No, many sophomores go to CTY, I was one of them. I will also be reattending CTY after my junior year since I will still be 16. The bulk of CTYers are in 9th and 10th grade.</p>
<p>My S went to his third (and last) CTY session as a sophomore. By that point, he was feeling a little “old” for the socialization aspects but did want to take fast paced HS physics so he could take AP Physics C as a junior at his HS.</p>
<p>S went to Loudonville for 4 years and loved it. A lot of kids tend to return to the same site together year after year. He applied for it in the first place simply because it was the closest location to us that was offering his preferred course. He would have applied to Saratoga–Horse racing and the NYCB! What more could <em>I</em> ask for!–but the form warned that it was the most popular site so that one’s chances of getting the desired session/course were lessened.</p>
<p>One thing that was nice was that some older students who lived in the area got in touch with him after they were Nevermores and took him and another friend out on the weekend a couple times during their last year.</p>
<p>Did anyone send your kid to a CTY camp that is not his/her choice but yours(parent’s)? I once thought about doing it and hoped she might find the subject was interesting. Did not risk with the big bucks, but it’s something always in my mind. It might be a terrible idea I know yet…</p>
<p>We had consensus with our S on the subject choice before we put money down. What helped along the way was his best buddy was also going to CTY, so they chose together classes that they liked. His buddy is a year behind S in school (due to a December birthday) so the friend had his first CTY summer without my S, who was busy with his summer internship in paleoclimatology.</p>
<p>We might have said no to a certain site if it had been relatively far away, simply because of the logistics of getting there, but the course selection was ultimately up to our D. She discussed her choices with us, but this was, after all, her experience and not ours. She went to three different sites in her four years (JHU, Carlisle, and Lancaster) and was particularly enamored of the traditions at the last one.</p>
<p>D is now a college senior, and spent yesterday evening with a local CTY friend. This morning she went to NYC where she’s meeting up with two more CTY friends. Those enduring friendships are what made her summers memorable and life-changing.</p>
<p>Our S chose his own courses, but we had input into the site. After all, he was a 7th grader and we were going to have to make 2 round trips to get him there and pick him up. As it was, it was 5 hrs driving each way, and in some cases involved an overnight stay en route. IMHO, the site should be a mutual decision.</p>
<p>Help - Before I register for CAA, need some info on the CAA program compared to CTY. One daughter took CTY for several years and enjoyed it. Youngest one wants to go now. Qualified for CAA but just short of pts for CTY. BUT, looking at courses, prefers the CAA courses (especially Zoology). Anyone have any information on Zoology at the Pennsylvania sites? Or information about CAA experience at Pennsylvania sites? Is the CAA program format same as CTY camp (e.g. social activities, class format and schedule, RA quality, etc., etc., ) I want her to enjoy it but site that offers Zoology or psychology is far away (Unfortunately Zoology or Psychology is not offered on West Coast (e.g. Santa Cruz) Any information appreciated!! (BTW, first time posting so apologize if I should be starting a new thread or something like that)</p>
<p>I do not know about those sites or about zoology in particular. My S took one CAA class (Engineering) but 4 CTY classes, and felt that that CTY classes were better. This is a bad sample as the CAA site was ASU (which is no more a CAA site) and he did not care for engineering then, but overall he felt CTY was more challenging.</p>
<p>There are few west coast options for CTY/CAA (Hawaii is a site if she is interested in those subjects). If you are willing to send your D to PA, you may want to consider the DUKE TIP program. Their cut off scores are little lower than CTY, so you may find those classes as an option. </p>
<p>The problem that I had with many of the east coast CTY sites are that most of them do not have direct flight connections from the west coast (Baltimore is an exception). So please consider logistics before you make a decision. Airfares can get very expensive to smaller towns.</p>
<p>Thanks for info. Hawaii is number two on her choice but she is definitely gravitating to zoology which is on the Lafayette campus in PA. I will also look into the Duke TIP program.</p>
<p>My kids too came from NJ and both did 4 years at Lancaster, loved the quirky traditions. Check out RealCTY.org. I think there is a description of the different places.</p>
<p>Does anybody have experience with CTY scholarship? My family is not rich but seems to be not poor enough for their scholarship. If i qualify for their programs (i’ll take the sAT in Jan. sample tests look promising) i plan to apply right after i get my scores back. it’s hard for my family to pay the full tuition, even partial scholarship would help. but i don’t know. if our family income is above their low income line, do i have any hope?</p>
<p>You may have hope, especially in this economy. Do you happen to know your income? I know a girl who made 75k annually and qualified for financial aid even though they said only families who made below 5k qualified. I don’t qualify for aid either but my family can afford to pay either. Fortunately I’m old enough (16) to work a part time job this year and a full time job for part of the summer so I’ll be paying on my own. In addition, if you are a racial minority, I suggest applying to the Center Scholars Program. This is a free 3 year program that is not based on income. It enables you to take CTY genetics, genomics, and then have a paid internship at JHU. It’s a wonderful opprotunity.</p>
<p>ok i’ll give it a try. i’m ot a racial minority. one of my family friend told me he’d try a scholarship for 8th grader. but i’m too old. i wish i thought about these early. anyway thanks.</p>
i wish i thought about these early. anyway thanks.</p>