<p>Besides the camps, the talent search programs offer some distance ed courses that can be useful in certain cases. </p>
<p>You can test with any of the big talent searches (Duke TIP, Northwestern's CTD, Johns Hopkins CTY) and use the scores to get entrance into one of the other's activities (camps, distance ed). Which one you're enrolled in is typically divided by region. You can usually test with one of the others, if you want, but you don't qualify for awards (not really a big deal).</p>
<p>You can even take the test NOT through talent search (just sign up like a high schooler would, although you have to register using the paper forms if the student isn't 13 yet) and use those scores.</p>
<p>Amazing - this is the first I've ever heard of this (in retrospect, this is probably a good thing). But my 2 Ds were in a competitive private school that I guess didn't participate in these programs (I'll bet there were some parents doing it on their own, though). I guess we were very lucky they got into good colleges without having had to do yet another test at such an early age . . . Phew. :)</p>
<p>Reminds me of my older D's first grade teacher when I mentioned to her that my D was already far ahead of the math being offered at this private school we had just joined and were paying oodles of $$ for. She simply patted me on the arm and said, "Don't worry, dear, the rest of the class will catch up." They did.</p>
<p>Our schools have everyone take the SAT every year from 7th grade on. I just always assumed it was practice! These are private schools requiring testing for admission and I assume most are 95th percentile scorers and qualify for TIP and other similar programs.</p>
<p>as a veteran CTY parent, I would encourage anyone who gets invited to take the test. My D, who had seen her older brother, go off to summer CTY programs, had no interest in taking the SAT in 7th grade, but we were so enthusiastic about what it did for our S that she did, then attended 4 summers of programs, and counts CTY as her life changing experience.</p>
<p>All 3 of my kids were invited to take the SAt in 7th grade, none of them was interested, which was fine with me. Actually, my youngest did not get a letter, so when many of her friends did, she had me inquire, and I was told she should have received the invitation. That was enough to satisfy her, she didn't care about taking the test, just that she made the list.</p>
<p>I am a CTD parent (ds: summers ending 6,7,8,9; dd: summer ending 8), and I don't even recall if my kids were "invited" to take the test or not. I just called up and started the application process. As it stands, ds wound up taking the ACT and neither of them took the SAT. They both applied using the portfolio process and got admitted prior to the ACT test date, so I didn't see any purpose in having them waste a lovely Saturday morning taking a standardized test when they'd gotten in. </p>
<p>BTW, our school had nothing to do with it. It was all my initiative.</p>
<p>"Our school district does not "ask" any 7th graders to take the SAT. For that matter, it doesn't even "suggest" that students take the SAT until May or June in 11th grade."</p>
<p>Same here. It's not on anyone's radar screen. They did ask the top 10% of sophs to take the PSAT as practice for next year, but it wasn't mandatory.</p>
<p>missypie: your post touched a nerve for me. My youngest is now a senior in high school. Growing up, we always new that D 1 was intellectually sharp(her mouth never closed, and believe me, at times, we wanted it to be closed!) she took the SAT in 7th grade and was in the Hopkins program. Younger S 1 was also a bright kid...lazy , but bright. got great grades without a lot of work. Our youngest D was always a delight...pretty, athletic, always fun to be with but my wife and I always thought she was just not as gifted academically as the other two. Bit of an airhead but love her to death. Interestingly, she had the best work habits of the three; never a word to get her to do school work. Math came easy but writing was a chore. BUT did she ever work at it. If a teacher let her do multiple drafts, she kept at it until she and the teacher was satisfied. While we focused first on oldest D's college choice (great Patriot league LAC) , then the S (NESCAC) , we always joked that the third could be bought by the highest bidder (she happens to be an accomplished athlete in her sport) But a funny thing happened along the way... the least gifted academically turned herself into a terrific student. Hard work actually counts !! Result: she received her likely letter from dream IVY this october and should be granted her acceptance in another week. </p>
<p>So watch out for that "third kid", OP; they have a way of surprising you !!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program)
Keep in mind that as a 7th Grade Talent Search participant, you have already exhibited exceptional performance by scoring at the 95th percentile or above on grade-level assessments.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So, the original "screening" is for the top 5%. </p>
<p>Then Duke provides recogintion at the state level if the students' SAT M ≥ 520, or
SAT CR ≥ 510, or SAT M= 510 and SAT CR = 500</p>
<p>There is a Grand Recognition Ceremony for seventh graders with SAT M ≥ 660, or
SAT CR ≥ 650, or SAT M + SAT CR ≥ 1270</p>
<p>Duke asserts:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Your SAT or ACT scores are valuable in academic planning. Duke TIP encourages you to share your scores with a school counselor or teacher to discuss the educational options that may be available to you in your school or community.The scores on these above-level tests can help you, your parents and your school evaluate your current curriculum and develop an education plan that is commensurate with your abilities.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Whatever else can be said about this program, for kids who nail the SAT in 7th grade w/o prepping, it takes a lot of the pressure off in HS.</p>
<p>My kids all took the SAT in 7th (or possibly 8th?) grade and I told them it was just for "fun." Well, it was amusing to see them walking into the building with the big high schoolers. :)</p>
<p>None of them ended up taking summer programs based on the score results. OR traveling to Chicago to get a certificate for "3rd best in the Midwest", or whatever the heck it was S did that year.</p>
<p>It did make the actual PSAT & SAT test-taking less of a scary monster, I think. And their school at the time was able to boast of the SAT prowess of its middle-schoolers.</p>
<p>Missypie, your d probably isn't missing much. My d took the SAT's in 8th grade and qualified for what may be the most boring awards ceremony I have ever attended (except the senior athletic banquet, please don't make me go to that again this year). My son took the SAT's in 7th grade and stomped out of the test declaring, "That was the WORST 3 HOURS of my ENTIRE LIFE!!!" He clearly has not suffered enough, but nevertheless he did not take it the following year, so I was spared the awards ceremony. Both my kids refused to do anything remotely academic in summer, so there was really no need to take the test, other than ego. I don't think that it's all that helpful as a preparation for taking the SAT's as a junior, it's just too far in advance.</p>
<p>I have not even heard of the Duke TIPS program. Daughter was part of the Johns Hopkins program which sounds similar. I think the tests were expensive and they just want you to go to their summer programs, which in many cases are not even offered at the actual college</p>
<p>mathmom -- since in 7th grade, my kids were in a school that is the virtual twin of that school in DC, it isn't surprising to me at all that their school did nothing to encourage this. And guess what? I agree with them!</p>
<p>I understand what they were worried about, but I have to say that CTY was such a great experience for my older son that I think sending out blanket messages the one my sister received, is misguided. My younger son is weird - he actually likes taking SAT-like tests. They are like a game to him. He had zippo interest in doing anything academic in the summer and we never bothered to attend award ceremonies.</p>
<p>missypie,
my d got a letter from her school (public) in sixth grade inviting her to take "a test" to qualify for academic summer programs. We had no idea what it was talking about. I called her guidance office, got a little more info. The program was at Hopkins, which was really far away. She happily spent her summers playing sports, running with the kids in the neighborhood, getting books from the library, seeing the relatives and more of her dad who was often away... her summers were super busy at it was. So we tossed the letter. Never thought of it again (til now).</p>
<p>S1 took the SAT in 7th grade as part of the Duke TIPs program. Since he was not opposed to doing it, I encouraged it just for the experience. The other kids fr. his middle sch. who were invited to do it all participated too. So there was a whole little gang standing there at the h.s with the big kids.<br>
He scored at the State recognition level and yes, the ceremoney was boring. His sch. was a brand new mid. sch. so the admin. made a big deal out of it...took the half dozen high scorers out to lunch before the ceremony (which was held at Davidson College). </p>
<p>From then on he got all kinds of mail about the TIPs program at Duke. It was way too expensive and he had no desire to spend any part of his summer in school.</p>
<p>S2 was not invited to participate. He would never have done it. It was like pulling teeth to get him to take the SAT as a h.s junior.</p>
<p>Our district's gifted and talented program sends out letters about our region's GT testing to students who perform above a certain percentile on standardized tests the previous year- through Northwestern (referenced in a post)- 5th graders can start with the EXPLORE test, equivalent to a standardized 8th grade test. They can take the ACT and/or SAT in middle school- we chose one for 7th and the other for 8th grade. The information sent through the CTD with the EXPLORE test results was very worthwhile, regardless of how well a child did on the test. Based on test scores there were suggestions to parents on what to do for the child- ranging from nothing special to considering grade advancement (our son had already advanced, comparing his test scores to the grade behind him would have suggested the grade switch) with many concrete things to do and suggest to a school system. This can be useful ammunition when dealing with schools which don't do all they could or deny your child's actual needs. We were lucky our blue collar town also dealt well with the academically gifted (most schools do well for the athletically gifted). </p>
<p>I encourage parents to pursue Talent Searches for their child who performs above the 95th %ile on those 4th grade standardized tests. This does not mean taking a test every year offered, but testing once takes away the grade level testing ceiling and shows you how your child fits into the range of giftedness- eg low, mid, high, each level as different from each other as IQ points differ at for example 80, 100 and 120 points. Based on the first test it may be nice to take other tests. At least investigate the various regional centers for gifted students. There is never a need to pursue the summer programs, and other programs do exist (such as WCATY in Wisconsin). Our son had no interest until HS, he spent 3 weeks each of 2 summers but the third one he dropped out of to do more cross country running- he had his priorities! He did well on the AP tests the following spring covered by those courses- even the one he only spent one week at. He also would come home with a bit of an obnoxious superiority complex- after hobnobbing with equally gifted peers those parents were not up to par (he was not considering where those genes came from...).</p>
<p>I haven't read all the posts, but I would say this was my first example of "what do other parents know that I don't know and why do they know it?", and " why who your kids hang out with makes a the difference". Obviously, I have not figured out how to say this better. I'm still trying to figure out what this all means. In my community, it MAY have been announced that you could take the SAT to participate in a talent search, but the way I heard about it was my D telling me her frineds were doing it. Anybody can take it, and there are classes for kids testing at all levels, although the highest scorers can pick from all the classes, and kids scoring lower have to pick from within guidlines. They weren't "intensly academic", Things like "the physics of bridges" and "crime scene investigation". The classes are 45 minutes away, and there is no available transportation. ( Where is this CTY and TIP thing?) ....By the time her brother came along, I knew to ask about it ( unfortunately he "forgot" to go...). Anyway, my point is there seem to be WORLDS of people, or at least communities, who don't know what some "worlds/communities know. And that really boggles my mind, especially because it doesn't really seem to be a "first gen" thing.</p>
<p>Madeline's Mom's kids and mine have similar summers: Plenty of bike riding, swimming at the lake, chasing frogs to "rescue" them, reading in the hammock, and counting the mosquito bites. </p>
<p>I had never heard of taking the tests so young and having intensely academic summers before CC. I think I live in Leave It To Beaver land.</p>
<p>Older daughter had no trouble getting into great colleges.</p>