<p>NYMom - you might want to ponder over some of the boarding school threads. It is a tough decision either way, but if he is a 7th grader, it may be time ot think about it.</p>
<p>NYmom:</p>
<p>Being in SET has not conferred particular benefits to my S. He got (gets) a free copy of Imagine, but has not had access to mentors. He did attend CTY for two summers (Physics then Chemistry), then attended PROMYS for 3 summers. If your son is interested in math, he should consider MathPath which is the pre-MathCamp program. </p>
<p>If you live in NYC, I suspect you may be able to get math/science enrichment closer to home than MIT! My S took the 10 weeks courses at MIT. He found the probability class too elementary for him; the class he did enjoy most was a history of graphic arts taught by a very opinionated undergraduate. We live 10 minutes away from MIT, so it was no problem driving him there, but I would not have thought it worth driving up from NYC. Look up Saturday programs on hoagiesgifted.org. There may be some closer to home.</p>
<p>Onesharon:</p>
<p>My assumption is that your son should do much better on the SAT because of greater familiarity. He should be able to raise his score by more than the 1o points. But if he does not, all he and you have lost are the SAT fee and a Saturday morning.</p>
<p>Sharon, I did see somewhere that high school students are doing as well on the new SAT as the old one. Are you sure the CTY person meant middle school students? I can't believe they have much information yet. They don't have the December results yet; how many earlier test dates were there?</p>
<p>About your son; if you get him in this year via an exception, the risk is that he might not be able to qualify for a second year. If you do not send him out of fear of discouragement, he will not go at all and will miss the experience entirely. If I were you, I would send him. Who knows what will happen next year? He may test very well; they may, indeed, end up lowering the requirements; he may end up wanting to go to a different program entirely.</p>
<p>Thank you both; you are very encouraging!</p>
<p>Sharon</p>
<p>Boarding school - stab me in the heart, why don't you!! We have, of course, thought about private day schools, and if things don't get better by next year we'll have to look into it. I don't want to send him away!!</p>
<p>marite, thanks for the information about SET. It does not sound worthwhile; everything you mention is available outside it. We don't live in NYC, but in Westchester County. My job is in Boston. I work at home most of the time but spend about 4 days/month in Boston. So taking him up there is possible if he misses some days of school (so that I don't have to go back and forth too much), and the principal is enthusiastic about the idea of my son doing the courses and has indicated that the arrangments could be made. Lucky you to live in Cambridge! I've learned about the Math Circle recently. We don't have one nearby. I'll look into the Saturday programs at hoagies; maybe there is something closer.</p>
<p>NYMom...I grew up in Westchester and live in Fairfield County, CT...so not far from you!!</p>
<p>Sharon, what a coincidence! Email me if you'd like: <a href="mailto:mk0203@speakeasy.net">mk0203@speakeasy.net</a></p>
<p>I am not sure what difference it makes whether his scores decrease beyond additional disappointment for him. If he has the 'what do I have to lose attitude?", what is there to lose by taking it again?</p>
<p>A couple of years ago, we had that scenario and CTY was inflexible. It bothered me because he had tested well into the gifted range in his school district in terms of IQ and because he had done CTY in 6th grade and been at the top of the class. I made a strong case and they were unmoved. I told them they should broaden their requirements a bit. Having had two other kids who did the program, I knew he could do it. Anyhow, he did the CAA course that year and then retested and did CTY the following year.</p>
<p>onesharon, sorry it took so long: there used to be a computerized version of the SAT that my son took in (probably) 1999. I don't know if it exists now. CTY used to accept that version. It was a shorter version that was a "smart" test - in that if you answered questions in a category right, it would go to more difficult questions but if you did not, it would not. The test took 1.5 hours if I remember it correctly. Anyway, the test seemed appropriate for my son because he was "young" and taking a 3.5 hour test (or is it 4 hours) was way too much for him then.</p>
<p>onesharon - Have you or your son looked into programs through Duke's TIP (Talent Identification Program)? It's the southeast equivalent to CTY, and the eligibility tables are slightly different than CTY's. Both of my kids have done summer sessions through TIP, and it's been an incredibly positive learning and social experience for both of them. You don't have to live in the southeast to be eligible, although you won't automatically receive their information if you're outside the region. I'd be happy to share what I know about the program, if you're interested.</p>
<p>NYMom - I know what you mean, I actually feel the same way, could never have sent DD away :). But read the threads anyway, a common theme or characteristic of the kids is their deep desire to learn one or several subjects in a challenging environment, and their dissatisfaction and lack of challenge where they are. My daughter considered it - although the school that she would have applied to is in our city, but everyone must board during the week - ultimately she didn't want to leave home, which made me happy. The discussion gives a different perspective on kids that may be very happy.</p>
<p>mimk6, that CTY decision bothers me, too. After all, the SATs are only meant to be a predictor of performance. The best predictor of performance in a CTY program would be performance the previous year. I can't believe that they don't just ask the teachers to evaluate the kids and use that data for the next year. How did the CAA program work out? I'm wondering because I clicked on that catalog by mistake and saw some courses that involved spending about half of the time on a sailboat in Chesapeake Bay, studying blue crabs or something. That sounded great to me.</p>
<p>cangel, I will read the threads. I can't even keep track of the number of times I ended up doing something I swore I would never do (enrolling my son in CTY this summer is the latest). Next year (8th grade) will be crucial for us in deciding whether or not my son can remain in our small public school district. Kids do very well - last year out of a graduating class of 60 there was one student who went to the Intel competition and won a prize. She is at Harvard and another student was admitted to Yale. I just heard that someone from this year's senior class has been admitted ED to Harvard. </p>
<p>If my son stays where he is he'll be going more and more toward an individual program. I have wondered whether even a top private school would work for him. From what I gather, many students in those schools are fabulously wealthy (houses all over the world; limos picking them up after school and taking them to clubs in NYC, where they bribe the bartenders to serve them) rather than truly intellectual. I also worry that the "rigorous" schools just give more work. This is not what my son needs. And the really good day schools around here (Fieldston, Horace Mann) are more than an hour away by bus. They cost as much as college (we would have to make drastic changes in our lifestyle) and parents are hounded to make additional contributions.</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone.</p>
<p>My son did go to CAA last year. He didn't like it as much as baby CTY, but it could have been the course he took. So, this is actually the second time he has taken the SATs. Maybe the third time will be the charm. I think he's going to retest at the end of the school year when he has had a few more months of learning. He takes Geometry right now in school, so even a few more months of that can't hurt...unless you start to forget the Algebra!</p>
<p>Nceph...thanks for the info on Duke. I did look at the website and he does meet the qualifications...it's just that he knows so many kids at CTY from his years there (and wants to see some of them again!) The campuses are certainly a lot closer for us too. We will keep it in mind though!</p>
<p>Thanks again everyone...</p>
<p>Sharon</p>
<p>mimk6, that CTY decision bothers me, too. After all, the SATs are only meant to be a predictor of performance. The best predictor of performance in a CTY program would be performance the previous year. I can't believe that they don't just ask the teachers to evaluate the kids and use that data for the next year. How did the CAA program work out? </p>
<p>Yes, it bothered me that he had a stellar written evaluation from the class he took in 6th grade. He never did qualify for science (which is what that was) but only in the humanities area. He was a bit short again on the math -- the odd thing is that he is very strong in both science and math -- in fact I would have picked those as his stronger areas. Anyhow, he says CAA was easier than CTY (but it could have been the course) and he preferred CTY. One of the things I told them is that a former student should have been evaluated by the teacher and they should know if the student can do the work the following year. On the other hand, one of my kids did CAA and took an amazing course on neurobiology at the Cal Tech campus -- a lot just has to do with the particular course.</p>
<p>A question here: is CTY really the best choice for the summer for your son? How about a non-intellectual challenge? How about a summer camp where he could learn to sail or paddle a canoe or hike? Art courses at the local art museum? </p>
<p>My D did one CTY course--which she enjoyed--but not until after her summer camp stopped taking her back because she was too old. (Her only course was with quite a lot of "nevermores"--which amused her no end, since she was simultaneously a newbie and a nevermore.) My son never wanted to "waste" his summers taking courses; he spent them building things--wooden boats, a car... </p>
<p>There's something to be said for a summer spent reading everything in the library or just goofing off. I hate the image of a junior high kid retaking the SAT just so he can take a summer school course!</p>
<p>NYMomof2,
I am a little late to this discussion so excuse my tardiness. Your latest post struck me because I live in your county, have a S who went to CTY for many years, was a SET member, gave up on public school because he was so thoroughly bored by it, and wound up attending one of the private day schools you mentioned! Where should I start?</p>
<p>Momof3sons, Please start anywhere, either in the thread or by email (<a href="mailto:mk0203@speakeasy.net">mk0203@speakeasy.net</a>)...</p>
<p>
Sorry I'm coming late to this thread - I'd skipped it because my kids were never interested in doing anything like CTY, and I wasn't interested in encouraging them. Summers have generally been a time to do something different in my family. So I found the above comment very refreshing. </p>
<p>That being said, however -- when a kid really wants something, I wouldn't stand in their way. My technique with my daughter -- when daughter wants something intensely and my gut says no -- has been to pull back and simply let her do it on her own. I'll provide essential support (such as signing permission papers) and even pay for things -- but I don't help with management, planning or coordination. My idea is that if the kid really wants it badly enough, then she should be able to figure it how to fill out all the paperwork and meet all deadlines on her own. And my secret hope, of course, is that without parental help or oversight, she'll lose interest. </p>
<p>Anyway, that's how my daughter ended up spending a semester abroad at age 16. I keep learning the hard way that what daughter wants, daughter gets. </p>
<p>In the end, we need to let our kids pursue their passions -- but I do think that if our guts are leading us to wonder where the line might be between parental support and parental pushing, that it's a good idea to simply back off and let the kid figure it out for himself. </p>
<p>A side benefit of my approach is that there is very little parental stress involved, and no nagging needed. Since I as the parent have not become invested in my kid's latest project, I'm not worrying about the deadlines that are missed or disappointments along the way. </p>
<p>I just wish I could manage to adopt the same attitude for the college application process. ;)</p>