do they test if candidates can walk on water?
Beauty pageants for smart kids. They need their own reality tv show.
If you just look at Google news and search for CDB, a number of articles about scholars come up.
I suspect there are a number of scholars and parents on this list as well as many applicants. Itâs a small enough group that you can completely lose any confidentiality by giving a few details about school attended or course taken, so I think there is some reticence to be too vocal about any specific scholar.
I agree with the others that scholars tend to be quite advanced (not uncommon to be doing precalculus or calculus in 8th grade) and score very highly on testing, but that is not enough. Scholars tend to be personable, extremely curious, and hungry for learning. I have met several and find them to be generous and kind as well. Test scores, just from what I know and from news articles, tend to be at the top of ACT/SAT by 7th grade.
I think the odds for anyone are poor but the number of scholars has increased in recent years and that helps a little bit. Recent years have selected about 30. Even though itâs nothing to count on, I think itâs worth applying for a motivated student with a record of achievement academically. The IEA folks are fantastic and a lot can be learned by going through the process, even if not selected. And if selected, many opportunities arise. However, it is definitely no guarantee of admission and there are many scholars who have not been admitted to their first choice schools. Admissions are capricious.
It also helps just to be a finalist, since CDB will help with high school admissions, although youâd be on your own dollar-wise at that point.
When my son filled out the application he had read extensively, taken several online classes, participated in several study groups outside of school. During his tenure in the FBLA he had doubled membership, becoming larger than the Student Council. His team raised more money than ever before and several awards by members were won. He was tops in his class, but it was never about grades. He simply loved to learn.
While scores get you noticed - I believe it was his constant pursuit of asking questions, and leading the kinds of discussions and changes in the school and community they stuck out as making him different. He doesnât play an instrument nor does he really play competitive sports, nor is he that involved in arts - three ways children often stand out. Rather, he wants to bring people together to do great things, and his record of accomplishment and consistency of motivation and effort in helping others succeed backed up his application. He worked 3 months on his essays to make them personal and interesting. I suspect they count a lot on the personal recommendations too to get an objective view of life outside just grades. One comment I received back from the CDB was that he was exceptional in his interviewing skills which was subsequently validated in his interviews at private schools. I suspect in the end - if you make it to the final what counts is your child being uniquely interesting as a person - not whatâs on paper.
You make a very good point @ChristmasDickens. D hit off with both Betsy and Bonnie in her interviews, and Iâm convinced that had a lot to do with it.
For those interested in historical perspectives - 2012 had 14 scholars, 2013 had 35 finalists and 16 scholars, then in 2014 they doubled the number of scholars to 30. I know 2 scholars from my kids school - one went to Andover, one went to Exeter. They both are smart, talented kids with top SAT scores in 7th grade, but there is more to it as well.
@ChristmasDickens , where did your son end up? What is he up to now? He sounds like a very impressive young man!
A boy from my sonâs school, Stuart Hall for Boys (like #16 above) won it in 2015. Some info about him (from a since deleted story) below:
As a seventh grader, Gavin enrolled in Advanced Algebra II at Stuart Hall High School. This [8th grade] year, Gavin is taking Honors Trigonometry with juniors.
The scholarship application process was rigorous, Gavin says. In addition to two essay questions, Gavin had to take the SAT college admissions exam and pass with a satisfactory score. He also submitted recommendation letters.
In a field of over 1,000 highly qualified applicants, Gavin says he was âsurprised and excitedâ to be named a top 50 finalist. All finalists were brought in for an in-person interview and that is where Gavin thinks he made a lasting impression.
Scholarship Program Manager Bonnie Raskin, who interviewed Gavin, agrees. âWe look for young people who exhibit motivation as lifelong learners and who seek to develop their full potential academically and through other areas of their personal interest,â she says. âGavin presents himself as focused, determined, compassionate, extremely creative and smart and someone I very much wanted to know better.â
In the interview, Gavin says he talked a lot about golf, a sport he loves because it reinforces honesty, integrity and trust. He volunteers for The First Tee, a youth organization that promotes life skills and leadership through the game of golf. Bonnie says she was most impressed with the range and diversity of his interests. âGavin came across on paper and in his interview as a young man who strives to do his best at everything he undertakes, but still finds balance, self confidence and awareness and is willing to step outside his comfort zone to try new experiences.â
@CaliMex - My son will be going to a great school. Itâs one that fits him. But I think the essential part about the Caroline D. Bradley experience was that there are many children that do a lot of wonderful things simply because their parents and teachers help to set the bar high but then get out of the way to allow them to pursue goals at their own pace. Most of what my S did was simply seeing an opportunity that looked exciting and having patience to go after it. He actively looked for opportunities or better CREATED them. For example, he ran for various positions of the FBLA before becoming President - it wasnât something that just happened. But his big part was finding unique ways to increase participation. Thatâs what made his tenure different. I think the CDB experience, or just pursuing any of the fine public and private schools around the country starts with encouraging children to reach past their comfort zone, to appreciate that time on task is essential, that whatever they excel at is naturally motivating, and that whatever happens a parent provide love and support no matter what. I know itâs nothing new but todayâs schools are more than just knowledge - itâs about working as team, dreaming big, and having the confidence to go the distance. One other note â even if you donât get a CDB scholarship â many many schools want the best students and will work with you to find a way to make it happen.
thank you for the information, it is very sincere and helpful. Do you know if a student from a private middle school will have the same change to get the scholarship as in Public schools? THANK YOU
@Xijingping I know private school kids who are scholars. I donât know the ratio. If you have what they are looking for it doesnât matter if you are in private or public school.
@Xijingping: If you are asking whether being in private school would be a negative (e.g., because you donât really need the scholarship if your parents can afford to pay), the answer is no. There is no anti-private school bias. D went to private school from kindergarten on and ended up going to the high school we would have paid for in any event. The scholarship did free up money we would have spent on tuition to pay for the travel and other expenses involved in going to debate tournaments around the country throughout high school, which brought her to the attention of college coaches and fueled her college acceptances, so it ended up making a big difference in her life that I could not have anticipated.
@Xijingping for the 2016 scholars: 15/30 private school, 6/30 homeschool, 9/30 public.