Talented And Gifted Children FAQs

About Middle School Gifted And Talented Admissions:

  • 35% NYS Test Scores from Grade 4 (ELA & Mathematics)
  • 35% Report card grades (Grade 4 – ELA, social studies, mathematics, and science)
  • 10% Attendance and Tardiness/Lateness
  • 20% Academic Behaviors/ Teacher comments from Grade 4 report card

QUEENS: About Q300:

The 30th Avenue School (“Q300”) is a Citywide Gifted and Talented school that admits students from any of the five boroughs of New York City and serves students in grades 6, 7 and 8. Students in grade 5 apply to this middle school. In 2015, 88% of the Q300 middle school students scored a 3 or 4 on the ELA and a solid 91% of the student body scored a 4/4, placing Q300 as one of the ten best middle schools in NYC and the highest in all of School District 30. There are only 115 students at this school in total. The school’s address is 28-37 29th St, Queens, NY 11102. Phone number is: 626-850-2300

About Scholars Academy:

Scholars Academy is a college preparatory school (grades 6-12) where students wear school uniforms. There are has 1300 middle and high school students. Students complete all their Regents requirements by 10th grade and move on to advanced placement classes. Scholars boasts a 100% 4-year college acceptance rate. The school address is 3-20 Beach 104th St, Rockaway Park, NY 11694.

MANHATTAN: About The Hunter Entrance Exam:

Go to http://www.hunterschools.org/hs/entrance-exam. The HCHS admissions test is an English & Math based examination given to students in the 6th grade only to determine admission into Hunter High School for grades 7-12. In total, there are three locations at which the test is generally administered: HCHS at 94th St. between Park and Madison Avenues; Hunter College – West Building at 68th St. and Lexington Avenue; Hunter College – North Building at 69th St. between Park and Lexington Avenues. You have only ONE chance to be admitted into Hunter High School via an admissions exam. This is only ONCE, and admissions are only granted to students in the 7th grade. As stated on Hunter’s website, “It is given once per year, with no make-up dates or rescheduling.” We know this may not seem fair, but we didn’t make up the rules, so please don’t be mad at the messengers. Your child can take the test by invitation only. The cutoff scores for the 2016 Hunter College High School Entrance exam were 357 in MATH AND 346 in ELA. Students who achieve the highest scores on ELA & Math are “invited” to sit for the test. Your child must score in the 90th percentile on the ELA and on the Math state test to qualify. There are no exceptions to this rule. If you do not have ELA or Math State Scores, then you must submit your child’s school’s scores from the private school directly to Hunter. For example, your child must have scored in the 90th percentile in both math and in English on the Terra Nova exams or ERB’s. For private school students, the scores vary, but students must reach 90th percentile or higher in both math and in English. For UNIS students, Hunter will not accept MAP test scores, so you must take the Hunter qualifying exam, which is basically an old Terra Nova test, in November at Hunter. See the Kweller Prep website for more info on this. HCHS school is absolutely excellent, on the glitzy Upper East Side, and completely free, so competition is high and fierce. Students from all 5 boroughs of New York City will be competing for just a few select spots. It is one of the most selective public high schools in the United States. From 3,000 test-takers, about 175 are offered admission on the basis of the exam. Hunter College High School is consistently ranked as one of the top public high schools in the nation. Only about 6% of the students who take the Hunter High School exam get into the High School. This means that it is harder to get into Hunter High School than it is to get admitted into Harvard University, a school with an 8% admission rate. Each year, approximately 25% of HCHS students are accepted into Ivy League colleges (Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth). Several more attend Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2006, HCHS reported a record high of a 60% acceptance rate into the Ivy Leagues– as if 25% was not impressive enough! Over 90% of Hunter grads matriculate to a top tier nationally-ranked college. The exam takes place mainly at Hunter High School, on the Upper East Side of New York City. The school’s address is 71 East 94th Street, New York, NY 10128.

About TAG Middle School:

TAG is a hidden jewel within the citywide gifted and talented options. To apply, you need a recommendation letter from your 4th or 5th grade teacher and 4/4 ELA and 4/4 Math Scores. In 2016, 80 kids applied. 4 were accepted for September 2016 5th grade entry. TAG also offers 6th and 7th grade entry. What’s good about TAG is that the school will let new students enter whenever other students leave the school. In 2016, TAG received a higher ranking than NEST+M middle school. TAG administers its own exam and interview. Two people interview each student; the following year’s teacher (grade 6 teacher will interview a grade 5 student) and advisor/class counselor. The TAG test is 3-hours long (which is just as long as the Hunter test). TAG has a very diverse student body. Disclaimer: Downside is that this school building is shared with other lower performing schools and students. Kweller suggests: see the school’s location for yourself before applying. The TAG 2016 (8-page!) application is on the Kweller website, so you can get an idea of what they are looking for. Tag’s location is not ideal. The address is 240 East 109th Street, New York, NY 10029 and the phone number is: Tel. (212) 860-6003 Ext. 1061

About The NEST Exam:

NEST+m is a Manhattan city-wide Gifted and Talented school. All students must take the entrance exam to be considered for admission into the Middle Grades. Below is a list of entrance exam dates and admissions events for the 2015-16 school year. Students in Grade 5 take this test for 6th grade entry. The 6th Grade admissions process begins with the electronic registration for the NEST+m Admissions Exam. Electronic registration begins in January 2017 on the NEST+m web- site (www.nestmk12.net). On the day of the exam, please bring the following to the school in a manila folder to complete the admissions process. (1) Copies of your child’s most recent report card, (2) Copies of the 4th grade NYS Exam in ELA/ Math or ERB, (3) Copy of your child’s end of the year 4th grade report card, (4) Self-addressed stamped envelope. The nest exam testing is from February 2017 to March 2017. There are ANALOGIES and OLSAT-E (figural analogies, pattern matrices, figural analogies, logical reasoning, and arithmetic reasoning) type questions on the Nest Exam. The TACHS Ability section helps with the figural classifications. There are 1,750 students at PS 122. The school’s address is 111 Columbia Street, New York NY 10002. The phone number is (212) 677-5190.

About East Side Middle School:

Getting into East Side Middle School is like winning the middle school lottery. This school, open to District 2 residents in Manhattan only, offers an outstanding, completely free, accelerated education along with numerous arts and technology programs for students in grades 6-8. The School’s address is: 331 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128. Phone number: (212) 360-0114

About P.S. 122:

P.S. 122 offers a Citywide Gifted and Talented Middle School, also known as the Academy for the Intellectually Gifted, is a district-wide Talented and Gifted program which aims to maximize the degree of academic acceleration while providing a diverse array of enrichment opportunities and an emphasis on the physical, social, and emotional well-being of the exceptional students. P.S. 122 provides a stimulating academic environment centered on students’ interests. Academic content work incorporates many opportunities to engage in problem-based learning (PBL), interdisciplinary projects, and teacher as well as self/peer assessments. Additionally, students are well prepared for the academic requirements of New York City’s specialized high schools. Academic advancement opportunities include Regents classes in Earth Science and Integrated Algebra. Enrichment Classes include: Visual Art, Dance, Music (Instrumental and Vocal), Service Learning, Student Government and Civics Education. Students will be selected based on ELA and Math Scores, attendance, lateness, and teacher comments regarding student work habits and behavior. P.S. 122’s address is: 2121 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105. Phone number: (718) 721-6410.

Brooklyn: About The Brooklyn School Of Inquiry:

Brooklyn School of Inquiry (also known as PS/IS 686), often referred to as BSI, serves students k-8. BSI is the only citywide Gifted and Talented (G&T) program in Brooklyn and one of five in all of New York City. G&T programs are provided for students identified as gifted and talented by assessments that are administered by the New York City Department of Education (DOE). For the program, students are selected solely based on test scores. To be eligible for placement to Citywide G&T programs, students have to score at or above the 97th percentile on the ELA and MATH assessments administered the year prior. The total number of students at BSI is 426. The school was founded in 2009. BSI’s address: is 50 Avenue P, Bensonhurst, NY 11204. Phone number: (718) 721-6410

About Mark Twain Middle:

Mark Twain (IS 239) Brooklyn, New York is a Gifted and Talented middle school and is known as a “feeder” into the specialized high schools. Entrance exam are extremely competitive; in 2010, 6,355 students sought admission for 450 freshman seats. Students should start preparing early, ideally by the beginning of their 4th grade school year. For Mark Twain Entrance, expect to see approximately thirty questions consisting of complex, multi-step mathematical problem solving, puzzle and logic questions, and pattern recognition. A thorough knowledge of K–5 math is assumed but questions go well beyond Common Core standards. Also expect approximately twenty questions that ask applicants to demonstrate knowledge of basic computer skills and vocabulary, Internet fluency, and familiarity with current technology issues. Applicant must demonstrate reading comprehension of a technical document. And finally there are some questions that analyze “potential” programming ability featuring logical, sequential and iterative thinking. For the creative writing and journalism test, expect to see two parts. In Part One (40%), applicants answer 40 multiple choice questions on a variety of topics including reading comprehension, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. In Part Two (60%), applicants write an original composition (choice of two topics) that will be evaluated on idea development, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, originality, creativity, writing mechanics and use of conventions. Here are the impressive Fall 2016 Specialized HS Results for Mark Twain: LaGuardia- 93 students accepted (Vocal-16; Art- 31; Dance- 7; Instrumental- 24; Technical Theatre-8; Drama- 7) Brooklyn Technical HS- 88 students accepted; Stuyvesant-75 students accepted; Staten Island Technical HS- 25 Brooklyn Latin-16; High School for Math, Science and Engineering at the City College- 2. The School’s address is: 2401 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224. The phone number is (718) 266- 0814.

Summer Programs And Testing Opportunities For Talented And Gifted Students:

Go to http://cty.jhu.edu/. The SCAT stands for “School and College Ability” test and is used to determine eligibility to the summer programs offered through Johns Hopkins University’s CTY “Center for Talented Youth” programs. These are the types of elite programs where Harvard and Yale professors send their own children for the summer (and I’ll send mine!). Your kid will have the opportunity to take real college classes years ahead of their peers, in a real college setting, on a real college campus, with real college professors. Scholarships and financial aid is available first come first serve, so the earlier your child tests, the better. Your child can take the SCAT or Advanced SCAT at any time, at a local prometric test center (like 9525 Queens Blvd #11) and on a computer. The SCAT is basically an OLD SAT test (developed before 2004) with verbal analogies and columns/ quantitative comparisons for math. The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth identifies and develops the talents of the most advanced learners worldwide. CTY offers summer programs, online courses, family academic programs, scholarships, and internships to gifted students. Its alumni include the co-founder of Google, CEO of Facebook, and top placers of national academic competitions. Kweller Prep recommends students participate in CTY the summer after grade 6, in person, not online (for obvious reasons). To qualify, your child must score at the 95th percentile or higher on a nationally standardized test and/or achieve advanced levels on state tests (ex. “distinguished” “honors” “gifted”), and/or be nominated by a parent. Talent Search accepts tests and subtests that measure mathematical and verbal reasoning ability. The Johns Hopkins CTY Scholars Program was developed in 2004 as the signature scholarship initiative of The Center for Talented Youth. Their mission is to identify high potential 8th grade students from low-income families and from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The full scholarship prepares these students for four years for top levels of academic achievement and leadership through participation in rigorous summer programs, distance education courses, a mentoring program, and academic support provided by a personal educational advisor. Students in grade 9 or higher are not eligible for this scholarship.

About The Study For Exceptional Talent Search:

Go to http://cty.jhu.edu/set/. The Study of Exceptional Talent (SET) was created to help extremely talented students achieve their full potential, and, through its research and advocacy initiatives, to enhance the educational opportunities available for all academically advanced students. Since 1980, SET has assisted students throughout the world who exhibit extraordinary mathematical or verbal reasoning ability by scoring at least 700 on either the Mathematical or Verbal (Critical Reading) part of the SAT before the age of 13 (or score an additional ten points for each additional month of age). One advantage of participating in the SET program is that SET will write a Supplemental letter of recommendation when on behalf of your child when he or she applies to colleges and competitive-admissions high schools and prep schools

About DUKE TIP:

Go to http://tip.duke.edu/. Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs are superb academic opportunities and dynamic residential and social experiences for seventh through tenth graders. These three-week sessions are intense and demanding; students are challenged to think critically about themselves and their world. Duke TIP is a global leader in identifying academically gifted students and providing them with opportunities to support their development. Duke TIP is a nonprofit organization devoted to meeting the academic and social needs of gifted students. Their 4th–6th Grade Talent Search is the entry point for TIP benefits that can motivate gifted students to realize their full potential throughout their school years and beyond. Eligibility for the talent search is an honor. The program is open only to fourth, fifth, or sixth grade students who achieve a qualifying score at or above the 95th percentile on a recent grade-level test. Participants receive recognition and a variety of benefits to nurture their academic talent, including a unique online curricula, educational resources, access to research-based advice and more. A major benefit is the opportunity to take an above-level test designed by ACT for eighth grade students. Taking this optional test helps younger gifted students clarify their academic abilities and qualifies them to enroll in the 7th Grade Talent Search once they complete the sixth grade. Seventh grade students with strong intellectual abilities are invited to participate if they achieve a qualifying score at or above the 95th percentile on a recent grade-level test. Upon enrollment, Duke TIP registers this select group to take the ACT or the SAT college entrance exam. After participants take their test, we provide valuable benefits to them throughout high school, including access to unique resources for gifted students developed by experts in the field of gifted education. Academically talented students need new challenges, special motivation, and support to help them reach their full potential. Duke TIP helps participants grow scholastically by providing the opportunity for above-level testing, feedback on abilities, educational resources, and encouragement. Enrollment begins August 1 of each year. TIP services are designed to meet the academic needs of gifted students and to encourage the development of their special talents.

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