4KookieKids Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 DS9 is interested in trying something like the PSAT 8/9 this next year. As best I can tell, the only way for him to do that is through a talent search organization like NUMATS. Is that really the case, or are there other options for enabling him to take that test? I'm on the fence as to whether I really even want him to take it right now, but I'm not sure I'm inclined to tell him no, if it's something he wants to do... Other than having the option of taking these tests early and some summer programs, what is the point of these talent search organizations? I've seen a lot about CTY and TIP and such, but I guess I'm still just vague on what the benefits are, besides giving you warm fuzzies that you're part of an "elite" crowd... Can someone tell me why I might (or might not!) want to have him involved in a program like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alewife Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 23 minutes ago, 4KookieKids said: DS9 is interested in trying something like the PSAT 8/9 this next year. As best I can tell, the only way for him to do that is through a talent search organization like NUMATS. Is that really the case, or are there other options for enabling him to take that test? I'm on the fence as to whether I really even want him to take it right now, but I'm not sure I'm inclined to tell him no, if it's something he wants to do... Other than having the option of taking these tests early and some summer programs, what is the point of these talent search organizations? I've seen a lot about CTY and TIP and such, but I guess I'm still just vague on what the benefits are, besides giving you warm fuzzies that you're part of an "elite" crowd... With the exception of DYS (which I don't think is a talent search, per se?), my preliminary google searches suggest that he could qualify for whichever talent search he'd want to, based on last years' WISC scores, but can someone tell me why I might (or might not!) want to? The PSAT tests are given during the school day, typically, at B&M schools, and the schools may not permit your son to take the exam since he is not a student at the school. If you don't have luck finding a school that will let your son take the PSAT 8/9, you can register your son to take the SAT without paying the extra fee of going through a talent search organization. It has been a number of years since I went this route with my kids, so the procedure for registering may have changed since then...but I had to send in a paper registration when my kids were younger than 13 years old. My public high school and the public library both had hard registration packets available. If you want your son to be able to participate in a class outside of the homeschool setting, in my experience, having SAT scores in-hand opened doors that otherwise would have remained shut. As far as your question, "what is the point of these talent search organizations?", I think these organizations are more beneficial when the students are in traditional school. The parents of these kids can use these test results to help advocate for subject acceleration, grade skips, etc. As a homeschooler, I didn't need these tests to demonstrate my kids' abilities as I knew where they were at by working with them day in and day out. However, since I don't give tests in our homeschool, I had my kids take the SAT from age 11 because I wanted them to have some experience taking standardized tests and this was the quickest way to achieve that goal as the on-level tests that were offered each year were given on multiple days and ate up more of our time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 For us, the main benefit was to provide access to above grade level testing until DD was at a level to take the SAT/ACT and register directly. She was going to max out grade level tests unless she fell asleep and didn’t complete it, so the EXPLORE provided a few years of ability to see growth before she hit that ceiling. She got 2 ACT’s in (with a skipped year in between) before she started hitting ceilings there. We have never used the talent search camps or classes, although the CTY magazine is nice, but we have used the test scores to get into other opportunities, including DYS (since the tests done by my local school district weren’t the right ones) and local college classes. DD can also use them for the homeschool honor society if she chooses. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4KookieKids Posted July 2, 2018 Author Share Posted July 2, 2018 Ok. All of this is good to know. Thanks! What sort of prep should I do with him before the actual test, then? Not content-wise, but how do I find out whether it's on a computer or paper or explain to him how to fill things out? He's a smart kid but is also ASD, so it would be helpful for him to know what to expect, as much as possible. Will they explain all rules and instructions clearly? I have no memory of how any of this works! lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 We did it primarily so that Sacha could attend our local CTY camp (he is partial to science). He started after 2nd grade and I just dropped him off at "Under the Microscope" camp for the next three weeks (day camp). They have very generous scholarship money, so if your AGI is under 50-60K, I urge you to apply. He also just started taking Honors Algebra I because they gave us a scholarship (we haven't paid for camp either). He enjoyed last summer and was excited to go back this year. As the kids get older, they also have sleep-away camps, which I imagine Sacha will enjoy as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 I don't know if DYS accepts the PSAT 9, but it does accept some talent search testing like the SAT & ACT. Much, much cheaper a way to qualify than doing an individual IQ or achievement test. But if somebody already has WISC scores that qualify, then obviously that's not a concern. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 2, 2018 Share Posted July 2, 2018 Oh, and if you want a cheaper talent search option, check out Belin-Blank. They were both cheaper and more flexible about grade levels than the others when DD was 7-8 years old. I think they're using a different test than the PSAT 8/9 though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 On 7/2/2018 at 10:55 AM, SeaConquest said: We did it primarily so that Sacha could attend our local CTY camp (he is partial to science). He started after 2nd grade and I just dropped him off at "Under the Microscope" camp for the next three weeks (day camp). They have very generous scholarship money, so if your AGI is under 50-60K, I urge you to apply. He also just started taking Honors Algebra I because they gave us a scholarship (we haven't paid for camp either). He enjoyed last summer and was excited to go back this year. As the kids get older, they also have sleep-away camps, which I imagine Sacha will enjoy as well. Quoting myself. Sacha just finished his second year with CTY camp, and had a blast (again). I'm linking to some pics and videos from FB, so people can get a feel for the type of stuff they do. He saw his friends from last year and loves his time at CTY. He is ready to go again next year (he wants the Physics of Engineering next time). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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