SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

What Is Summer Institute for the Gifted? Should You Join?

Want to challenge yourself this summer? Interested in showing colleges some of your academic interests? If so, you might have heard about the Summer Institute for the Gifted.

In this post, we'll explain what the Summer Institute for the Gifted is all about; we’ll cover logistics such as application materials, cost, and dates; and we’ll help you decide whether it's a good fit for you.

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CTY SAT Score Requirements

You've decided that you want to take part in the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University. Good for you! Having made this decision, however, you probably have some questions about test score requirements. Do you have to take the SAT to apply for CTY or its programs? What does taking the SAT qualify you for, and how well do you have to do on it?

I'll answer all these questions, and even manage to squeeze in an example from Shakespeare, if you'll just read on.

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CTY ACT Score Requirements

You've decided that you want to take part in the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Good for you!

Having made this decision, however, you probably have some questions about test score requirements—do you have to take the ACT in order to apply for CTY or its programs? What does taking the ACT qualify you for, and how well do you have to do on it?

I'll answer all of these questions for you in this article. Now, read on...

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What Is CTY at Johns Hopkins? Complete Guide

CTY, or Center for Talented Youth, at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers an assortment of resources to gifted students. These resources include summer programs and courses, written resources, community awards/recognition, and college counseling.

The first step to many of the CTY programs is registering for the Talent Search. Even the programs that are open to everyone give priority to students who participated in the Talent Search. For your convenience, we've compiled everything you need to know about CTY into one magnificent blog entry guide. I recommend reading it all the way through, but if you only want to read one particular section, you can pick it out from the Table of Contents.

I'll start off by going in depth into the Talent Search and then mention other programs along with links if you want more information than I give in this article.

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What Is NUMATS? Should You Participate?

In this guide, I'll be discussing the old Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search Program, or NUMATS. NUMATS provided advanced tests to younger students to find their academic strengths and weaknesses and to suggested academic supplements to help these gifted students thrive. 

As of 2022, NUMATS is no more. Northwestern has replaced NUMATS with the Northwestern Center for Talent Development. The Northwestern CTD offers the same above-level testing for students and and lots of summer programs, and it has expanded some of its other offerings as well. You'll be able to learn more about the Northwestern CTD in our complete guide

But if you want to learn more about the legacy NUMATS program and get additional tips for making your Northwestern CTD application stand out...read on! 

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What Is the PARCC Test? Do You Have to Take It?

Finding reliable information on what PARCC tests are and what they involve can be tough. In this guide, I'll go over everything you need to know about PARCC exams, including where they're administered, what they test, and how to prepare.

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ISEE Test Dates 2022-2023: Your Guide to Choosing

The ISEE, or Independent School Entrance Examination, is a test that many students have to take to gain admission into private middle and high schools in the United States. That means that if you want to attend a private school—or if you want your child to attend a private school—there's a good chance you'll have to register for the ISEE as part of your admissions application.

In this article, we're going to explain everything you need to know about ISEE registration, including:

  • Which test level to register for
  • How to choose ISEE test dates
  • A step-by-step guide to ISEE test registration
  • A quick look at what to expect from the ISEE exam

Keep in mind that ISEE test registration—which includes choosing ISEE test dates, locations, and paying for the exam—must be done by a legal adult.

Now, without further ado, let's talk about the ISEE exam!

 

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What Is the Duke University Summer Program for Middle School Students?

After canceling their summer residential programs in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic, Duke has officially announced that they’ve permanently canceled their TIP program. 

To take its place, Duke has created the middle school pre-college program! This program is brand new in 2022, and it’s designed to help middle school students get a jumpstart on their college prep. 

Since the Duke University middle school program is brand new, we’ll go through everything you  need to know about what it is, how to apply, and the benefits you’ll receive as a participant. We’ll cover: 

  • How the Duke pre-college programs changed, and how the new Duke summer programs are different from the old Duke Tip program
  • If Duke University middle school program is still used to identify and enrich talented students
  • What you should consider before applying to the Duke pre-college program for middle schoolers 
  • How to apply to the Duke middle school program 

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the new system!

 

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What Is The Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search, and Why Do It?

What is the Duke TIP, and what is the 7th Grade Talent Search? In this article, I'll be writing about the Duke Talent Identification Program, also known as Duke TIP, also known as the Duke TIP Program. The Duke TIP is a conglomeration of multiple subprograms, one of which is the 7th Grade Talent Search.

While you can find all the information about it on Duke's own website, as I did, the information is spread out and a little tricky to track down (hence the confused panda at the top of this article). For your convenience, I've compiled everything here into one magnificent blog post/guide. I recommend reading it all the way through, but if you only want to read one particular section, you can pick and choose from the Table of Contents.

Now that that's out of the way, let's dive into the Duke TIP and the 7th Grade Talent Search!

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Duke TIP SAT Score Requirements

Perhaps you've read our article about Duke's Talent Identification Program (TIP), maybe you've heard about it from other students, or maybe you did your own research. You've heard vague hints of "score requirements," but don't know exactly what that means—do you have to take the SAT in order to take part in TIP? How well do you have to do on the SAT in order to become a TIPster? (I refuse to believe that students who participate in TIP do not go by this name.)

There are SAT (or ACT) score requirements for the Duke TIP: specifically, there are score requirements for Summer Studies programs and eStudies courses. I'm going to cover this complicated topic in exhaustive detail, explaining what the programs are, what the SAT score requirements are, and giving you some tips on how to meet these requirements.

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Duke TIP ACT Score Requirements

Maybe you’ve read our article about Duke’s Talent Identification Program (TIP), maybe you’ve heard about it from other students, or maybe you did your own research. You've heard vague hints of "score requirements," but don't know exactly what that means—do you have to take the ACT in order to take part in TIP? How well do you have to do on the ACT in order to become a TIPster? (I refuse to believe that students who participate in TIP do not go by this name.)

There are ACT (or SAT) score requirements for the Duke TIP: specifically, there are score requirements for Summer Studies programs and eStudies courses. I'm going to cover this complicated topic in exhaustive detail, explaining what the programs are, what the ACT score requirements are, and giving you some tips on how to meet these requirements. These requirements all refer to the regular ACT, not the ACT Aspire or ACT EXPLORE.

Feature image credit: Ilyse Whitney/Flickr

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What Are the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies Programs? Should I Join One?

Have you heard about the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies programs (formerly called Stanford EPGY), a group of summer and after-school programs primarily for high school students? Curious about what it would be like to spend a summer on Stanford's campus or take online classes taught by Stanford professors? Will participating in one of these programs give you a leg up in college admissions (including applying to Stanford)?

In this guide, we break down what the different programs are, outline the benefits and costs, and go over the pros and cons of attending.

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What Is the IB Middle Years Program? An Expert Introduction

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an international, advanced learning program designed especially for students between the ages of 11 and 16. The goal of the IB Middle Years Programme is to give students in this age group advanced learning opportunities through a curriculum that’s tailored to their developmental stage. 

To help you get acquainted with the IB MYP, we’ll provide a full explanation of the following in this article: 

  • What the IB Middle Years Programme is and who it’s for
  • How a student can benefit from doing the IB MYP
  • Where the program is available, and how to find schools that offer the IB MYP
  • What the curriculum covers
  • How the program compares to the IB Diploma Programme, and
  • The level of difficulty of the IB MYP

Now, let’s take a closer look at the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme!


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5 Key Differences Between the ISEE and SSAT

Most private schools in the United States require applicants to take an entrance examination as part of the admissions process. If you're preparing to go to private school, you're likely wondering what exam you'll need to take.

There are two standardized exams used by admissions committees at private elementary, middle, and high schools: the ISEE and the SSAT. What is the difference between ISEE and SSAT exams? In this ISEE vs SSAT guide, we will explain the difference between the two and offer tips to help you decide whether to take the ISEE or SSAT.

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What Is the ISEE? Complete Guide to the Exam

Thinking of attending a private elementary, middle, or high school in the United States? Then you'll need to take an entrance exam called the ISEE. But what exactly does this test entail? In this article, we'll go over what the ISEE test is, how it's structured and scored, what a good score on the ISEE exam looks like, and how to study effectively for it.

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