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Enrollment open for Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search
Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) is now enrolling students in its 7th Grade Talent Search.
To enroll, your child must have a qualifying score on an accepted test, such as the CogAT, CRCT or ITBS. The deadline to register is Dec. 9, 2015.
Students accepted by the Talent Search may choose to take the SAT or ACT as seventh graders. For kids who typically score in the 99th percentile of the standardized tests they’re given in school, taking these tests designed for high-school upperclassmen can provide a better gauge of where they stand academically.
When you become part of the TIP program, you’ll also receive information about meeting your child’s academic needs, and get access to TIP-sponsored programs, including summer programs on the Duke campus.
Get a discount off Space Camp when you register next weekend
Space Camp‘s annual Black Friday sale is back. From Friday, Nov. 27 through Monday, Nov. 30, you can save $200 off programs for kids and families. 
The discount can be used for a week of Space Camp or Aviation Challenge summer camp, or for the weekend family camp versions of Space Camp or Aviation Challenge.
If you’re not ready to commit to specific dates for summer camp, that’s okay. Space Camp will let you register now, take the $200 discount, and select your program dates later.
This is the only sale Space Camp offers to the general public.
MODA classes in robotics, 3-D printing, electronics and more
The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA) has rolled out its selection of fall classes, for kids in preschool through high school.
The museum’s one-day classes range from the most basic tinkering with design, to LEGO robotics, littleBits circuitry, Arduino interactive design, and 3-D printing.
To learn more or register, go to the MODA website and look in the left-side navigation menu, under PROGRAMS.
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship offers free application advice
I posted earlier this month about the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship, which gives as much as $40,000 per year to help top-notch high school seniors pay for college. If you’re considering applying, the foundation will host a webinar this Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at 7 p.m.
Foundation staff, along with current and past scholarship recipients, will give advice on how to prepare a strong application.
The webinar is free, but you must register in advance to participate.
Apply now for Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program offers funds — up to $40,000 a year — to support the college ambitions of high-achieving students with financial need.
The scholarship, which can be renewed for up to four years, is available to high-school seniors who have GPAs of 3.5 or higher and have scored in the top 15 percent on the SAT or ACT.
According to the foundation’s web site, students whose families make up to $95,000 a year will be considered; however, most of the recipients will have family income low enough to qualify for a Pell Grant.
The first part of the application process is open now. There is no cost to apply. The Phase I application must be mailed in by November 3, 2015. Financial information, school records and teacher recommendations are required for the application, so allow yourself time to compile and complete the needed paperwork.
One-day science classes for kids at UWG in Carrollton
The University of West Georgia will offer two science workshops for kids ages 8 to 12 this fall.
- Oct. 9, 2015: Spooky science workshop. (Yes, this is a Friday. Carroll and Coweta county schools are closed that day.)
- Nov. 7, 2015: Crime lab chemistry workshop.
Each workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on UWG’s Carrollton campus and costs $35.
Kids, teachers invited to STEAM3 conference at GSU
Kids can play in an interactive STEAM playground while teachers learn about new classroom tools and techniques at the STEAM3 conference, Sept. 11-12, 2015 at Georgia State University.
The educational portion of the conference will feature speakers from Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the private sector. Displays and demonstrations will be broken down into four areas: the living classroom, interactive storytelling, make magic, and the game of learning. Installations will include robots, multi-layered projection, virtual reality, and music composition via computing.
Ticket prices range from $10 for a one-day student pass to the interactive playground to $49 for access to the entire conference.
Free Saturday classes at Atlanta Gifted Academy
Atlanta Gifted Academy in Marietta is offering a series of free Saturday classes, starting next weekend.
Sessions planned for 2015-16 are:
- Sept. 12, 2015: Kitchen chemistry (ages 4-6)
- Oct. 10, 2015: Spanish (grades 2-5)
- Nov. 14, 2015: Engineering in motion (grades 2-5)
- Dec. 5, 2015: Mind bending art class (grades 2-5)
- Feb. 27, 2016: History mystery (grades 2-5)
- March 15, 2016: Kitchen chemistry (grades K-2)
To register, contact the school at (770) 726-0123.
Registration starts today for Duke TIP programs at UGA
Registration will begin today at 5 p.m. for the fall session of the Duke TIP programs at UGA.
Current fifth and sixth graders who have participated in the Duke TIP 4th-6th Grade Talent Search can sign up for the Academic Adventures program, one-day classes on the UGA campus. The fall 2015 dates will be Nov. 14 and Dec. 5.
For students in grades 8 to 11, UGA will offer a Duke TIP Scholar Weekend, Oct. 10-11. This program is open to students who have participated in a Duke TIP talent search or who have been identified as gifted by their local school criteria.
Popular courses will fill quickly.
Scholarships to elite colleges for low-income, high-achieving students
Low-income students often don’t apply to our nation’s elite colleges, believing those prestigious campuses are out of their reach because of their families’ finances.
QuestBridge aims to change that with its National College Match program, which is now accepting applications from rising high-school seniors.
Students choose their top schools from three dozen highly respected universities, including Amherst, Dartmouth, Brown, Emory, MIT, Princeton and Stanford. The schools review the applicants, and if they want to admit a student who selected them, the student will receive a full scholarship to their school. If a match isn’t made with the applicant’s top choices, the student will still be considered by all participating universities and may receive significant financial aid.
The application deadline is Sept. 28, 2015. The application is extensive, requiring transcripts, letters of recommendation, and financial records, so you’ll want to get started now.
Gifted Atlanta 