General Information
March 6th/7th - May 8th/9th, (excluding April 3rd and 4th)
About the Program
The Early Explorers and the Gateways Programs are designed for bright and inquisitive children in kindergarten, first, second and third grades. These programs open the door to the world of creativity and intellectual possibilities. These children will uncover new ideas and processes, discover their own gifts, and rediscover what they have known all along - that learning can be fun.
The Academic Foundations, Academic Juniors and Academic Seniors Programs augment and enhance learning opportunities for high aptitude and high achieving students. These courses will give students opportunities to further develop areas of strength, and discover gifts in areas they never imagined.
Eligibility
Weekend and Summer Camp programs require evidence of high academic ability and/or achievement. Documentation must be submitted with the application form.
Students who meet one of the following criteria are invited to apply to The Gifted and Talented Program at Montclair State University:
- Participants in Academic Talent Search Programs: evidence of participation should be submitted with the MSU application.
- Students who have scored at the 95th percentile or above in at least one of the major content areas or ability sections of a nationally-normed standardized test or at the highest performance level on a state test administered by their schools (Advanced Proficient in both math and reading or 275 or higher in math OR reading on the NJASK) copies of test scores should be submitted with the MSU application.
- An IQ score of 130 or above on an individualized IQ test
- Students who have scored in the gifted range on the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or SSATB.
- Students who have been identified as gifted and/or who have participated successfully in a local or school gifted program: evidence of participation should be submitted with the MSU application.
- If no local or school gifted program exists, or if no test scores are available, two letters of recommendation can be submitted. For students in grades K-3, the parent observation survey may be submitted along with one letter should be from the school. For students in grades 4-11, a letter from a teacher and a letter from a school administrator who is familiar with the student’s record and performance may be submitted.
Program Description
Montclair State University’s Academically Gifted and Talented Youth Program provides accelerated, inquiry based courses designed to meet the unique intellectual and social needs of high ability students. Our program provides students with opportunities to explore topics in the humanities, mathematics, and the sciences. Courses stimulate creativity, higher order thinking skills, and problem solving and include a diverse array of topics. Because of our small class size and low teacher-student ratio, we are able to provide students with customized programs. Students delve into topics of personal interest while engaging with other students who have similar abilities and passions. Our instructors have diverse backgrounds and include university professors, teachers of the gifted, published authors, and professionals with real-world experience in the topics they present.
Saturday and Sunday Program
Period 1: 8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Period 2: 10:15 am – 11:30 a.m.
Grades K – 3: Qualified students may take one or two courses on Saturday or Sunday. Each course lasts 75 minutes with a 15-minute break between each period.
Grades 4 through 7: Qualified students must take two courses on Saturday or Sunday, one in the humanities and one in the math/sciences to ensure a balanced experience. Each course lasts 75 minutes with a 15-minute break between each period.
Grades 8 and above: Qualified students may take one or two courses on Saturday or Sunday. Because students have explored courses in multiple disciplines by the time they reach 8th grade they may choose one or two courses in the humanities or one or two in the math/science area. Each course lasts 75 minutes with a 15-minute break between each period.
Celebration of Learning
A Celebration of Learning will be held on the last weekend of the program. Parents will be invited to visit any class of interest. Further information about this will be provided during the semester.
Parking
The Red Hawk Deck may be used for hourly parking. You may also purchase a 2009/2010 parking permit by visiting the office of Transportation & Parking Services, located in the Red Hawk Parking Deck, Level 1. A parking permit fee is $80.00. Parents who purchase a parking permit may park in lots that are designated as General and Resident Student Parking lots. The Transportation & Parking Services office will be open on and March 6th and March 7th from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00p.m. This is the only weekend that they are open. Regular office hours are Monday & Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For further information, you may visit their website at http://www.montclair.edu/facilities. Parents who wish to purchase a permit will need to bring their child’s acceptance letter. Acceptance letters will be mailed out the week before classes begin. If you purchased a parking permit for Fall 2009, you will not need to purchase another one.
Registration Info
Apply early and receive a discount! Applications received in the office on or before Monday, January 25th will receive a discount of $25.00.
The tuition costs are $325.00 for one course and $625.00 for two courses. Checks are to be made out in the full amount to: Montclair State University along with the application. Personal checks that are returned for any reason (such as insufficient funds) will incur a service charge. Payment in full may also be made by MasterCard or Visa.
By Mail: Print and complete the application form. Return it with your payment. Priority mail registrations should be postmarked no later than: Thursday, February 25th, 2010 to:
Montclair State University
Gifted and Talented Program
One Normal Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07043-9987
- By Fax: (973) 655-7895 to register. Priority fax registration for Spring 2010, is available 24 hours a day. Payment for registrations that are faxed must be made with MasterCard or Visa. Please complete the credit card payment form on the application.
- In Person: Visit the Gifted and Talented Program located at: 1286 Valley Road. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Enrollment
Only a limited number of students can be accommodated. Qualified applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. We reserve the right to close or cancel any class; therefore it is important to indicate a second choice.
Application Deadline
The application, medical history form and proof of academic giftedness together with tuition must be postmarked no later than Thursday, February 25th. Applications that are received on or before Monday, January 25th, will receive a $25.00 discount.
Notification of Acceptance
Postcards will be sent indicating acceptance into the program. Student schedules will be mailed approximately one week prior to the start of the session.
Tuition
Apply early and receive a discount! Applications received in the office on or before Monday, January 25th will receive a discount of $25.00. The tuition costs are $325.00 for one course and $625.00 for two courses. Checks are to be made out in the full amount to: Montclair State University along with the application. Personal checks that are returned for any reason (such as insufficient funds) will incur a service charge. Payment in full may also be made by MasterCard or Visa. Tuition does not include the cost of textbooks. Please note: Montclair State does not accept American Express.
Tuition Discount
Two or more children from the same family are both eligible for a 10% tuition discount of $32.50 for one class or $62.50 for two. Faculty/Staff/Alumni are entitled to a 15% discount. Faculty/Staff must have a valid Montclair State NedID account as verification and the Alumni will need to provide a copy of his/her diploma or transcript showing that they have earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or a Doctoral degree.
Refund Policy
Written notice of withdrawal will entitle registrants to a refund (less a $40.00 non-refundable registration fee for one course and $80.00 for two courses) provided such notice is postmarked prior to the first weekend of classes. No refunds will be made after the program has begun.
Bring a Gifted Friend Discount
When a family recommends a child who qualifies as gifted and that child has not attended the program before, the family who recommends will receive a $50.00 discount. The recommending families' name must be on the application, and BOTH applications must be submitted together in order to receive the discount. Applications not received together will not be entitled to the discount.
Visit the Summer 2010 Discount page to see more information on available discounts.
Parents of Gifted Offspring (POGO)
The Gifted Youth Program recognizes that academically gifted young people face their own set of challenges because of their gifts. These challenges can range from perfectionism, concerns about political or global issues, high expectations for themselves, the stresses of challenging academic work, or feelings of being marginalized because they don’t share the interests or abilities of most of their peers. POGO (Parents of Gifted Offspring) was established more than a decade ago by a group of concerned parents to provide opportunities to meet and discuss these and related issues. Led by experts in the field of gifted education and child and adolescent psychology, POGO seminars take place while students are in classes on the Montclair State University campus and generally last an hour. All parents of gifted students – not just those whose children are enrolled in the program – are invited to participate. The Spring 2010 schedule will include such topics as: Social & Emotional Needs of the Gifted, Challenging the Gifted Student, Advocating for Gifted Children and many more equally interesting subjects as well as book discussion groups. Admission to all POGO seminars is free and open to the public.
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