Hi, I’m a 12 year old in 7th grade at a top ranked school. I always receive A’s at school and often get full scores in standard exams, until the recent SAT. But I did score more than 700 in reading and in math - which puts me slightly above the top boundary that Duke TIP published for 2016-2017. I take all of the accelerated classes/enrichment programs. Outside of school, I’m finishing up calculus.
I’m applying for CDB this year, and since I can’t find more specific information about recent CDB scholars at IEA, I want to get some advice and experience from people who were or whose children were CDB scholars/finalists.
I’m active in a number of group/school activities and am regarded as a leader in what I do (music/instruments, swimming, academic competitions, etc).
However, I’m not always most vocal person in the room. There’s usually two reasons that this happens - sometimes it’s because the topic is too easy for me, and I fidget to keep myself from getting bored, or I don’t answer because I don’t want to viewed as a nerd/know-it-all if I constantly talk. 
How will these habits be viewed by the committee in your experience? Negatively? Thanks in advance to everyone who replies! ^^
How would the committee know that you aren’t the most talkative in class? If you are otherwise a leader, I’d think your recommendations would reflect that.
My confident and comfort level is high when I am with peers, and low by comparison when I am with adults and with strangers. I would think the recommendation letter(s) and more likely the in-person interviews would make this an issue.
You will probably get more insight if you post this in the Prep School forum. There are already threads about the Bradley scholarship over there. This is the college side of the forum.
No, being shy or introverted is not going to hurt you in the least. Based on knowing a number of scholars and finalists, I think the single biggest thing they are looking for is extraordinary passion for learning. My advice, if you make it to the interview stage, is to be as enthusiastic as possible about what you want to do and about your specific hopes and dreams in the area.
Your scores are in the range of others I know who have been successful. Be aware that if math is your passion, the competition is extremely tough. Calculus in 7th grade is not particularly unusual, nor will even 800 scores be. Nevertheless, scores or even competition results will not push you above the line in my opinion. Passion will.
Best of luck!!
In our experience (which is admittedly dated at this point since D started high school over 10 year ago), the interviewers were very good at drawing out what D had to say. Being smart and introverted is far from unusual. In becoming a leader, you have already shown that you can deal with it. The interview is not about finding reasons to reject you, but figuring out what you would bring to the table in whatever school you would choose to attend. Don’t be nervous about it. The CDB mission is to make bright kids succeed. They are on your side, whether you are selected or not.
Here’s some general life advice, not CDB specific but probably applicable - be yourself! Don’t try to turn yourself into something you think an interviewer wants to see. Authenticity is a virtue, embrace it! You sound like an interesting, intelligent, well-rounded person. Interviewers will see that if you let your genuine self shine through.
Several people including myself have commented on the CDB scholarship experience. Search the site for other people’s responses is my first piece of advice. Second - certainly being smart is one aspect that the IEA looks for. But in my experience, they look for a more holistic view of a person that has a point of view and a passion for a particular topic. A lot of what I think they look for is what you do outside of school - so I would focus on identifying not only what activities you do – but why you do them. What does it contribute to your life and importantly what does it contribute to the people around you? Smart kids often have trouble making friends – and part of that is because they are introverted or quiet. The IEA is designed to help you foster a nurturing environment for your gifts by being around other gifted kids. The encourage you to push yourself and encourage others. Sometimes that leadership comes from the front – sometimes from the back. But both are important. It sounds like you have both – you just have to find ways to articulate what drives your ambition in the form of an interesting story. Here’s an exercise for you – try to imagine three events in your life that had a profound effect on you – whether you initiated them - or you benefit from them. How would WHAT happened – not regarding fact - but like a script. What changed in you. Once you start with that you’ll almost start to see your life as a set of interesting stories – where your brillance was a part of the experience – but was not itself the result. We come from the country and my son took a class with a bunch of more city-like people. His experiences and being able to articulate how are lives are different from theirs, not better, not worse, not more right or more wrong - just different gave a new angle for the group to consider. Their understanding became a way for the group to come together in a new way – a unique way. It may be driven by intelligence – but it’s how that intelligence manifests itself in new experiences and relationships. Hopefully, I’m not making it sound too complicated – it’s not really. But don’t let being shy be the issue - it’s not. I’m sure you’ve made a difference to a lot of people – you just have to search within yourself to find the right story. Good Luck.
Thanks for many of the helpful inputs over the past two days. I am re-posting the same on the side of the forum focusing on prep school and scholarship. I am told I am more likely to receive more advice and having more readers benefited from your advice.
Hi, I’m a 12 year old in 7th grade at a top ranked school. I always receive A’s at school and often get full scores in standard exams, until the recent SAT. But I did score above 700 in reading and in math - which puts me slightly above the top boundary that Duke TIP published for 2016-2017. At school, I take all of the accelerated classes/enrichment programs. Outside of school, I’m finishing up calculus.
I’m applying for CDB this year, and since I can’t find more specific information about recent CDB scholars at IEA, I want to get some advice and experience from people who were or whose children were CDB scholars/finalists.
I’m active in a number of group/school activities and am regarded as a leader in what I do (music/instruments, swimming, academic competitions, etc).
However, I’m not always the most vocal person in the room. There’re usually two reasons for this - sometimes it’s because the topic is too easy for me, and I fidget to keep myself from getting bored, sometimes I don’t participate because I don’t want to be viewed as a nerd/know-it-all.
In your experience, how will these habits be viewed by the committee? Negatively? Thanks in advance to everyone who replies! ^^
Thanks for all of the great advices - and please keep them coming.
I know that CDB looks for gifted 7th grader. But since I just turned 12 years old, so I was wondering, (if there were younger kids through the process), how might the committee assess the 12 years old, vs the 13/14 years old kids in the 7th grade?
Don’t sweat it about age. My child was a “youngish” 12 year old, even at the interview stage in very late summer. Didn’t make it to the Scholar finish line, only a Finalist, alas, but I don’t think age was a factor…
Seriously, don’t worry about things like that. Just stay focused on ideas and passion - and maybe how you plan to use your gifts to help others as @ChristmasDickens writes - and you’ll be fine.
If you let go of the goal of being selected for a CDB, and view the application process as a structured way to think more deeply about who you are and where you want to go, you will find that the effort will have its own rewards whatever the outcome.
Hello @Heading2HS how are you? I’m a previous CDB Scholar, and I have luckily been able to meet a lot of kids in the community! (which is wonderful btw.) I happen to know some past kids who are extremely quiet and shy, but due to their outstanding qualities (kindness, compassion, etc.), they have been chosen. The committee is very qualified, and really know when you’re ready or not ready. I wouldn’t sweat it too much - just be yourself. CDB kids don’t have to all be outgoing - they want to celebrate your individual qualities which make you who YOU are - and your genuine self at that. I want to emphasize that they’re not looking for the perfect kid, but the kid who cares, the kid who wants to make a difference, and the kid who really, truly, wants to do good in the world. At least, that’s my take on it. Even during applying to high school, this is true in my expereince.
@ChristmasDickens really helped me a great lot throughout the process, so I strongly recommend following any advice he/she has and look through his past responses to the subject. Best wishes, and good luck!
The application was a lot of work. I felt the essays were the hardest parts. I am proud for being part of the pool.
Thanks to many of you for the insights and encouraging words.
I’m putting this out here in response to questions I’ve received from at least 3 of you regarding the CDB process.
If you do land an interview with the CDB team and you have updates – by all means bring a sheet you can give to them during the interview. But remember – the point of the interview is to meet YOU the person – not what’s on a piece of paper. That’s why they have the interview to begin with. What you look like on paper and what kind of person you are in person is very important to who they decide to pick.
They will contact you for a time and place to meet, or you can meet via skype. Knowing them it probably doesn’t make a that big a difference - but they is a big decision for both the student and the parent. Go out and meet them in person. They are a wonderful group of people doing great work.
Based on my experience they will want to meet the candidate and parents both together and separate. Is there preparation involved - sure - my son read about their mission and vision and google previous scholars and the kids of people behind the IEA. But I do warn you – this shouldn’t be a strategy. This is really about the candidate - about the real passion he or she has, and how they connect with other great minds and people who just, for whatever reason, have an appetite for discovery.
What kinds of questions to they ask?
Everyone is different. I doubt there is any standard set of questions - because they want to see how you describe what you bring to the world. The best I can tell you is – create a real, authentic story about why you believe you can contribute to a community of young adults like yourself. Show / Demonstrate your potential – don’t just tell them about it. For my son – really it came down to two things – deciding what was important to him and why, and simply rehearsing how not to be nervous - to be confident. There was no “strategy” for answering questions.
My advice is simple. What it comes to questions for CDB or eventually the admissions process.
You’re a smart kid, no doubt. There are a lot of smart kids. And yes you will be competing with them whether it’s for a spot in school, on a team, or any number of things. Most of these schools could toss their first list of candidates they accept and pick the next set of candidates and will be fine.
So there really isn’t going to be a right or that you can worry that much about – unless your responses make you look 2-dimensional. You’re a person who is likely talented in more ways than one. Why would you want to be selected? What would you bring to the table? Why would people want to engage you? What makes the world a better place because you’re in it? Start with getting really crisp with answering them authentically. Don’t makeup stuff and don’t try to sound like you’re the smartest person in the world. Focus on what you are passionate about and how you can leverage the passion to engage in a meaningful conversation with others.
BE INTERESTING.
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I met to say:
So there really isn’t going to be a right answer you can worry that much about – unless your responses make you look 2-dimensional.