<p>Hi all. Well, although S would no way in H take the SAT to qualify for CTY, to say nothing of prepping for it, school had him take the PSAT as a sophomore and from what I see on the CTY site he qualifies for a summer class as a result of his scores.</p>
<p>And wonders of all wonders, he actually said the session on Genetics in LA sounded cool. Of course, he thought the one in Hawaii sounded even better:). I am a mean mother and have never taken the poor deprived guy to Hawaii.</p>
<p>My questions are these: 1) Anyone have any experience with Loyola Marymount? Mootmom? 2) Anyone sent their kid for Genetics? 3) Do you all recommend the program unequivocally? 4) And if I relent and send him to Hawaii doesn’t that just reek of boondoggle?</p>
<p>The point of this is only a little bit for his college resume. He is who he is. He will be a high grades, highish SAT kid who played soccer every year and on our little Catholic school team in our little dinky league wins the Coach’s Award but not the MVP, who plays saxophone happily but in a profoundly mediocre fashion in the band and jazz band, and who is actually exceptionally bright according to his mom but just doesn’t care to do anything he characterizes as stupid. Like many of these boys.</p>
<p>Plus of course I adore him. But that’s besides the point for this discussion:).</p>
<p>The real point is to get him to find something else in the world as interesting as college basketball statistics, fantasy league, Worlds of Warcraft, and 1960’s-70’s soul music.</p>
<p>Predictions from my esteemed colleagues on the influence of a CTY program on my ability to achieve this goal?</p>
<p>I don’t know anything about Loyola Marymount or the genetics course, but CTY is guaranteed to stop your S playing WofW for the duration. Internet access is verboten, classes last throughout the day. But S had tons of fun, made some good friends and really learned the materials. </p>
<p>S took two summer CTY courses at Loyola. I’d recommend it over Hawaii because there is so little time for sight-seeing or beach-going, etc… at CTY, and your S might feel resentful of being unable to thoroughly enjoy a tropical paradise unless you frontload (or backend) a vacation onto his session. Loyola is a pretty campus; small, not busy in summer, very safe and very convenient to LAX. S also did CTY at Skidmore and Johns Hopkins. He did not take genetics and is not a science guy, so can’t comment on that one.</p>
<p>S#1 spent 2 summers at Loyola Marymount, and S#3 has been there 3 years so far and hopes to go next summer again. Neither took the Genetics course, but honestly, I don’t think he can go wrong. And it’s not all for the course anyway: mine can’t wait to get back and see his CTY friends again, and “which course” isn’t the most important factor: there are several that would be Just Peachy. Loyola is convenient, small, comfy, and the kids love it there.</p>
<p>Unequivocal recommendation, yes. And as marite says, he will have plenty of other interests by the end of the session!</p>
<p>IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS:
– If this is his first year, apply as early as they will let him. Returning students are matched to courses first.</p>
<p>– STRONGLY consider requesting Session II if it’ll fit in his schedule. It’s usually easier to get a match in the second session.</p>
<p>– STRONGLY consider other possible courses. If he only requests “Genetics at Loyola in Session II”, and that course at that time is filled by the time they get to his name in the list, he’s out of luck. <em>IF</em> he would consider other courses, sessions, or locations, have him prepare an ordered list of all possible combinations that would be acceptable. If only that one combination would do, or CTY won’t happen for him this summer, that’s OK: just be aware that the more options you provide them with, the more likely it is that he’ll be placed as a first-year.</p>
<p>All, thanks for the help and the congrats. Mootmom, I will do a little research on when he can apply etc and will pm you with questions. Bluebayou - I hope you know I was kidding about that being a mean mom:). I have always tried to make my kids see very clearly the priviledge they live in, and to make them understand it is not their god-given right to have trips to Hawaii or Land Rovers…Luckily so far so good.</p>
<p>Alumother,
I cannot speak for this program specifically…but, my guy did a 3.5 wk program btwn soph and junior yr in hs called the Cambridge College Programme…run out of Chicago…stay on campus in Cambridge England. There are approximately 40 diff course offerings, 1 is mandatory, British History and Culture…2 optionals they pick… my guy did a intro to physics and a course on cracking the enigma code, and he loved the entire experience. They took several field trips during their time…Stonehenge, Bath, Cathedrals, Castles, and several trips to London…National Portrait Gallery, Churchill’s war rooms etc … what I found so excellent about it was the way it got him interested in history. He had always been a math kid and the enigma course got him interested in crytopgraphy…to me, this was a perfect combination of some learning but a lot of fun and new friends and living in a dorm environment for the first time…he truly grew up during the 3 weeks away and came back with a much broader horizon than when he began.<br>
He did a more serious math program at Stanford btwn junior and senior yr…to me, the purpose of that was to see if he could stand all math, nothing but math…he was not ready for that btwn soph and junior yr…and I don’t blame him…
the Cambridge Programme rules are excellent, lots of chaperones and if anyone misbehaves (ie drinking or whatever ) they are immediately sent home on the very next flight…no exceptions, no return of unused $$$ in tuition credit…
the courses were all over the map…art, architecture, biology, shakespeare…etc…
my experience was that smart boys tend to need a cruise director to get them out in the social swing of things…living in a dorm programme like this at an earlier (ie 16yrs) really was excellent…</p>
<p>Oh yes. I should have known what a fellow grew-up-in-Nothern California child of hippieish family would have been thinking. Kids, are you happy now? Yes, some of your parents did participate in the cultural trends of our era…</p>
<p>Alumother,
My S#1 spent 6 summers at CTY, although never at Loyola since we are East-coasters. Did not take Genetics. I’m sure you know that the Genetics course will be taught on a very high level and he will be in class for 5-6 hours a day with 2 hours of homework. He will learn an amazing amount in 3 short weeks. My S absolutely treasured his CTY experience, eventually more for the social life than the academics. Know that if your S decides to do this, this will undoubtedly be his first and last opportunity unless he is very young for his grade. Also, that there will probably not be too many “first-timers” who are his age. If you have specifics about the “ins and outs” of CTY, please feel free to PM me or ask here. S#1 is home on break, and I can get answers straight from the horses mouth.</p>
<p>S took an existentialism course at Loyola Marymount after 8th grade, and loved it. The teaching was excellent, the students were interesting and fun, the campus was lovely. His only complaint was the smog of LA. He described sitting on Marymount’s hill and watching the smog roll over LA. S had also taken a talent search class at U Kansas. He enjoyed that, but liked Marymount’s better. Marymount’s was much harder, a real stretch for S. </p>
<p>Both of those locations are far from our home. S is a bit shy, but wanted to explore those places, and had no problems making friends (including one whom he renewed acquaintance with after I bumped into the student here on CC).</p>
<p>My friends’ D & S attended a talent search program in Hawaii, and both loved the program there. I think the S took a program in history or international relations. I can’t remember what program the D took. The S was a h.s. soph, the D a 7th or 8th grader. The parents, who are not rich, sent the kids from Boston. The kids wanted to see Hawaii, but also definitely wanted the talent search programs. The S had also done a Duke TIP program at U Kansas. </p>
<p>I say that if you can afford it and if your kid really wants to attend the program, spring for Hawaii. How often does anyone get to spend 3 weeks in Hawaii studying something that intensely interests them? Sounds like a dream summer for teens with academic and travel interests.</p>
<p>If the only draw of talent search is Hawaii, don’t spring the $ to send your kids to the program. Use the $ for a nice family trip there. </p>
<p>Not every bright kid wants to spend their summers in classes. There are plenty of other ways to engage kids’ minds, and nice family vacations can be great options. Our kids are only young once. Enjoy. </p>
<p>Both of my Ss qualified for Talent Search. Only one decided to do the programs. The other found other things to do over the summers that really interested him while allowing him to exercise his mind and run with his talents. He did things like summer internships where he was the only h.s. student doing them. We also had some wonderful family vacations, including doing educational things that all of us enjoyed.</p>
<p>My son was a lot like yours sounds, and he did two summer programs as well as three distance ed courses with CTY (which they DON’T age out of, a problem someone mentioned above with the summer programs). They changed his life. Additionally, I teach for CTY distance ed and have taught in two summer programs for them, though that was back in '94 and '95. If you think I can answer any specific questions for you please feel free to PM me or ask here.</p>
But S had tons of fun, made some good friends and really learned the materials. </p>
I can imagine some diversions in Hawaii.</p>