CTY online courses

I do not have experience or know anyone who does courses at the university you mentioned. However I know people who have kids doing similar courses at Northwestern univ. They are really good and challenging. If your child is ahead of her schoolmates in academics, such programs are one of the best options out there. Stanford also offers such courses, there are online courses as well.

I agree that the fee is on the higher side, how about trying out for the summer or just a semester?

 

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For 6th - 9th graders, the courses are usually good and worth the fee. The courses are often tried and tested - the instructors have been conducting them for years.

The same learning can also happen in a less expensive and self-directed setting - but the discipline comes when paying for it, and when there are weekly deadlines.

Part of the cost, though, is for the name. We pay for the confidence it brings.

Taking one course will help child explore a new topic maybe, but to see tangible improvement or learning, better to take 2-4 related courses over 1-2 years. Child can also list these under academic achievements on resume when applying for summer camps and opportunities in high school.

There are often similar courses offered by other institutes such as FLVS and Stanford's GiftedandTalented.

Try posting in the WellTrainedMind forums for responses from experienced parents.

 

That was 4 years ago, jskls!!! Time flies, haan? Oh God it does fly. Reminder to self: Be less mean to kid.

I think CTY doesn't have the monopoly or clout it once had. Depends on the course or subject. For Math and Technology, AoPS is better now. For writing, time4wrting.com seems more structured and more frequent contact with teacher. CTY writing courses are once a week email from/to teacher, and the work is not broken down well into manageable pieces. For reading comp./ critical reading, the CTY course's book selection might or might not appeal to the child.

I would suggest look at FLVS - Florida Virtual School | Grades K-12 Online or middle/high school online course providers approved by your middle & high school district. There are many online course providers now and many of them offer more courses than CTY and their courses are more likely to have been approved by whoever does the approving/accreditation.