Western Academic Talent Search

Program Details

Policies and Fees
Tests and Test Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
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Elaine on the Significance of WATS Participation

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Benefits

  • Grade level testing often does not reveal the upper limits of student abilities. Participants gain early experience taking an above‐level or college entrance test, reporting increased comfort with standardized testing and significant score gains that can make the difference when applying to college. The more times students participate, the more steady increases in success.
  • With permission, schools receive information about talent search results. School officials are better able to accommodate students’ course choices or curriculum modifications with this information.
  • Scholarship opportunities become available and many gates are opened and qualification requirements met for higher level programming, advanced opportunities, scholarships, grade‐level adjustments, or schools for gifted. Talent Search is an outstanding resume‐builder, especially when 150,000 other very bright students are participating! Check out our Educational Resources, many of which require Talent Search scores for admission.
  • Students are invited to participate in the CBK Summer Programs, designed to provide an optimal match and allow students entering 4th-12th grades to develop a socio‐emotional network of peers in a living/learning community. Many students age through these programs with lifelong CBK friends.
  • Top scoring participants are recognized within the WATS family account.
  • During the summer, participants receive the Interpretive Guide, which provides information needed to interpret test scores in relationship to other grade-level WATS participants.
  • Scores are archived by WATS but can only be reported by families, meaning there is no risk in participating. Students taking the ACT or SAT will have the scores included as part of their testing company personal account which only you can access. In the event that your student did well, you may choose to report them for early decision or access.

The goal is a positive student experience, regardless of the final test score. Why not sign up?

Eligibility

WATS seeks the assistance of schools in order to identify academically talented and highly motivated students who qualify for this special opportunity. Students must meet ONE of the following criteria in addition to grade in order to participate (click on each for more details):

Participants must currently be in 3rd-9th grade. Students will be compared to their grade-level peers. If students have skipped grades or are home-schooled, the expectation is that they are already being measured against their grade-level peers in an academic setting. No age-level adjustments are made for students in these situations. While 9th grade scores may show up on a school database, they only report to colleges and universities if families CHOOSE to report with the exception of institutions requiring a comprehensive score report, in which case 9th grade scores WILL show.

Students currently in 3rd-9th grade who qualify for their school’s gifted program are encouraged to apply. Documentation of identification must be included with the application. If students have skipped grades or are home-schooled, they are then being measured against grade-level peers in an academic setting. No age-level adjustments are made for students in these situations.

Must score at or above the 90th% on a nationally normed academic achievement test. This percentile can be a composite/total score or one of the overall scores for verbal or mathematical reasoning or may be represented as “advanced” criterion on any core subtest. Students have used scores from tests such as: ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills), Stanford Achievement Test, WISC-IV, Terra Nova, CogAT, NAEP, PARCC, CRT, MAP, or SBA scores at the “advanced” level or past participants in Talent Search use score reports (which still must be included) from the prior year’s SAT, ACT or PSAT 8/9. Qualifying scores are good for two years. WATS certificates and the WATS Bulletin or a mailing address are NOT acceptable proof of eligibility.

A school counselor, licensed teacher, or home school association official (who may not be the student’s parent) must provide a letter of recommendation based upon a full year of outstanding performance in a core subject area OR notifying WATS as to the student’s qualifying scores instead of submitting a score report (the letter you may have received from school which MUST have the student’s name on it).

Coordinators Guide

The Validity of Acceleration and Above-Level Testing for Gifted