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:
Grade AND
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.
Participation In A School Gifted Program OR
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.
Academic Ability OR
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.
Recommendation
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).