Program Structure / Application / Placement

Project 2009 meets on weekdays for three weeks. Students may enroll in either the Morning Program or the Full-Day Program. On the evening of the final day, August 7, students and faculty present an Open House for parents, featuring student performances and elaborate classroom demonstrations.

Eligibility Requirements

All Applicants: Only students who will enter 6th-11th grades in fall of 2009 may apply. Bright, motivated young people from any city or educational setting, whether public, private, parochial, or home school, are eligible. Although applicants need not be enrolled in school gifted programs, achievement test scores of most Center for Gifted students rank at or above the 95th percentiles in some areas.

New Students: Any applicant who never has attended a program of The Center for Gifted must submit a letter of recommendation from an educator. This letter should speak directly to the studentís individual academic, intellectual and/or creative talent and performance. It may be sent with application or separately.

Returning Students: Applicants who previously have attended programs of The Center for Gifted are eligible upon our timely receipt of their applications and do not require teacher recommendation letters.

We sensitively consider exceptions. Parents may request a conference with the Director regarding their childís particular circumstances.

Morning Program

For all students, mornings consist of two classes, chosen by the students themselves. On some mornings, students and faculty assemble for a half-hour Colloquium, which may include class performances, guest presentations, or fiercely competitive trivia bowls.

Full-Day Program

The afternoon component of the Full-Day Program provides in-depth, hands-on exploration of a single theme of the studentís choice. This immersion into a topic affords each student the privilege of mastering its content.

After their morning classes, full-day students join their afternoon teachers for lunch, then begin their workshops at 12:30. They bring sack lunches, including drinks. Refrigeration is not available.

Application

Download and complete the application and mail it with your $150 deposit to: The Center for Gifted, Box 364, Wilmette, IL 60091. Applications sent without deposits will not be processed. There are no application deadlines; applications will be accepted until the program begins. Applications are not accepted via phone, fax, or email.

Applications are acknowledged and parents notified of enrollment status within two weeks of application. If they do not include recommendations, applications from new students will be processed as tentatively enrolled until we receive their recommendations.

Placement

Students who are accepted are placed in classes on a rolling basis, per postmark dates of their applications. Students are placed so that the grade-level span of students in any one classroom usually will not exceed three years. A week or two before the program begins, enrollment packets are sent, with individual class assignments, maps, directions, and information about our on-site parent seminars.

Transportation

Carpooling: If interested in carpooling, check the appropriate blank on your application and telephone us after May 1 for more information.

Metra/CTA: We provide round-trip shuttles at station stops for three Metra train lines and one CTA train line, listed below. Besides the morning pick-up, they are offered for both 12:00 and 3:00 campus departures. Visit www.metrarail.com and www.transitchicago.com for schedules and station information.

• Milwaukee North Line: Morton Grove Station
• Union Pacific North Line and CTA Purple Line: Main Street Station (in Evanston)
• Union Pacific Northwest Line: Park Ridge Station

Chartered Buses: Our buses run to and from the following Chicago locations for morning arrival and 12:00 departure, only. Buses do not run at 3:00.

• 95th and State
• Washington and Michigan
• Western and Milwaukee
• Western and Irving Park
• Western and Devon
• Western and Howard

The fee for our shuttles, chartered buses, or any combination thereof, is $80 for the entire three weeks, regardless of how many days the student plans to ride, and must be paid by July 1.

Payment / Refunds / Withdrawls

A tuition deposit of $150 by check or credit card authorization must accompany application and will be credited to tuition. The balance of tuition is due by July 1. Shuttle and chartered bus fees must be paid by July 1. Lab fees will be payable on the first day of the program.

If a student withdraws before the program begins, tuition and fees (minus a $50 non-refundable processing fee) are refunded. There are no credits or refunds for withdrawing after the program begins, for absences for any reason, or for late enrollments. There are no sibling discounts.

We will consider payment plans or tuition reductions for families who can demonstrate financial need. For Chicago residents, scholarship funds are available and awarded on the bases of need and merit. Call or email The Center for Gifted to request application forms.