Advay Misra, an eight-year-old  student from New York, has been honored as one of the brightest students in the world by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Advay, a student at Beekman Hill Elementary School, was among 1,400 students honored for their exceptional performance on the SAT, ACT, or similar assessment taken as part of the CTY Talent Search, according to a CTY news release.

Baltimore-based CTY, described as a global leader in gifted education since 1979, uses above-grade-level testing to identify advanced students from around the world and provide a clear picture of their true academic abilities.

 

More than 15,000 students in grades two through eight tested through CTY’s Talent Search between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, representing all 50 states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and Armed Forces installations in Europe and the Pacific, as well as more than 70 countries.

Nearly 1,400 students from this group who scored in the top 9% on their test were 2020 Grand Honors awardees.

“This is especially commendable in a year that has been difficult for students everywhere. The global pandemic has affected nearly every part of your lives, from daily school routines to the special celebrations you look forward to all year,” said Dr. Virginia Roach, CTY’s Executive Director to Misra and other honorees.

“Nonetheless, you have demonstrated outstanding academic potential, and we hope you and your family will take the time to celebrate it together.”

“In times like these, we are reminded that the world needs leaders, educators, health care providers, artists, creators, and problem solvers, and we hope you will use your talents to find success in college and your career, serve your community, and cultivate a love of learning that will last a lifetime,” Dr. Roach added.

Five of the students who tested through CTY’s Talent Search between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 achieved a perfect score on the reading or math section of their test, the release said.

In addition, more than 160 testers under age 13 achieved a score of 700 or higher on the math or verbal section of the SAT, and in turn, qualified for CTY’s Julian C. Stanley Study of Exceptional Talent.

Honorees also qualified for CTY’s summer, online, and family programs, through which academically advanced students meet and form a community of engaged learners with other bright students from around the world.

Typically, there are more than 9,700 enrollments by bright pre-college students in CTY Summer Programs, held at two-dozen sites in the United States and Hong Kong on campuses ranging from Johns Hopkins and Princeton to Loyola Marymount and Dominican Universities, the CTY release said.

Last year, there were more than 20,600 enrollments in CTY Online Programs courses and more than 1,400 enrollments in CTY Family Academic Programs.