Rohit Rajiv, a student from Westford, was recently honored as one of the brightest young students in the world at a national awards ceremony for gifted children sponsored by The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

Rohit took his SAT in 7th grade and scored a perfect 800 in Math. So, in addition to receiving award certificates for Top in Country, High Honors and Exceptional Scores, he received one college course of his choice at Merrimack College, and was invited to join the SET (Study of Exceptional Talent) program from Johns Hopkins.

Among the more than 700 U.S. and international middle school students invited to the ceremony on the Johns Hopkins University campus:

. All earned exceptionally high scores on at least one section of the college SAT or ACT.
. At least 87 achieved a perfect score on the reading or math section of the SAT or ACT.

These exceptional students earned this opportunity for recognition by participating in the annual Talent Search organized by CTY (www.cty.jhu.edu).

Since 1979, CTY has annually sought the most academically able elementary and middle school students, and encouraged their enrollment in CTY’s annual Talent Search. In 2010-11, more than 50,000 students from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and countries including China, South Korea, and Canada participated in Talent Searches offered through CTY. Students enrolled in the Talent Search tested through the fall and spring.

Rohit, who is a student at Stony Brook School Middle School, is part of a select group. Chosen from more than 14,000 seventh and eighth grade testers around the world, honorees are selected because they have scored the highest on either the SAT or ACT – the same tests taken by college-bound juniors and seniors. Above-grade-level tests, taken independently from the pressures of mandated assessment, provide useful information to students, families, and schools, giving a clearer picture of students’ academic capabilities.

Students honored at the 2011 Grand Ceremony have also qualified for CTY’s residential summer programs, online classes, and family academic programs, where gifted students meet others like themselves from all over the world and have an opportunity to stretch their creative and intellectual wings, and discover where their special talents may take them.

"We are so proud of our CTY Talent Search honorees for their exceptional performance on these tests and we are thrilled to take this moment to recognize them for their academic achievements," said Elaine Tuttle Hansen, executive director of CTY and the keynote speaker at the 2011 Grand Ceremony. Students aren’t the only ones who deserve this recognition, she added. “Our students wouldn’t be who they are today without the parents and educators who have worked so hard to help them develop their talents."

Past participants in the CTY Talent Search include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, performer Lady Gaga, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Adam Riess. A few months before winning the Nobel, Riess returned to CTY and gave the keynote address at the 2010 Grand Ceremony in March.

During his talk the Johns Hopkins professor explained his co-discovery of dark energy, comparing the universe to a rising loaf of bread, the galaxies to raisins in the dough, and the dark energy as a special yeast that causes the expansion of the dough to accelerate. Committed to the importance of recognizing each of these high achieving students individually, the astrophysicist then remained onstage through the ceremony, shaking the hands of each of the 200 students who attended.

After the ceremony, a number of students rushed the stage, eager to talk further with the noted scientist.

#

About The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY)
A global leader in gifted education since 1979, CTY (www.cty.jhu.edu) is focused on identifying academic talent in exceptional K-12 students and supporting their growth with courses, services, and resources specifically designed to meet their needs. Education Week called CTY "one of a set of remarkable nonpublic institutions dedicated to the discovery and nurture of the most talented young people for the highest levels of accomplishment."

. CTY draws students from 50 states, the District of Columbia, and some 120 countries.
. CTY provided more than $5.5 million in financial aid to over 11,000 students in 2010-11.
. More than 17 percent of students identified in the 2010-11 CTY Talent Search are from
underrepresented groups.
. Gifted students qualifying for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program may join
the Talent Search virtually for free.
. For more information about enrolling in the CTY Talent Search, go to www.cty.jhu.edu

# # #
For more information , please go to: www.cty.jhu.edu

|