GERI Student Programs Frequently Asked Questions
 

1. My child was not been identified as gifted by his school, can he still qualified to come to your program?
   To participate in the Super Saturday program a child does not have to have been officially identified as gifted or high ability by his school corporation.  Children who excel in our program have a passion for the topic and are able to perform at high levels within that area. If your child has the majority of the characteristics below, he will undoubtedly enjoy participating in Super Saturday:
   • A high interest in the area in which the course is offered
   • A desire to learn
   • Scores at or above the 90th percentile in a major area of an  achievement test (total language, total math, total reading, or total science)
   • An IQ score of 120 or above on an intelligence test
   • Acceptance to a school corporation gifted program
   • The recommendation of a teacher to participate in a program for high ability students
2.  
   When is Super Saturday?
   There are two separate Super Saturday sessions during the school year, one during the fall semester and one during the spring semester. The fall semester session typically meets from the first of October until just before Thanksgiving. The spring semester session usually starts at the very end of January and runs through the second week in March.
   Super Saturday is 6 weeks long with 3 hour classes each week.  Classes meet from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
3. I have heard horror stories about parking on campus, where can I park during Super Saturday?
   There is a parking garage on N. University right across the street from Beering Hall. While you need a permit to park there during the week, parking is free to all on the weekends. If you would rather not cross the street with children in tow, you can take the elevator or stairs to the basement of the garage and take the tunnel which comes out in the basement of Beering where most of the Super Saturday classes are held.
   During the fall semester there are times when Super Saturday is in session on a home football game day. Parking for drop off in the morning is not a problem, but things do get quite congested at noon for pick up. On those days we encourage you to bring your child in the morning and spend the time he or she is in class enjoying the campus, or attending our parent meetings.
4. How is my child’s course selected?
   Courses are assigned on a first come, first served basis.  Occasionally a course must be cancelled due to low enrollment;  in that event students will be assigned their second or third choice class. If no second or third choice was offered, parents will be contacted.
5. What is there for parents to do while their children are in class?
   The first week we have a large parent meeting with information about Super Saturday and a speaker on a topic of interest to parents of gifted children. Each week after that we have the parent lounge open and a featured speaker. Books for parents of gifted children are also available for you to enjoy. You are also welcome to explore Purdue’s campus – the Union is straight out the front door of Beering and the Bug Barn is in Smith Hall just across State Street.
6. What kinds of activities will my child be doing in the classroom?
   The focus in our classes is to have the children engaged in interactive, hands-on activities that challenge them to think at high levels.  Our goal is to have children acting like junior practicing professionals. For instance, if your child is taking a chemistry class she will not be listening to lecture about chemistry, but will be making discoveries while doing things a real chemist would do although at a junior level.
7. What if the activities are too hard or too easy for my child?
   If your child is struggling in the class either because he or she is already extremely well informed about the topic, or from feeling overwhelmed, please inform the instructor and/or program coordinator immediately.  We work with our instructors to differentiate the curriculum in an effort to meet the needs of our students.
8. What qualifications are you looking for in your teachers?
   We look for individuals who have a passion for working with gifted children and who enjoy challenging them to think.  We hire certified classroom teachers, preservice education teachers, graduate students, and people who are experts in their field.
9. Is there financial aid available?
   There are a limited number of partial scholarships available for children who qualify for free and reduced lunch programs in their schools. The application for financial aid is located on both the brochure and the website – file early!
   If you have the resources and are interested in helping a child participate in Super Saturday there is an opportunity to do so at http://www.geri.education.purdue.edu/youth_programs/Donate.html
10. Do any of the programs have pre-requisites or admission requirements?
    Only the Summer Residential requires that materials be sent in to the GERI office along with a first-time application. Repeat attendees of GERI student programs never need to re-submit this information. See the section on requirements (link) for more information about Summer Residential requirements. 
11. Is financial aid / scholarship money available?
    A limited number of need-based financial aid scholarships are available to those students who qualify. This funding is awarded to qualifying students on a first-come first-served basis.
12. How do I know if my student is accepted into the program?
    Once we have received all of your application materials Purdue Conferences will notify you via mail as to your acceptance. Keep in mind that some classes are inevitably cancelled due to low enrollment as the program start date approaches.
13. Who teaches the GERI courses?
    GERI instructors come from a variety of backgrounds. Super Saturday and Super Summer teachers include advanced education undergraduates through professional teachers. Summer Residential instructors include advanced graduate students, professional teachers, and college faculty.
14. How are courses chosen for each session?
    Every year we strive to have a balance between courses that are popular and courses that reach all students’ interests. Courses are chosen based on instructor proposals, content area coverage, and past enrollment. Every session we introduce a few new courses that we think will be interesting to our students.

Summer Residential FAQs:

1. How do I know if my student belongs in Comet, Star, or Pulsar?
   Your child should enroll in the same grade level that they just completed the past school year. For example, if your child just completed 8th grade this past school year, then he/she should enroll in the Star program for 7th/8th graders. The Summer Residential program does not make exceptions for program eligibility based on student age.
   
2. What is a typical day like in the Summer Residential program?
   Daily schedules are available online at the following link (click here). For more specific questions, please contact the Summer Residential Coordinator (Nielsen Pereira, npereira@purdue.edu).
   
3. What about student supervision?
   All students are assigned a residence hall counselor in groups of less than ten. When not in the residence hall or participating in social activities, students are supervised in class by their instructors. Comet students are supervised by program staff at all times and are not allowed to be anywhere alone outside of the residence hall. Star and Pulsar students are also supervised by counselors and instructors, but are given a bit more freedom than the Comets and are allowed to move to and from class in groups of two or more as long as they keep their counselor informed of their whereabouts.
   
4. What do students do outside of class?
   Students have structured activity time in the afternoon as well as free time throughout the day. Students have access to a variety of board games, pool, ping-pong, and sports equipment in addition to Purdue computer labs.
   
5. What are the Star and Pulsar field trips?
   The field trip destinations vary each year. In the past, Star and Pulsar students have visited museums and zoos in Chicago and Indianapolis as well as participated in the high-ropes team building courses on the Purdue campus.  

Super Summer FAQs:

1. What time is pick-up and drop-off?

Daily Schedule:

1. Do students need to bring a snack?
   

   No, Super Summer snacks are provided by GERI.
2. Do students need to bring a lunch?
   If a student is taking both a morning and an afternoon class in the same session, he or she should bring a lunch. It will be stored in a cooler until lunch time.
3.  

   Do I need to submit eligibilty documentation with the application?No, we do not require eligibility documentation to be mailed to us for the Super Summer program, however, to be successful in our high level courses we recommend that students have the majority of the following:

1. • The ability to succeed in a course that is 2 to 4 grade levels above the child’s actual grade level
   •  A high interest in the area in which the course is offered
   •  A desire to learn
   •  Scores at or above the 90th percentile in a major area of an achievement test (total language, total math, total reading, or total science)
   •  An IQ score of 120 or above on an intelligence test
   •  Acceptance to a school corporation gifted program
   • The recommendation of a teacher to participate in a program for high ability students

Testing FAQs: 

1. Does the GERI do any testing?
   No, GERI does not offer any testing services.  Please contact Ball State University at 765-285-5390.
   
2. Should I have my child take an IQ test?
   It’s really up to you.  Standardized IQ testing may provide evidence that your child is gifted, but it will not necessarily do so.  If your school district or gifted program disagrees with you that your child is gifted, an IQ test may be helpful in showing your child’s ability level.
   
3. What does an IQ test entail?
   Most IQ tests involve several different tasks.  For example, throughout the course of the test, your child may work with blocks, look at pictures, define words, and answer questions.  Some tasks may be timed, and others may not.  Depending on the test, IQ testing may take anywhere from one to three hours.  Your child will be able to take breaks during the course of testing, if necessary.  
   
   Depending on the age of your child, you may be permitted to remain in the room with your child while the testing takes place.  If this is the case, it is very important that you do not help your child with answers in any way.  You may be permitted to repeat the tester’s instructions, but it is best to simply sit quietly in the room to be a supportive figure for your child, or to help with your child’s behavior and attention only.
   
4. What if my child fails the test?
   There is no such thing as failing an IQ test.  Simply put, it is not that kind of test.  It is a measure of your child’s potential ability, not something that can be passed or failed.
   
5. My child’s Full Scale IQ is average, but his or her Verbal or Performance IQ is well above average.  What does this mean?
   Since the Full Scale IQ takes all domains into account, it is possible to show high ability in a particular domain, but have the FSIQ show average ability.  Many gifted children are not gifted in all domains.  This can be especially significant during decision-making about gifted programs.  If your child has a high Performance IQ score, but your school’s gifted program is verbally focused, that program may not be the best match for your child.
   
6. So, is my child gifted or not?
   There is no one definition of what it means to be gifted.  Many gifted programs have a minimum Full Scale IQ score that your child must meet in order to participate.  This score varies depending on the school district.  However, if your child does not have a high enough score on the IQ test to qualify for the gifted program, this does not mean that your child is not gifted.  You may want to ask the school if it is possible to use alternate methods of measuring giftedness, such as teacher or peer recommendations or a portfolio of your child’s work.