Awards Ceremony Eligibility Chart Grand Ceremony Information Frequently Asked Questions
Invitations will be mailed to students through mid-April, and all invitations should be in the mail by April 16. Invitations go out in date order, so invitations for the early May ceremonies are mailed first, and invitations for the late June events are mailed last. If you think you should have been invited to a ceremony but have not received an invitation at least 2-3 weeks prior to the event, please call CTY at 410-735-6278 or email ctyinfo@jhu.edu. When contacting CTY about the ceremony, PLEASE be sure to include the following information, particularly in emails: Student name
Student ID number if available
Student grade
Student address, city, state, zip School staff are encouraged to attend the ceremonies to help honor their students. School invitations have been mailed to all schools who have students qualifying for the Awards Ceremonies.
CTY hosts Awards Ceremonies to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Talent Search participants who earn high SCAT, SAT, ACT, or STB scores. These events are for students in grades 2-8 who participated in the 2007-08 CTY Talent Search, took the specified test or tests for their grade, and are a resident of a state with full Talent Search benefits and have met or exceeded the required Awards Ceremony scores. Test | Grade Level (7 or 8) | Required scores | SAT | Grade 7 | Math ≥550 or Critical Reading ≥550 | | Grade 8 | Math ≥600 or Critical Reading ≥600 | ACT | Grade 7 | Math ≥21 or Reading ≥22 | | Grade 8 | Math ≥24 or Reading ≥24 | STB | Grade 7 | STB ≥600 | | Grade 8 | STB ≥600 |
Test | Grade level (5 or 6) | Required Scores | SCAT | Grade 5 | Math ≥480 or Verbal ≥460 | | Grade 6 | Math ≥485 or Verbal ≥465 | STB | Grade 5 | STB ≥600 | | Grade 6 | STB ≥600 |
Test | Grade level (2 - 4) | Required Scores | SCAT | Grade 2 | Math ≥440 or Verbal ≥435 | | Grade 3 | Math ≥455 or Verbal ≥440 | | Grade 4 | Math ≥465 or Verbal ≥455 |
Invitations to the Awards Ceremonies are mailed in April. The ceremonies are held in May and June, for the most part on weekends, though some events are held on weeknights. School officials are encouraged to attend these events to help honor their outstanding students. Please note: Students in grades 2-6 who test after March 15, and students in grades 7-8 who test after February, will not be invited to attend ceremonies, but will receive their special State Award for High Honors certificate in the mail in August.
CTY also hosts a Grand Ceremony for the very top-scoring 7th and 8th grade students and their families (see score qualifications below). Students from CTY’s 19 states are invited to Johns Hopkins University for a special recognition ceremony where they receive a medal honoring their outstanding academic achievements. Lunch and tours of the Hopkins campus are offered after the event. Grand Ceremony qualifying scores: Grade 7: ≥ 700 SAT Critical Reading or ≥ 700 SAT Math or ≥ 28 ACT Math or ≥ 31 ACT Reading
Grade 8: ≥ 750 SAT Critical Reading or ≥ 750 SAT Math or ≥ 32 ACT Math or ≥ 33 ACT Reading | 
