Midwest Talent Search Recognizes Middle Schoolers

Three US middle school students were recently honored by the Center for Talent Development for their top scores on the ACT (American College Testing) in partnership with Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search(NUMATS).

Eighth graders Vincent Chen and Nicholas Karavolos, and seventh grader Arthur Li were honored for outstanding academic achievement. An awards ceremony was held recently on the campus of Northwestern University.

NUMATS provides gifted students the opportunity to take assessments designed for older students. NUMATS students in grades 6 through 9 take the SAT or ACT test, which most students take as high school seniors for college admission.

"By using the higher-level tests, NUMATS avoids the ceiling effect, providing a more valid measure for academically advanced students," said CTD Associate Director Rhoda Rosen.

Fewer than 3 percent of the almost 15,000 gifted students nationwide who participate in the program each year qualify for this selective ceremony. Remarkably, top-scoring NUMATS students in middle school score as well as top-scoring high school seniors nationally.