优蜜视频鈥檚 online (GRC) contains an ever-growing and robust listing of over 800 resources appropriate for gifted learners from preschool through high school. We carefully research and vet resources that span six categories, including Advocacy, Gifted Programs and Services, Schools, Scholarships and Competitions, Articles and Media, Twice-Exceptional.听 Based on these listings, we鈥檝e also put together downloadable guides that organize these resources by category. So far, we鈥檝e published two guides on and and aim to release a guide highlighting schools for gifted and advanced students throughout the United States.

Below is a list featuring 10 gifted schools in California that will be shared in our upcoming guide:

(Grades 6-12)

Eagle Rock Junior/Senior High School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, located in Eagle Rock, California. ERHS serves students in grades 7 鈥� 12 through a comprehensive junior and senior high school, as well as a Magnet program serving gifted, high ability, and highly gifted students in grades 7 鈥� 12.

(Grades 6-8)

Portola Highly Gifted Magnet, established in 1979, shares the campus of Portola Middle School. It is the only middle school program in LAUSD designed specifically to meet the needs of highly gifted students.

(Grades K-8)

GATE Academy is a year-round day school dedicated to educating academically-gifted students in grades K鈥�8 with an inquiry-based curriculum. They cluster motivated and cognitively gifted students in small groups with their intellectual peers and provide them with an inquiry-based, accelerated, self-paced curriculum in a school environment that celebrates them for who they are.

(Grades K-8)

Learning at Helios School takes place through meaningful authentic projects which may include field work, inquiry, discovery, direct instruction, and interaction with the environment. This project-based learning environment offers the rigor, depth, and complexity gifted learners need. Equally important, Helios students thrive socially.

(Grades 6-8)

The Knox School of Santa Barbara is private school serving K through 8th grade and specifically designed for the gifted learner. They seek to provide a stimulating and nurturing environment where, alongside an engaging and challenging curriculum, the social and emotional needs of gifted and talented students are respected and compassionately supported.

(Grades K-8)

Mirman School is an independent, co-educational day school for highly gifted children in grades K-8 located in Los Angeles. They cultivate the boundless potential of highly gifted children, nurture their passions and talents, and develop a diverse community of creative and constructive lifelong learners.

(Grades 9-12)

The Highly Gifted Magnet (HGM) was established in 1989 as part of the voluntary integration program of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its goals are twofold:听integration and a college preparatory curriculum that serves students who have an LAUSD intellectual assessment exam scoring in the 99.5%-99.9%.听 HGM students receive the benefits of a small academic program 鈥� a core of teachers and a small student body who know each other well, mixed with the advantages of attending a public, urban high school.

(Grades PreK-12)

Since 1967, Nueva has offered an innovative and award-winning learning experience specifically designed to meet the needs of gifted learners. By creating an inspiration community-based environment, Nueva seeks to unlock the passions, purpose, and potential in each student while inspiring a lifelong love of learning.

(Grades 6-8)

Walter Reed Middle School is a traditional school in North Hollywood, CA that implements a gifted curriculum model designed to offer a full program for many needs, including an IHP (Individual Honors Program) and a comprehensive program for students with challenging needs.

(Grades 9-12)

Whitney High School is a public magnet school in Cerritos, California serving students 7th through 12th grade, offering alternative education for high achieving students selected throughout the district. WHS strives to develop intrinsically motivated, collaborative learners who approach their education purposefully and creatively, preparing academically proficient students for entrance to and success at their best-match university.

Interested in exploring more schools and resources? Head over to our today!

If you鈥檇 like to help support 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission and increase your brand鈥檚 visibility nationwide, consider in our upcoming resource guide!

The schools listed above are not sponsored or endorsed by the Institute for Educational Advancement.

Rebekah Agwunobi, Washington
Cole Arnett, Texas
Tuvya Bergson-Michelson, California
Paige Busse, New Jersey
Audrey Chin, California
Galileo Daras, California
Miranda Derossi, Nevada
Eden Fesseha, Pennsylvania
Elias Garcia, New Mexico
Aeden Gasser-Brennan, California
Calder Hansen, California
Matthew Hurley, Illinois
Michelle Jeon, California
Anjalie Kini, Colorado
Ethan Knight, California
Kathy Lee, California
James Liu, Oregon
Holly McCann, North Carolina
Nicholas Miklaucic, North Carolina
Catherine Phillips, North Carolina
Emily Powell, California
Ruhi Sayana, California
Jeffrey Shen, California
Henry Spritz, Maine
Yajur Sriraman, New Jersey
Seth Talyansky, Oregon
Sophia Vahanvaty, California
Andy Xu, South Carolina
Ivy Zhang, New Jersey
Jacob Zimmerman, Massachusetts

The awards highly gifted students with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual intellectual and personal needs. Students apply in 7th grade. If you are interested in receiving information about the 2015 Scholarship as it becomes available, please join our email list.

Bonnie is the Program Coordinator at 优蜜视频 and has extensive experience working with gifted middle school students to find the high school that best fits their individual intellectual and personal needs.

When applying to competitive, selective independent schools, many things count, including grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and the interview. Here is a basic list that will help students and parents get through this important part of the admissions process and allow the applicant to show yourself as the accomplished, unique person you are:

Student Applicants

顿辞苍鈥檛 panic! If it鈥檚 difficult or impossible for you to relax, think of the interview as a friendly get-to-know-you conversation and an opportunity for you to learn more about a prospective school as well as the interviewer to learn about you off paper as a multi-dimensional person.

If possible, try to secure an interview in the morning, when both you and your interviewer will be fresh. You want to look and be awake and attentive. Get plenty of sleep the night before and eat a nutritious breakfast.

Dress according to, but slightly nicer than, the school鈥檚 dress code. No jeans. Girls, if you tend to play with your hair when you鈥檙e nervous, tie it up and secure bangs out of your face. Guys, brush your hair.

顿辞苍鈥檛 slouch. Always sit with your legs together.

When you meet the interviewer, give a firm handshake, smile, look him or her in the eye and clearly enunciate your first and last name.

Two important elements to bring to a school interview are honesty and curiosity. If a tour of the school precedes or follows the interview, listen attentively and ask questions. It will make you appear more interested in the school and gives you a chance to listen instead of talking. If you鈥檙e someone who, when nervous, can鈥檛 always think on the spot, make a list of questions ahead of time after you鈥檝e researched the school on its website.

Be original in your answers and be yourself! Honesty, remember? Never try to present yourself as someone you think the interviewer 鈥渨ants鈥� to see.

Do not mention repeatedly that this school is your number-one-top-choice unless it absolutely is. Even then, don鈥檛 go overboard, as it may appear ingenuous to the interviewer.

Always remember to appear cheerful. 顿辞苍鈥檛 mumble or look bored. Keep eye contact.

If your parents are part of the interview, look at them when they talk and don鈥檛 look annoyed or embarrassed by their remarks. It makes a very bad impression if you don鈥檛 seem to get along with your parents.

When the interview is over, shake the interviewer鈥檚 hand and say, 鈥淭hank you for your time.鈥� If offered the interviewer鈥檚 card, accept it graciously. Say goodbye and thank you to the receptionist if he or she is on your way out.

Write a nice thank you note. It should be brief but express an aspect of the interview that was personal to you. In other words, not a generic thank you. For example, if the interviewer addressed your love of art, mention that in your note. If you liked a particular building鈥檚 architecture, note that.

Do not, under any circumstances: slouch, wave to people you know who might pass by, stare off into space, interrupt or talk about any other school.

Parents

In preparing your son or daughter for a school interview, it is a good idea to explicitly discuss what the expectations are with them. This conversation should include the etiquette of an interview such as greeting, leave-taking with thanks, shaking hands and appropriate dress, which will depend on the school鈥檚 style.

If it鈥檚 likely that your child will be asked questions directly, you may wish to practice, but not to the extent that your child鈥檚 responses come off as rehearsed or canned. This is about making your child feel comfortable and prepared鈥攏ot robotic.

Do not over-emphasize the importance of the interview so that your nerves become transmitted to your child.

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

• Describe yourself or Tell me about yourself. This is a great way to segue into your interests, which should be an area you are comfortable talking about.
• What appeals to you about this school? Why do you want to enroll here?
• What extracurricular activities are you interested in?
• Why should we select you?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• How will you benefit from attending this school?
• Describe your family.
• Do you have any questions about this school?

Above all, everyone involved in the interview process should remember to be relaxed, genuine, and honest. This is one aspect of a multi-tiered application process to help determine if the applicant and the school are the right fit for each other, not the be all and end all towards the holy grail of school admission.

Have you or your kids participated in independent school interviews? What tips do you have for other applicants and parents preparing for them? Please share in the comment section below.

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