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Eligibility and Testing

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Davidson Young Scholars program, applicants must:

  • Be 5 to 16 years old when the application is submitted, and
  • Be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States, and
  • Having documentation of current testing that meets our Testing Requirements.

The Davidson Young Scholars program does not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, or disability.

See also:

 

Testing Requirements

The Davidson Institute Review Committee is not able to determine whether a child qualifies for the Young Scholar program without a complete application, as testing information is evaluated in the context of the rest of the application materials.

As part of the application process for the Young Scholar program at least one of the following tests must be submitted. The only tests accepted are those listed below. To be considered, the following testing requirements must be met:

  • The official and complete testing report. All individually-administered intelligence and achievement testing reports must include a list of tests administered, the tester’s observations, test scores, explanation of findings, recommendations and the tester’s signature or license number. Talent search and college placement testing reports must include a copy of an official score report (either paper or electronic) from the organization who administered the test. This report must list the student’s testing or member ID number.
  • Applicants must be at least four years old when test was administered. Testing completed under the age of four will not be considered.
  • Test scores must meet or exceed the qualification criteria listed below.
  • The following testing situations require the submission of a portfolio. If you are submitting one of the following types of testing reports, you must also submit a minimum of three (3) work samples as described in our Portfolio Requirements. If you submit one of the following types of testing and do not also submit three (3) work samples, your application will be considered incomplete and won’t be reviewed until it is complete.
    • You are submitting PSAT 8/9, PreACT, SAT, ACT, or Davidson-specific ITBS scores.
    • You are submitting a testing report of any kind that is more than four years old, which may include an earlier version of a test we currently accept (ex. a WISC-IV that was administered 5 years ago)

We realize that one of the barriers many families face when pursuing resources or opportunities for their profoundly gifted (PG) or twice-exceptional (2e) child is being able to access testing. To help us better understand the challenges families encounter when pursuing and accessing testing opportunities for their child, please share your thoughts in our Testing Access Survey. Your thoughts will help to inform our work going forward.

Thank you for taking the time to help us better serve PG and 2e students and their families!

Testing Access Survey

Eligibility Assessment Partnership

The Davidson Institute accepts several intelligence and achievement tests. Please see the full list of accepted tests and scores below (in the orange section).

In an effort to make several of the many tests we accept more readily available to families, the Davidson Institute has partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer remote, proctored, eligibility assessment opportunities—for 3rd-10th grade students.

Please note: There is no preference given for scores from these testing opportunities, as opposed to scores from one of the other accepted tests listed below. We only require results from one test for the Young Scholars application.

For more information and test administration dates click below to register!

Register

Individually-Administered Intelligence Tests

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales – Fifth Edition (SB5)

Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following: Verbal, Nonverbal, or Full Scale

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)

Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following: Full Scale IQ Score (FSIQ), General Ability Index (GAI), Expanded General Ability Index (EGAI), Nonverbal Index (NVI), Verbal Expanded Crystallized Index (VECI), or Expanded Fluid Index (EFI)

OR Standard score of 145+ on at least two of the following: VCI, VSI, FRI, QRI, WMI

Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV)

Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following: General Ability Index (GAI), Full Scale, or Nonverbal

OR Standard score of 145+ on at least two of the following: Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, or Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory

Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Cog)

Standard score 145+ on General Intellectual Ability (GIA)

Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition Normative Update (DAS-II NU School Age)

Standard Score 145+ on at least one of the following: Verbal Ability, Nonverbal Reasoning, General Conceptual Ability, or Special Nonverbal Composite

Individually-Administered Achievement Tests

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement - Third Edition (KTEA-3)

Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following: Reading Composite, Math Composite, Written Language Composite, or Comprehensive Achievement Composite

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV)

Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following: Total Reading Composite, Mathematics Composite, Written Expression Composite, or Total Achievement Composite

Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Ach)

Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following: Broad Reading, Broad Math, Broad Written Language, or Total Achievement

Talent Search/College Placement Tests

Portfolio Requirement

If you are submitting testing that is ITBS, PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores, you must submit a minimum of three (3) work samples as described in the Portfolio Requirements.

If you are submitting ITBS, PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores and do not also submit three (3) work samples, your application will be considered incomplete and won’t be reviewed until it is complete.

SAT

Must meet or exceed on at least two scores listed below
We have partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. Scores can be used to apply to the Young Scholars program, as well as other Davidson programs. More information and registration  

SAT

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Grade 10

RW

630

670

700

750

780

Math

650

700

740

770

800

Total

1280

1370

1440

1520

1580

ACT

Must meet or exceed on at least three scores listed below
We have partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. Scores can be used to apply to the Young Scholars program, as well as other Davidson programs. More information and registration 

ACT

Grade 6

Grade 7

Grade 8

Grade 9

Grade 10

English

28

31

33

35

36

Math

27

30

33

34

35

Reading

30

32

33

35

36

Science Reasoning

25

28

32

34

35

Composite

27

29

32

34

35

PSAT 8/9

Must meet or exceed on at least two scores listed below
We have partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. Scores can be used to apply to the Young Scholars program, as well as other Davidson programs. More information and registration  

PSAT 8/9Grade 3Grade 4Grade 5
RW450540580
Math450500540
Total90010401120

PreACT

Must meet or exceed on at least three scores listed below
We have partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. Scores can be used to apply to the Young Scholars program, as well as other Davidson programs. More information and registration  

PreACT

 

Grade 3

 

Grade 4

 

Grade 5

 

English202224
Math182022
Reading202224
Science181820
Composite192123

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) (Davidson-specific administration only)

Must meet or exceed on at least three scores listed below.
Only scores from 2023-2024 Davidson-specific administrations of this test are accepted. 

ITBSGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5
READING281296311
WRITTEN EXPRESSION302319332
MATH274290305
SCIENCE289304318

Questions?

For additional information on our application, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Frequently Asked Questions