Gifted and Talented Program, Montclair State University

About Us

Established in 1981, Montclair State’s Academically Gifted and Talented Youth Program provides engaging courses designed to meet the unique intellectual and social needs of high-ability students. Gifted students in grades K-11 have an opportunity to enroll in courses delivered over nine weekends in the fall and spring, as well as a six-week summer camp.

High-achieving high school students, who want to jump start their college education by enrolling in undergraduate courses are invited to apply to the Hi-Jump Program. With the help of this early college program, accepted high school students can earn college credit, experience the rigors of college course work, and get a taste of college life.

Our Program

Our program provides students with a balanced program of humanities, mathematics, and the sciences. Courses stimulate higher order thinking skills and problem solving and include a diverse array of topics including forensics, robotics, fractals and infinity, debate, animation and cartooning. Because of our small class size and low teacher-student ratio, we are able to provide students with customized programs. Students delve into topics of personal interest while engaging with other students who have similar abilities and passions. Our instructors have diverse backgrounds and include university professors, teachers of the gifted, and professionals with real-world experience in the topics they present.

History

Over the years, the Montclair State University Gifted and Talented Youth Program has grown in the number of courses offered, the number of grade levels included and in the number of students enrolled. During the first semester, 28 years ago, 77 students in grades 7-11 enrolled and were offered only two courses. In contrast, a total of 1,500 students registered for approximately 200 courses in the 2008-2009 academic year!

Since the program’s inception in 1981, MSU has served more than 10,000 academically gifted and talented students. They represent all of northern New Jersey, every county in the state, as well as out-of-state students from Philadelphia, Manhattan, Staten Island and Rockland and Westchester counties.