Grades 6 - 12 Academic Summer Camps at Northwestern University

When you are ready to apply for a course or CTD program, you can do so by creating or logging into your MyCTD account found on the top right corner of this page. Once you have logged into your MyCTD account, please follow the prompts to enter required account information, apply for the course(s) of your choice, and submit additional application materials if necessary.

For detailed guidance on the application process, we encourage you to reference the following documents:

• Step by step course registration guidance: With screenshots
• Step by step course registration guidance: Text only

Accelerated, Credit-Bearing Courses

Accelerated, credit-bearing courses are comprised of courses at the Indigo eligibility tier. Please make sure to thoroughly read the admissions requirements, including any prerequisites in the individual course descriptions.

To qualify for Indigo Tier Accelerated Courses students must provide one of the following:

• Report card or transcript and teacher recommendation (Admission Portfolio). The recommendation form is available in your MyCTD account once application has been paid for and submitted, OR
• Qualifying score on an Above-Grade-Level Assessment in the required qualifying subject area (Verbal, Math or Science) for the desired course.
• Successful completion of a previous CTD course, with the same qualifying subject area (Verbal, Math or Science), at the Indigo Tier within the past two years.
• Students from India, UAE, Kuwait, or Singapore who have tested with ASSET Talent Search may be able to apply as new students with qualifying test scores.

Prerequisites and Graded Writing Sample for Creative Writing: Master Class

A few courses require additional prerequisites for admission. Any prerequisites are included the course description. Any student applying to a course with a prerequisite must submit documentation showing the prerequisite has been met unless CTD already has such information from previous applications, or if the prerequisite has been met via a CTD course.

A grade sample of the applicant's creative writing is necessary when apply to Creative Writing: Master Class. Evidence that the writing sample has been assessed for academic purposes can be provided on the writing sample itself or by submitting an accompanying rubric or other feedback that is clearly tied to the writing sample. Providing an ungraded writing sample will result in a delay of the application being deemed complete and may cause an applicant to miss out on a class that fills to capacity.

 Advanced Enrichment Courses

Advanced Enrichment Courses are at the Magenta eligibility tier. Please make sure to thoroughly read the admissions requirements, including any prerequisites in the individual course descriptions.

To qualify for Magenta Tier Advanced Enrichment Courses students must provide one of the following:

• Qualifying score of 95^th percentile or above on a nationally normed, standardized grade-level achievement test (e.g. MAP, STAR, ACT, SAT, PSAT 8/9, PSAT/NMSQT etc.), or
• Participation in above-grade-level testing through CTD Above-Grade-Level Assessment or similar program, or
• Successful completion, within the past two years, of a previous CTD course at the Magenta or Indigo Tier and in the qualifying subject area, or 
• Admission portfolio (report card or transcript, teacher recommendation, and test scores, if available).  

Civic Education Program Courses

To qualify for Emerald Tier Civic Education Programs (Civic Leadership Institute (CLI), Taking Action and Leadership Intensive courses), students must be the appropriate grade and/or age and must also provide one of the following:

• Qualifying score of 90^th percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required verbal/reading qualifying subject area.
• Successful completion of a CTD course, with a verbal/reading qualifying subject area within the past two years.
• Past participation in above grade-level testing such as the ACT or SAT test taken in grades 7, 8, or 9 within the past two years (CTD Above-Grade-Level Assessment);
• Submission of a portfolio application, consisting of a teacher recommendation and the student’s most recent report card, demonstrating that the student is performing well in language arts or humanities.

English Language Proficiency

Because courses are taught in English, test scores are used to assess proficiency and assist in course placement. TOEFL (or TOEFL Jr. for grades 4-8) or IELTS scores are required for students for whom English is not the first language and who do not have qualifying scores on an accepted English language grade-level or above-grade-level achievement test.  Students who do have qualifying scores on a test in English do not need to provide additional English Language Proficiency scores.

Requests for Grade Advancement/Acceleration

CTD course content is advanced or grade-level accelerated, as reflected in course descriptions and the standard admission requirements. Though course content is advanced, students can engage with intellectual peers who are also age- or grade-level peers. Therefore, most students should apply for courses aligned to the grade-level in which they are currently enrolled. Still, for some students demonstrating a need for an even higher level of instruction than CTD’s advanced and accelerated courses already provide, further acceleration may be an option. Visit the Requesting an Accelerated Placement web page for more information about the process, timeline, and required materials.

2025 Tuition 

Grades 6-12 Tuition for Three-Week Camps:

• Three-Week Day Camp: $2,970
• Three-Week Partnership Camp: $3,620
• Three-Week Residential Camp: $5,375
• Three-Week Residential Partnership Camp: $6,025

Grades 6-12 Tuition for One-Week Camps:

• One-Week Day Camp: $990
• One-Week Residential Camp: $1,805

Tuition increases by $100 for all courses after May 31, 2025.

Withdrawals

Please see our withdrawal information for policies specific to this program.

Financial Aid

CTD offers need-based financial aid awarded as requests are received. Families are encouraged to apply early because the amount of aid available is limited. Please see the Financial Aid page for details. 

• The deadline to provide a complete financial aid application is April 30, 2025.
• You will receive the FACTS application link in your application confirmation email once the $60 dollar tuition deposit is paid and the application is submitted.
• It is imperative that you complete the financial aid application as soon as possible as it may take FACTS up to ten days to process your information.
• If you previously completed a FACTS application for the 2023-2024 academic year for CTD, you must still attach the 2024-2025 FACTS application to your FACTS account. You will be able to link your FACTS account to this new FACTS information. You may need to update financial information.
• If you experience difficulties with the FACTS process please call the FACTS helpline at 866/412-4637.

Technology Scholarship

Students with financial need applying to technology courses may apply for the Sandra Dennhardt Technology Scholarship.  For a list of eligible courses and more information please see our Scholarship Opportunities page.

The application deadline for this scholarship is April 15.

Summer 2025 Dates: No classes on Friday, July 4.   

Academic Environment

CTD's Academic Camps offer an opportunity for students to experience a true living-learning community at one of the nation's top research universities, Northwestern University. In diverse academic and residential groups, students form strong bonds with other advanced learners from across the country through academic endeavors and cultural and recreational opportunities outside of class.

Whether the course is three weeks or one week in length, students attend class from 9 AM to 3 PM with an hour's break for lunch.  For our younger students especially, this is an intense day of cognitive engagement.  Curricula are developed according to CTD’s signature Talent Development model and Framework for Student Success.  Further, instructors design coursework according to its difficulty level: advanced enrichment or accelerated.  Advanced enrichment coursework focuses on exposure to interdisciplinary topics to develop skill, language, and passion for the field.  Accelerated coursework moves at a fast pace, compressing one or two semesters of standard subject matter into a three-week academic intensive.  Students taking advanced enrichment or one-credit accelerated courses can expect 1-2 hours of homework nightly.  Students taking accelerated, two-credit or AP courses, can expect 2-3 hours of homework per night, in addition to the five hours of daily instructional time.  Students can expect a sincere academic challenge designed to build higher-level thinking and psycho-social competencies within material up to two years beyond their school grade level.  Practice, focus, and persistence are important to students' success. For more information about CTD enrichment and accelerated courses and how CTD defines those terms please visit this page. 

Living on Campus

Residential students live in a residence hall on campus, under the supervision of trained residential staff. Each residential teaching assistant (RTA) is responsible for a group of approximately 15 students. Students are housed by gender identity and age.  Rooms are assigned by gender and age.  Students eat with residential staff and other members of the university community in a dining hall on campus.  Students also have limited access to other campus facilities, including libraries, computer labs, and athletic fields. Families with questions about student housing assignments may email CTD Summer directly at ctd-summer@northwestern.edu. 

Experienced Staff Members 

Our staff is a talented group of educators brought together by their commitment to teaching young people with exceptional abilities. Staff are invested in the success of every student, and help build a safe and supportive environment for growth and self-discovery.  

A High Standard of Student Conduct

Our programs are highly structured and operate with a strict set of rules regarding campus and community boundaries and appropriate staff supervision. These rules help to ensure the well-being of our students and staff, and all students who attend must be committed to respecting them. Students and families are asked to review our Honor Code so that all participants are aware of the program's expectations and their personal responsibility to contribute to a positive living and learning environment.

See Community Health and Safety below for information on health and safety protocols.

For Grades 6-12

6:30 - 7:00 AM: Residents rise and shine!
7:00 - 7:30: Residents meet their RTA for breakfast.
7:30 - 8:30: Residents attend breakfast with RTA.
8:15 - 8:45: Day student drop-off and check-in
8:45 - 9: Students walk to class with TA (s)
9:00 - 11/Noon: AM class session
11 AM - 1 PM: Student lunch hour staggered by class
Noon/1 - 3: PM class session
3:15: First day student pick-up
3:30 - 4:45: Activities 
5:00: Final day student pick up
5:30 - 7: Residents attend dinner
7 - 8:15: Student Union (S/M/W) and Zoom Study Session (T/R)
8/9: Building curfew for residents in Grades 6-8/Grades 9-12
8:15/9:15: Residential groups meet with RTA (Grades 6-8/Grades 9-12)
8:45/9:45 to Lights Out: Floor Time and Wind Down for residents
10:30/11 Lights-out for students in Grades 6-8/Grades 9-12

Notes:

• There is no class on July 4, 2025.
• The Zoom Study Sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings are TA-led and optional for our Day Students. 
• Students taking enrichment coursework and coursework conferring one semester of high school honors credit can expect between 1-2 hours of homework per night.  Students taking two-credit or AP courses can expect 2-3 hours of homework per night. 
• Evenings and weekends find residential students enjoying a broad range of activities, such as dances, talent shows, field days, and trips to downtown Chicago.

All students who successfully complete CTD Academic Summer Day and Residential Camps receive a brief narrative evaluation that includes comments on the student’s performance in class, grade and credits earned (if applicable), service-learning hours for CLI students, as well as recommendations for future study. Residents also receive a brief narrative evaluation that includes comments on community membership and contributions. These evaluations are available 6 weeks after the final class of the session.

Summer 2025 academic summer camp transcript schedule: 

Students who have completed a for-credit CTD summer course and have requested an official course transcript can expect to receive that in early - mid September. Transcripts will be mailed during the week of September 1, 2025.

Students who need to verify their final grade for their for-credit courses prior to receiving their official transcript can request a provisional grade report. Please note that provisional grades are available upon request within one week of the end your students program closing date. Provisional grade reports can be requested by emailing ctd-summer@northwestern.edu.

If you have a question about whether a transcript was requested for your student’s application, please email ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu. 

The health and safety of our students and staff has always been CTD's top priority. This year is no exception. Families are strongly encouraged to monitor their students for symptoms of illness, keep sick students at home, and get them tested for communicable illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19, and strep throat.

While on campus, students diagnosed with contagious illness (e.g. influenza, COVID-19, chicken pox, etc.) that will take multiple days to resolve, or students who sustain a fever for more than 36 hours, or who experience sustained episodes of vomiting or diarrhea will return home in the care of the family within 24 hours of receiving notice from CTD staff. Families may authorize an adult designee to take their student home.

• For questions regarding CTD Academic Summer Day and Residential Camp admissions and financial aid, please contact:
  ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu
   
• For questions about current CTD day and residential camp enrollments, please contact:
  ctd-summer@northwestern.edu
   
• For questions about CLI Program enrollments, please contact:
  cep@northwestern.edu
   
• For questions about school partnerships, please contact:
  ctd-school-services@northwestern.edu