Hybrid Courses

The Hybrid Programs at CTD welcomes applications from Pre-qualified applicants as well as New Score and Portfolio Applicants. Before beginning the online application at my.ctd.northwestern.edu, determine which type of applicant you are based on the descriptions below.

Pre-qualified Review Applicant
You are a pre-qualified review applicant if you are grade 5 through grade 10 and you meet both of the following criteria: 

• You have successfully completed a CTD course through the Weekend Enrichment Program, Summer Program or Online Program at the Emerald Tier, or a tier with a higher score requirement, within the previous twenty-four months. 
• You are applying for a course with the same qualifying subject area (Verbal or Math) of a CTD course you previously completed.

New Scores Applicant
You are a new scores applicant if you are in grade 5 through grade 10 and you meet one of the following criteria:

• You have not attended any CTD program for the past two years and you have qualifying grade-level test scores (Verbal or Math) for your desired course that are no more than two years old.
• You have previously attended a course with the Weekend Enrichment Program, Summer Program, or CTD Online Program, but you are now applying for a course with a different qualifying subject area (Verbal or Math) and you have qualifying grade-level test scores. 
• You have participated in above grade-level testing such as the PSAT™8/9 test taken in grades 3, 4, 5, or 6 or the ACT^® or SAT^® test taken in grades 6, 7, 8, or 9 (Above-Grade-Level Assessment).

New Portfolio Applicant
You are a portfolio applicant if you are in grade 5 through grade 10 and you do not have qualifying test scores because you have either:

• never taken a nationally normed standardized achievement test, OR
• taken this type of test but not achieved a qualifying score.

 An Admission Portfolio includes the following documents:

• Required: one teacher recommendation form (available once you have submitted your application) indicating that the student is performing 1½ to 2 years above grade level in the subject area of the course to which the student is applying; 
• Required: most recent school report card indicating exceptional performance in the subject area of the course to which the student is applying; 
• If available: most recent standardized testing report (e.g. NWEA/MAP) or results of a state grade-level assessment.

Application Deadline

• Applications must be complete one-week prior to the start of the class in order to be reviewed. Applications completed after the deadline may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

To qualify for Emerald Tier Hybrid Courses students must be in grade 5 through 10 and must also provide one of the following:

• Achievement of a score of 90^th  percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required qualifying subject area (Verbal or Math) for the desired course; OR
• Successful completion of a CTD course, with the same qualifying subject area within the past two years; OR
• Submission of a portfolio application, consisting of a teacher recommendation (available after submitting the application) and the student’s most recent report card, demonstrating that the student is performing exceptionally well in the qualifying subject area.

For families looking for insights into student learning or interested in assessment for program eligibility (test scores are valid for 2 years for CTD programs), Center for Talent Development offers REMOTE assessment using MAP.  Because of the requirements of remote testing, there are limited dates and times available. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more.

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.

Tuition 

Tuition varies by course. See the course description using the Explore Courses tool. 

Withdrawals

• Please see CTD's withdrawal and refund information for policies.

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 complete a financial aid application for Hybrid programs is two-weeks before the program begins.  However, financial aid is limited and financial aid applications should be completed as soon as possible.
• 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 2020-2021 academic year for CTD, you must still attach the 2021-2022 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.

Hybrid courses combine in-person instruction with an online learning environment.  These “blended” courses offer the flexibility to complete a course while meeting face-to-face for hands-on experiences. Throughout the online course, students should anticipate 3-5 hours of course work each week. Face-to-face session dates are indicated in the course description.

CTD's Hybrid Programs take many forms:

CivicHybrid: 9-week online enrichment course with 1, 4-day in-person service-learning experience. Learn more.

Enrichment Hybrid: 9-week online enrichment course with 2 weekends of in-person activities. Learn more.

Weekend Hybrid: 1-semester credit-bearing, Honors coursework with several in-person meet-ups on Northwestern’s Evanston campus throughout the session. Learn more.

All course work and communication (including instructor contact information, the course syllabus, and assignments) take place within the Schoology course site. Schoology can be accessed on a desktop or laptop computer, or with the Schoology mobile app for iOS or Android tablets and phones. While tablets may be sufficient for most course work, some web tools and/or websites may require the use of a computer.

Students need access to a stable internet connection and updated web browser.

Participation in “live” course activities or multimedia recordings may require a computer web camera, microphone or headset.

• • For questions regarding Hybrid Program admissions and financial aid, please contact:
    ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu
  • For questions about current enrollments, please contact:
    ctd-online@northwestern.edu
  • For questions about school partnerships with Hybrid Programs, please contact:
    ctd-school-services@northwestern.edu