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 Residential & Commuter Life
Student Conduct & Assessment
Residential Life
For all four programs students are required to participate in both academic and residential life. Students will be housed in modern, secure dorms. Students live in groups of approximately 12-15 campers per Residential Assistant. Girls and boys live on separate wings in double and triple rooms, and each wing has its own bathroom and shower facilities. Students who wish to room together must list the request on the appropriate forms. (These forms will be included in the acceptance packet.)
YSSP students are escorted to all activities and never walk on campus alone. STEP and ALP students are escorted less and given more freedom of movement, but are still accountable for making their whereabouts known through sign out forms and a buddy system. Attendance is taken at all class sessions and activities.
Afternoon and evening schedules are also carefully organized to appeal to a range of interests and needs. We offer a dynamic camp atmosphere with a wide variety of activities led by enthusiastic and well-seasoned counselors. We also have some WCATY traditions: movie nights, talent night, and the end-of-camp dinner and dance.
 Part of program life is the campus experience. This means that students will be walking extensively, climbing stairs and participating in physical activities. If you have any questions about the physical requirements of the program, please contact WCATY. If your student has been identified as having special needs, or may need special accommodations, please contact WCATY for our complete Policy for Students with Special Needs.
This may mean students will miss sports practices or other extracurricular commitments at home. Because sharing activities and responsibilities with classmates is such an important part of our program, we request that families of residential students do not plan to visit or pick up their children for other activities. Students should only be taken away from camp for unforeseen family emergencies.
Students work hard but play hard too! Students will be walking extensively, climbing stairs and participating in physical activities during their on-campus residency. If you have questions about the physical requirements of a program, please contact WCATY.
 Student Housing & Supervision
Residential Assistants are college students who are responsible for supervising students outside of the classroom. They help develop a spirited and friendly atmosphere among students in the dorms, lead students in activities, and ensure adherence to rules. Residential Assistants are carefully selected and receive extensive training prior to the program.
Commuter Life
WCATY has had a long history of offering residential camps that help nurture and encourage the social and emotional development of gifted students. While the residential program has been an overwhelmingly positive experience for WCATY students, we realize a commuter option is more accommodating for some families, allowing them to balance summer learning with other commitments.
This year, ALP will include a commuter option. However, these programs also place a significant emphasis on social and recreational activities in service to our mission. Therefore, commuter students will be expected to participate in activities outside of class. Commuters may choose to participate in a lunch and dinner program to help foster the social connection made with other campers (a breakfast option is not included).
Commuter students and their parents should understand that WCATY cannot assume responsibility or liability for commuter students when they are in transit, not in class, or are not participating in a program activity. WCATY will provide a car pool list for those who wish to participate. Please note this on your application form. More details about the commuter program will be outlined in the handbook that is sent to students after they have been admitted to the program.
Student Conduct
 The highest standards are expected from WCATY students, both in conduct and in dedication to academic pursuits. WCATY students are expected to maintain a friendly, cooperative, and responsible attitude toward all persons in the summer program community at large. WCATY cannot accommodate students who are unable to live up to these expectations.
Applicants are required to sign a contract agreeing to follow rules of student conduct. Students may be dismissed from the program for any serious infraction of the rules; for not attending to their academic work in a satisfactory manner; for possession and use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, or weapons; or for any violation of the safety and well-being of another person. A handbook with all of the details regarding student conduct and disciplinary procedures will be sent to students before the program. No refunds will be made to students who are asked to leave for disciplinary reasons.
WCATY supports and encourages student independence and students taking responsibility for themselves is very much a part of our programs. We expect families to discuss behavioral expectations and our student rules.
Student Assessment
 Instructors use a variety of assessment techniques, including observation as pre-testing/post-testing throughout summer programs. At the end of the program, students and their parents will meet with instructors to discuss their achievements in the class. For YSSP and STEP courses, skills are assessed, but there are no grades or point scales and students do not receive class credit. Written evaluations are mailed home and copies are placed in student files at WCATY.
At the ALP exit interview, each student receives a detailed syllabus, personal skill assessment, comments on performance and proficiency, and a portfolio of his/her work. ALP students will receive a narrative transcript in the weeks following the program. The transcript includes a grade and recommendation for credit, placement, and future courses.
For the purpose of grade transfer, WCATY uses the following grading system: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B- and P. Due to the difficult nature of the coursework and fast pace of delivery, no grade lower than a ''B-'' is issued. Students who are not able to meet the set criteria for the grade of ''B-'' or better receive a ''P'' for participation. A grade of ''P'' indicates that the student participated in a course but should not earn high school credit. Students should talk to their guidance counselors about how the school will grant credit, transfer the grade, or apply it to a current grade-point average.
Due to state law, WCATY can only recommend, not award, credit or placement for courses, even if the content is equivalent to or more advanced than classes offered at the home school. Each local school district has the ultimate responsibility for making credit decisions. WCATY is accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). Other NCA accredited institutions should award credit based on this qualification. Read more about NCA CASI here.
WCATY will NOT send a copy of the transcript directly to the student's school. It is the responsibility of parents and students who wish to request credit to provide the school with complete WCATY assessment materials, including the transcripts. Students, parents and school personnel should arrange for appropriate placement and/or credit BEFORE the program begins.
Upon acceptance into a program, students should take this catalog to their principal, guidance counselor, gifted-program coordinator, or teacher to discuss options for credit and placement.
For future reference, WCATY maintains records of all courses taken by students in all WCATY residential programs, individual student assessments and instructors' syllabi.
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