ATYP Recruitment Information
Information Meetings
Information meetings about the talent search and qualifying for ATYP are held virtually and in-person during late October and early November each year. A video of the presentation is available after the last meeting. You must register to receive a link to the virtual meeting. Registration will also add you to our email list for one year to receive reminders and updates. Meetings last about one hour.
Registration Meeting Schedule:
- Monday, October 21, 6:30 p.m. – Mattawan M.S.
- Wednesday, October 23, 6:30 p.m. – Vicksburg M.S.
- Monday, October 28, 6:30 p.m. – BC Lakeview M.S.
- Wednesday, October 30, 6:30 p.m. – Virtual
- Monday, November 4, 6:30 p.m. – Hillside M.S.
- Thursday, November 7, 6:30 p.m. – Marshall M.S.
- Sunday, November 10, 4:00 p.m. – WMU, 1910 Sangren Hall
- Tuesday, November 12, 6:30 p.m. – Maple St Magnet School
- Thursday, November 14, 6:30 p.m. – Plainwell M.S.
Students typically qualify for ATYP by taking the high school SAT or ACT during the winter and spring. Recently we have also started offering a portfolio path to ATYP eligibility, however if you use this method you may only pick either math or English (not both) and the portfolio deadline is earlier.
ATYP Eligibility
Path 1 - Traditional
- Sign up to take the online SAT or ACT through CTD Assessments or sign up to take the ACT in-person at WMU in March. Costs vary.
- Additional assessment information will be requested after testing if the students qualifies for the program. Students qualified for the math program will take an algebra readiness test; qualified English students will be required to submit a writing sample.
Path 2 - Portfolio
Students will submit:
- Teacher email so that ATYP can request a teacher recommendation
- Counselor email address so that ATYP can request a NWEA/MAP score or aptitude test score and grades
- Written student response on ATYP interest
- Additional assessment information after initial screening
- Cost: $50
- Deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025
This option is for those students who are not comfortable with test taking or cannot take a test. You may not qualify for both math and English using this option; you must specify which subject you want to qualify for. This path is not an easier method of qualification, rather an alternative. Families should discuss which method they want to use, and then select ONE. More information is available at the registration link.
As always, if your family qualifies for free or reduced lunch, all fees will be waived. Please also note that the portfolio option only requires the means to upload the written student response and the writing assessment (smart phone is fine). Online testing requires a computer or tablet. For full qualification you must submit everything in your chosen path. However, after the initial testing/submission we will contact you regarding what you need to do to proceed.
Registration is available for virtual testing, in-person testing, or the portfolio. Portfolios must be submitted by Friday, March 14; once you have completed your initial portfolio registration we will contact your counselor regarding NWEA scores and grades and contact the teacher for a recommendation. If you do not know who to enter as a counselor, please contact your school to ask. Some middle schools do not have counselors, in which case ask the office whose name to put down instead. It may be your school principal, or a dean of students, or someone with a similar title. Finally, please know that portfolio qualifiers are not at an advantage or disadvantage. We will not consider qualification by one path to be "better" than qualification by another path.
If you are planning to take the SAT or ACT either in person or virtually, the Test Preview Seminar helps students understand the timing of the test, what the test questions look like, how to think through the answers. Perhaps most importantly it reduces student anxiety by making it clear that they will not know all of the answers (and that there is no expectation they will know all of the answers). The cost of the Test Preview Seminar is $45; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch can attend at no charge. You can register for the Test Preview Seminar online.
The ATYP information guide is the written guide to accompany the video presentation.
Dates and Deadlines
Additional assessment information will be sent after qualifying scores are received.
The goal of this timeline is to allow the ATYP qualifying process to be complete in time to help school counselors with planning and scheduling. You will hear back about preliminary qualification within two weeks of testing and submission of scores. You will be given information about the additional assessments once you reach that step in the process; this will be by invitation only. If you still have questions, we have compiled answers to a list of frequently asked questions.
General Qualifying Information
- ATYP Information Guide (accompanies video)
- ATYP Recruitment Meetings or Video (registration necessary)
- CTD Assessment Information
- Frequently Asked Questions about ATYP Qualifying
- Frequently Asked Questions about Taking the ACT or SAT
- In-Person ACT Registration
- Parent Brochure
- Portfolio Registration
- Registration for Online SAT or ACT Testing (CTD)
- Test Preview Information
- Test Preview Registration