Jump to: Eligibility | Choosing a Course | Application Checklist | Admissions Process
Fall and Spring Sessions
SAVY Saturday courses will be announced on August 19. Priority window applications go live on August 26.
Fall SAVY and Spring SAVY run for three consecutive Saturdays and are open to students in Kindergarten through Grade 8. Students may apply for one session only or both sessions. Each SAVY Saturday runs from 8:45 AM to 3:00 PM with lunch provided. Students must bring a nut-free snack with them. Tuition is $475 for each session. There is a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Students may apply for fall and spring with the $50 non-refundable application fee if applying for both sessions at the same time. Admissions is contingent on eligibility and course availability. For best chances at placement, please complete all application paperwork in its entirety during the priority application window.
View Fall and Spring courses!
| Fall SAVY 2026 | Spring SAVY 2027 |
|---|---|
1st - 8th Grade 3 Consecutive Saturdays: | Kindergarten - 8th Grade 3 Consecutive Saturdays: |
| Arrival: 8:45 - 9:00 Dismissal: 2:45 - 3:00 | Arrival: 8:45 - 9:00 Dismissal: 2:45 - 3:00 |
| Tuition: $475 for the three Saturdays (pizza lunch and materials included) | Tuition: $475 for the three Saturdays (pizza lunch and materials included) |
Summer Sessions
Summer 2026 applications are officially closed.
Each SAVY summer day runs from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM with one snack provided. Students must bring a nut-free lunch with them, lunch is not included. Summer tuition is $625 per session. There is a $50 nonrefundable application fee. Students may apply for multiple sessions with the $50 non-refundable application fee. Please note that typically students are strongly encouraged to attend no more than 4 sessions each summer. We do our best to accommodate families with multiple children, but same-session placement cannot be guaranteed. Admissions is contingent on eligibility and course availability. For best chances at placement, please complete all application paperwork in its entirety during the priority application window.
| Rising 1st-6th Grade | Rising 7th-8th |
|---|---|
Session 1 - June 8-12 Session 2 - June 15-19 Session 3 - June 22-26 Session 4 - June29-July 3 Session 5 - July 6-10 Session 6 - July 13-17 Session 7 - July 20-24 | Session 1 - N/A Session 2 - N/A Session 3 - June 22-26 Session 4 - June29-July 3 Session 5 - July 6-10 Session 6 - July 13-17 Session 7 - July 20-24 |
| Arrival: 8:30 - 8:50AM Dismissal: 3:30 - 3:50PM | Arrival: 8:30 - 8:50AM Dismissal: 3:30 - 3:50PM |
| Cost: $625 per session | Cost: $625 per session |
Jump to: Eligibility | Choosing a Course | Application Checklist | Admissions Process
Application Information
When an application goes live for a program season, you will complete your SAVY application by visiting the “Apply Now” section of our website. Programs for Talented Youth uses SchoolDoc as the online application platform. If you have applied for other programs using SchoolDoc, you can use your previously created account to login and submit a SAVY application. With this option, you may upload test scores and select a preferred payment method for the $50 nonrefundable application fee for the program season (fall/spring or summer). For families submitting applications for multiple children, the application fee for the first child will be $50, and a $25 application fee discount is available for each subsequent child’s application for that season. Please contact SAVY (savy.pty@vanderbilt.edu) for the sibling discount code if you are planning to submit applications for multiple children.
SAVY Eligibility
We accept any standardized achievement or ability test including, but not limited to, the following: RIAS, CogAT, ERB, Stanford Achievement Test, OLSAT, Woodcock Johnson, WIAT, WISC IV/V, ITBS, Iowa and MAP/NWEA. Out-of-level standardized assessments (e.g., Explore, SCAT) are also accepted. Additionally, a variety of state achievement tests(TCAP, TN Ready) and select progress monitoring assessments (AIMSweb, STAR, Fastbridge testing) can be accepted for provisional placement; these specific assessments are only good for one year and will need to be resubmitted annually. With high course demand and a focus on strong academic-fit, our admission team requires updated test scores be submitted every 1 to 3 years. Details about the test type and resubmission requirements can be found in the table below.
| Good for 3 Years | Good for 1 Year |
|---|---|
| CogAT NNAT RIAS KBIT-2 KTEA-3 SB-5 WISC-IV WISC-V WIAT-4 WPPSSI-IV WJ-IV Cog | TCAP/TN Ready AimsWeb+ Acadience Learning ERB FAST, Fastbridge Iowa Assessment I-Ready MAP OLSAT SCAT Stanford-10 Texas STAR WJ-IV Achievement CLT Exam Alo TruProgress Renaissance Star** Missouri Kids** PPVT** |
| **Teacher Recommendation is also required. |
While scores around the 90th percentile are typically a strong indication that SAVY is an appropriate curriculum match for a student, feel free to contact the SAVY office for questions about scores that do not meet these criteria, as alternative documentation may be acceptable. Students without test scores should work with their schools to obtain documentation of their assessments.
Eligibility requirements for 7th/8th grade Career Connections students are slightly different than 1st-6th. The summer application priority window dates for Career Connections is the same as those for SAVY. However, there will be a separate online application for students interested in Career Connections.
Visit the Student Eligibility Page for more information about eligibility for SAVY and Career Connections. Additional information about eligibility for Career Connections at SAVY can also be found on the Career Connections page.
Choosing a Course
SAVY classes are designed to provide in-depth study on interesting topics to teach students higher-order thinking skills and to encourage development of conceptual frameworks for understanding new knowledge.
SAVY courses are accelerated and specifically designed for academically advanced and gifted students. The best way to help your child select appropriate courses is to consider your student’s area(s) of strength and interest.
If your child is interested in taking more than one course, please rank them in order of their preference. Ranking courses increases your child’s chance of admission to the SAVY program, but remember, your child could be placed in any class that you rank. Classes fill very quickly, so we often have to place students in their second or third-choice classes. Thus, only rank a class if your child is willing to take it.
Application Checklist
- Application, online through SchoolDoc
- Updated Test scores (see eligibility section above)
- Application fee of $50, non-refundable.
- Financial aid application and documents (i.e.,1040 and W-2s, if applicable)
Please contact our office at savy.pty@vanderbilt.edu with questions about eligibility or the application process.
Admissions Process
The admissions process is the same for SAVY and Career Connections at SAVY.
Our admissions process is intended to facilitate an equal opportunity for all potential participants to be placed in a course of interest.
There is typically a 7-day application priority window for our programs. Students may apply for multiple academic year experiences (fall and spring) or multiple summer experiences with one application and one $50 non-refundable application fee. A different application and $50 non-refundable application fee is needed for academic year Saturday programs and Summer SAVY.
Please Note: If you plan to submit applications for multiple children, you can add all applicants to the same account in SchoolDoc, our online application platform. However, a separate application will need to be submitted for each individual child. Please visit the SchoolDoc Help Page and scroll to the bottom of the page for more information about how to add multiple students to a single account.
All applications received during the priority window for a session/season will be considered part of the primary applicant pool regardless of the specific time within the window they were submitted. All complete and qualifying applications submitted during the application priority window have the same chance for placement.
Upon the close of the window, all applications received will be randomly assigned a number determining their order in the review queue for the season/session (fall, spring, or summer). Applications of siblings will be reviewed and placed simultaneously, space permitting.
Applying during the priority window does not guarantee admission, but it increases your child’s chances. We strongly recommend applying during this window.
Applications received after the application priority window will be time and date stamped upon arrival and reviewed in order of receipt. If space in a course remains after the priority window has ended, courses will be filled on a first-come, first-served system based on availability and eligibility. Waitlists will be maintained for full courses.