Some CTY courses require prerequisites—specific academic experiences or qualifications that help ensure students are placed in a course that matches their skills and background. A prerequisite is a requirement that a student must meet before enrolling in certain CTY courses to help ensure that students are ready for the academic rigor of the course. 


Course prerequisites, if any, will be listed clearly in the course description page on our website. Examples of common prerequisites may include completion of a course, a specific grade on a course taken through CTY or at school, or a qualifying score on a specific test. Be sure to check the course description to see what’s required for the course you're interested in. 


Acceptable documentation to show completion of a prerequisite 


The following is considered acceptable documentation to submit as a prerequisite. Document(s) should be clear and legible: 

  • Acceptable documentation for prerequisites include copies of report cards, transcripts, teacher evaluations, or a letter from your school on school letterhead.  
  • Acceptable formats for the document upload include PDF, JPG, and Word. 
  • The document must include the student’s name, school name, and the exact name of the course taken that fulfills the requirement, or a letter on school letterhead confirming that the student has taken a course equivalent to the exact name of the CTY prerequisite. 
  • The “Living Environment” course taken in the New York or New Jersey School System can satisfy CTY's Biology requirement.  
  • The “Common Core Math” course taken in California can satisfy CTY’s Algebra I requirement.      
  • Students who wish to attain prerequisites for CTY Algebra courses can have the student’s math instructor complete and sign the appropriate attached checklist. Please upload the completed checklist into your student's MyCTY account or email the document to ctyenrollment@jhu.edu as soon as possible for review. 

 

How to submit a prerequisite in MyCTY 


If you would like to enroll your child in a course that has a prerequisite, you'll need to submit documentation for review through MyCTY. Here's how: 

  • Prerequisite documents can be uploaded during the checkout process when purchasing a course. A pop-up will appear when purchasing a course that requires a prerequisite. Click the link in the pop-up to upload your document(s).  
     

You can also upload prerequisite documents in MyCTY before or after purchasing a course. To do so, click the “File Upload” tab on the left side of the screen and upload your documents. You will need to provide a name for your file and choose “prerequisite documentation” as your file type. At the bottom of the screen you will see any previously uploaded files.
 

If your child doesn’t meet the prerequisite 


If a child does not yet meet the prerequisite, they will be placed in “pending” status for that course. This means the registration will not be finalized until the prerequisite is fulfilled. CTY staff regularly review pending prerequisites and record an explanation of the status in the family portal. Families can log in anytime to check the status and see notes from the CTY team.
 

Students who do not meet the prerequisite may be removed from the course before it starts. Final enrollment decisions are made to ensure that all students are appropriately placed for their academic success.