For Participants
If you are an SMPY participant and wish to update your contact information, please contact Kim Ferriman.
About the Participants
SMPY investigates the lives of intellectually talented people who fall into five cohorts.
Cohort One
- 2188 participants who scored 370 or more on the SAT-V or 390 or more on the SAT-M (before age 13)
- identified during 1972-1974 throughout Maryland
- represents the top 1% ability level
Cohort Two
- 778 participants
- identified during the years 1976 through 1979 in the Mid-Atlantic states
- represents the top .5% ability level
Cohort Three
- 501 participants who scored 700 or more on SAT-M and/or 630 or more on SAT-V (before age 13)
- identified during 1980-1983 throughout the nation
- represents the top .01% ability level
Cohort Four
- over 1,400 participants
- identified by Iowa State University's Summer Programs
- represents the top 0.5% ability level
Cohort Five
- 714 first- and second-year graduate students in the top-ranked math, science and engineering programs in the United States
After the participants are identified, SMPY follows them throughout their lives, contacting them at the ages listed below:
| Planned Periods of Contact: | Approximate Age of Participants: |
| Talent Search Testing | 12 to 13 |
| Post High School | 18 |
| Post College | 23 |
| Early Career | 33 |
| Mid-Career | 48 |
| Late Career | 63 |
| Late Career/Retirement | 73 |
| Retirement | 83 |
| Retirement | 88 |