I was nominated by my counsellor and teachers in 5th and 6th grade. This was South Florida, other schools districts are different. I took an exam of puzzles, math, and wordplay. A few days later I received a later saying I qualified and to meet the ESL/gifted counsellor.

At the time I had 8 classes. 6 of them were required: math, english, history, etc., and 2 were free electives: sports, music, technical (computers and woodshop). As a 11yo these were the few freedoms we were allowed in school and the work didn't feel like work. I enjoyed making music. I enjoyed making stupid, wooden gifts for my family and friends. So the counsellor says we're dropping your 2 electives so you can have take our gifted classes. And that is when I hoped right out of it.

Now that is the gifted (also called ESL) program in none exceptional schools. It's usually just an extra class. There are schools of excellence, governor's school, magnet school, etc. Which focus on different curriculum. These will have an emphasis around math, language, arts, sports. You apply by filing an application or submitting a portfolio. Some, you have to be nominated by your teachers.

It depends on where and when you are talking about.

When I was growing up anyone who was nominated by their teachers would simply skip grades or get shifted into an honours program if it was available for their level.

Just as I was graduating high school however, all the gifted programs were phased out as being unnecessary (or unfair depending on whom you talked to). There was much hay made about the tight school budget needing to go to support students who were being left behind by the new national testing standards.

Now, though, ten years later, they have magnet schools for the talented which are by nomination only.

In my public school system, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, admission to the gifted program was largely based on the results of IQ testing.

That was back in the 1980s and 1990s; not sure how things have changed.

I have to say... I thought our school system did a good job with gifted students. We had some classes with other gifted kids and a lot of classes with the school's general population. We weren't treated as elite freaks or anything, were never told we were "better", and all in all I think they did it right.

Education in the US is controlled mostly at the state and local levels. Some states have requirements on gifted education; some don't. Gifted programs vary from completely nonexistant to prevalent and easy to access depending on the school district.

When I was growing up it was a combination of high incoming aptitude/IQ tests, teacher recommendation and a battery of other cognitive tests before being granted entry.