private school DS applying to AAP for entry into 3rd grade

[Anonymous]

We are applying to the AAP program from a K-12 private and our DS is a rising second grader. We will be requesting their GBRS and recently received their WISC-V results (FSIQ 136, GAI 138, both 99%). Will they be at a disadvantage coming from private and not having COGAT, NNAT, or other tests given in public school? What have other private school families done to help their child stick out?

[Anonymous]

I think the gbrs / teacher input is key anyway, so type of test is probably not an issue. You could choose to take the cogat, if you're worried about it (but I wouldn't).

Do they still accept work samples? We had really good creative writing samples, but that was the 2020/2021 application year and I think they've since limited what submissions you can make.

[Anonymous]

Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

There’s no reason to take the Cogat. Your child has excellent scores on WISC. GBRS will be important as will work samples. I’d focus on picking a combination of excellent work samples from school-produced work and things done at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

There’s no reason to take the Cogat. Your child has excellent scores on WISC. GBRS will be important as will work samples. I’d focus on picking a combination of excellent work samples from school-produced work and things done at home.

Cogat taken at GMU will be taken more seriously than privately administered tests. GBRS from private school teachers will be taken with a large grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

There’s no reason to take the Cogat. Your child has excellent scores on WISC. GBRS will be important as will work samples. I’d focus on picking a combination of excellent work samples from school-produced work and things done at home.

Cogat taken at GMU will be taken more seriously than privately administered tests. GBRS from private school teachers will be taken with a large grain of salt.

No, it won’t. WISC is far more accurate than CogAT and any perceived bias from private testing is a fantasy that exists only on this forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

There’s no reason to take the Cogat. Your child has excellent scores on WISC. GBRS will be important as will work samples. I’d focus on picking a combination of excellent work samples from school-produced work and things done at home.

Cogat taken at GMU will be taken more seriously than privately administered tests. GBRS from private school teachers will be taken with a large grain of salt.

No, it won’t. WISC is far more accurate than CogAT and any perceived bias from private testing is a fantasy that exists only on this forum.

The committee dislikes WISC and couldn't possibly make that clearer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cogat can be taken at GMU. I would have my child take it.

There’s no reason to take the Cogat. Your child has excellent scores on WISC. GBRS will be important as will work samples. I’d focus on picking a combination of excellent work samples from school-produced work and things done at home.

Cogat taken at GMU will be taken more seriously than privately administered tests. GBRS from private school teachers will be taken with a large grain of salt.

No, it won’t. WISC is far more accurate than CogAT and any perceived bias from private testing is a fantasy that exists only on this forum.

The committee dislikes WISC and couldn't possibly make that clearer.

How do they make it so clear? Please share. I only hear this argument on this board with absolutely no evidence to support. The committee was just fine with my child’s private WISC. Further, this is a child coming from private school and not a current FCPS student. WISC testing is pretty standard in these situations.

[Anonymous]

For context, we applied from private to AAP for third (just to get admittance in case we returned to public). With just the WISC and GBRS, DS was rejected. Reapplied the following year with a COGAT and was accepted, however we haven't left private as it continues to be a good fit. I can't say for sure the COGAT was the difference (scores very similar for WISC and COGAT), or if there was a difference in the GBRS.

[Anonymous]

Cogat allows the committee to better compare students. If all students take Cogat why not present what should be a great Cogat score. Apples to apples

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cogat allows the committee to better compare students. If all students take Cogat why not present what should be a great Cogat score. Apples to apples

The committee knows how to interpret the WISC and compare students who have taken other tests. This is a ridiculous argument. OP- do whatever you want, but take comments on here w a grain of salt. Nobody knows exactly what the committee is looking for. It’s a holistic process now and your child already has excellent scores from test that isn’t preppable, like the cogat. Testing scores are only one part of the equation. At our high SES, so many parents prep their kids that the cogat is basically worthless as a measure.

If I were you, I’d focus more on work samples, parent referral, and questionnaire and be sure to speak to why your child needs the advanced curriculum. I personally wouldn’t bother w Cogat w those WISC scores but if you’re concerned, you can always have DC take it and decide after you see scores whether or not you want to use them.

[Anonymous]

OP here:

Thank you for all of your opinions. Given that we are pretty happy in your K-12 and are applying to explore our options, we will send the application in without the Cogat this cycle. We do appreciate folks giving us opinions from both sides.

Regarding work samples, other than a creative writing piece or art, what are other ideas? Math worksheets? The program allows a limit of 6 single-sided, 8 1/2" X 11" pages. Interestingly, this is considered optional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

Thank you for all of your opinions. Given that we are pretty happy in your K-12 and are applying to explore our options, we will send the application in without the Cogat this cycle. We do appreciate folks giving us opinions from both sides.

Regarding work samples, other than a creative writing piece or art, what are other ideas? Math worksheets? The program allows a limit of 6 single-sided, 8 1/2" X 11" pages. Interestingly, this is considered optional.

You should get work samples from your son's teacher. Public school kids can only submit two work samples, the rest are supplied by their teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here:

Thank you for all of your opinions. Given that we are pretty happy in your K-12 and are applying to explore our options, we will send the application in without the Cogat this cycle. We do appreciate folks giving us opinions from both sides.

Regarding work samples, other than a creative writing piece or art, what are other ideas? Math worksheets? The program allows a limit of 6 single-sided, 8 1/2" X 11" pages. Interestingly, this is considered optional.

See here for some math competition questions: https://www.matematica.pt/en/useful/kangaroo-questions.php https://mathkangaroo.org/mks/practice/free-question-samples/
Beast Academy online also has challenging math problems.

[Anonymous]

Important to understand that some individuals in FCPS have a big chip on their shoulder about private school students. If one happens by chance to have one of those people in the decision matrix, then the private school applicant to AAP might be placed at a bit of a disadvantage. So private switching to FCPS and trying for AAP can help themselves by making it harder for the FCPS decision-makers to say no. More thorough documentation is helpful. Double-check things before submitting and be sure to meet all of the deadlines.