Non TT High School Admissions Stats

[Anonymous]

Curious what people think the acceptance rate is for non TT high school admission. Thinking of places like Friends Seminary, Packer, Grace, Trevor Day, UNIS, Calhoun, etc. How many 9th grade applications do you think they receive? Seems like all the open houses are packed and interviews fill up quickly, leading me to believe they all have many applicants. My kid has a 9,9,8,7 on the ISEE and good grades and extracurriculars but starting to worry that that might not be enough.

[Anonymous]

Not sure about acceptance rates, but anecdotally, I think Columbia Prep and Grace are not tough admits if full pay.

[Anonymous]

They’re considered back ups and safety schools. People are advised to apply to about 10 schools. I’d think at least 2-3 are on the list you mentioned.

They may even have more applications (?). Students with lower scores and students with high scores like your child would apply.

[Anonymous]

If your child attends any of these schools and does well, she or he will have the same college prospects as they would elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

My kid had horrific ISEEs and still got into Calhoun (didn't end up going), I don't think they're particularly hard to get into. Trevor on the other hand is rising rapidly and I'd guess that nowadays it's probably about as selective as, say, Fieldston.

Did your kid take the SHSAT? Honestly, despite the more crowded college admissions picture, I'd have a hard time recommending that any smart kid go to Calhoun or UNIS over even one of the lower-ranked specialized high schools like Brooklyn Latin; if your kid is getting a 9 on the ISEE QR section then they're going to be horrifically bored with the math offerings at a 3T prep school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had horrific ISEEs and still got into Calhoun (didn't end up going), I don't think they're particularly hard to get into. Trevor on the other hand is rising rapidly and I'd guess that nowadays it's probably about as selective as, say, Fieldston.

Did your kid take the SHSAT? Honestly, despite the more crowded college admissions picture, I'd have a hard time recommending that any smart kid go to Calhoun or UNIS over even one of the lower-ranked specialized high schools like Brooklyn Latin; if your kid is getting a 9 on the ISEE QR section then they're going to be horrifically bored with the math offerings at a 3T prep school.

The 7 was in QR and the two 9s were the two verbal sections. They're not taking the SHSAT for various reasons. At the beginning of the process I had a sense that many of these schools were sure things but starting to feel less sure as I see the crowds at admissions events. We're applying to a couple of TTs but assuming we won't get in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 7 was in QR and the two 9s were the two verbal sections. They're not taking the SHSAT for various reasons. At the beginning of the process I had a sense that many of these schools were sure things but starting to feel less sure as I see the crowds at admissions events. We're applying to a couple of TTs but assuming we won't get in.

You've got a couple of weeks left for the non-SHSAT high school application deadline - if their 7th grade core course average is 95 or higher there are a number of other good schools you could still look at, even with a so-so lottery number. (one of my kid's acquaintances got in to a great school with a crappy lottery number because they wrote a 100/100 essay) The SHSAT schools are pretty heavily STEM-focused so I know a bunch of smart kids who are stronger at ELA than math go the screened non-SHSAT route.

If your kid has any visual or performing arts talent there's also still LaGuardia, which FWICT has around the same average SATs as Calhoun/UNIS. (and doesn't pigeonhole you career-wise, we know LaGuardia grads who are now in their medical residencies) You could probably even book a last-minute session with somebody to provide coaching / recording help for an audition video by the deadline, if they have some talent in an area that requires one of those; I know from experience that even 45 minutes with an acting/singing coach on an audition piece can be transformational.

All of these are lottery tickets to some extent, but they don't cost any money, and you might find yourself glad you put in the effort depending on how your private school options shake out.

Back to your original question, though, crowds notwithstanding I think if you apply to a bunch of lower-ranked schools with strong scores/grades you have a very good chance of getting into one of them. In Calhoun's case IIRC you don't even need to visit the school, you can fill out an application and do a zoom interview and go back for accepted student day if you get in. Another school I'd add to your list - since you seem to be willing to look downtown - is LREI, which is also pretty chill. But basically, cast a wide net and you'll probably be fine.

[Anonymous]

Don’t those scores and grades (and “good” extracurriculars) put you within range of a TT? My kids are a lot younger so I’m genuinely curious/baffled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t those scores and grades (and “good” extracurriculars) put you within range of a TT? My kids are a lot younger so I’m genuinely curious/baffled.

Not really. The TT schools don't really expand their 9th grade classes much so they generally take 10-20 new students while the non-TT take 40-60 new kids. One school we briefly looked at doesn't expand at all in 9th so new spaces are based entirely on attrition. I'm assuming that everyone applying has good ISEE scores/grades and decent extracurriculars.

[Anonymous]

The Hill schools have 40-45 openings for 9th grade though? Or are you only looking at Manhattan TT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Hill schools have 40-45 openings for 9th grade though? Or are you only looking at Manhattan TT?

By this forum’s standards, HM is a TT but Riverdale is borderline 2T and Fieldston is like 3T.

[Anonymous]

This forum sometimes tends to go by schools’ historic reputation rather than by the latest college destinations and/or recent feedback from parents.

Based on my personal (highly subjective but recent) experience and research, Riverdale is pretty close to HM. Fieldston is indeed… hmmm.. definitely not TT.

[Anonymous]

My kid now attends one of those schools and got into another with a fairly similar profile and no connections. We were pretty focused on these schools so made clear our interest. I have no sense of the admissions rates.

I think Friends, Grace and Trevor have gotten more competitive recently - I know a very bright kid who was rejected by one of them but got into one of the other schools you mentioned. I think Grace expands the most for HS.

Yield doesn't really matter for these schools but I think they still want a sense that you really want to be there and they aren't "safeties."

At these schools, if a child excels they can do very well with college, but exmissions data is diluted as there are more kids who are less academic (though they are moving away from that). In some ways it is nice that not every kid is aiming for Ivies. Most of these schools are very capable of challenging your child unless they are truly off the charts smart. An 90% of the NYC kids whose parents think they are off the charts smart aren't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t those scores and grades (and “good” extracurriculars) put you within range of a TT? My kids are a lot younger so I’m genuinely curious/baffled.

Not really. The TT schools don't really expand their 9th grade classes much so they generally take 10-20 new students while the non-TT take 40-60 new kids. One school we briefly looked at doesn't expand at all in 9th so new spaces are based entirely on attrition. I'm assuming that everyone applying has good ISEE scores/grades and decent extracurriculars.

Trinity adds 60-70 kids HM adds 40-45 kids in 9th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t those scores and grades (and “good” extracurriculars) put you within range of a TT? My kids are a lot younger so I’m genuinely curious/baffled.

Not really. The TT schools don't really expand their 9th grade classes much so they generally take 10-20 new students while the non-TT take 40-60 new kids. One school we briefly looked at doesn't expand at all in 9th so new spaces are based entirely on attrition. I'm assuming that everyone applying has good ISEE scores/grades and decent extracurriculars.

Trinity adds 60-70 kids HM adds 40-45 kids in 9th.

I don't think Trinity is the right environment for my kid so we're not applying. The Hill schools don't work for us either. Dalton takes about 20 kids. We're applying to another school that takes about 10.