Hunter Round 2 / Private K process
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Anonymous
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Looking for advice! My son made it to the second round for Hunter which has us re-thinking if we should write a first choice letter to a school or how we should still express interest for a private school when we would likely choose Hunter if accepted. We obviously don't want to jeopardize our chances at a private school given the probability of Hunter is still low.
Separately, someone mentioned that we should inform the private schools that he made it to round 2. Is that a thing people do? How would one go about doing that? |
Anonymous
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You wouldn’t tell another school about Hunter - it isn’t relevant to the school’s admissions process.
You would still send your first choice letter - this should have no impact on your private school admissions process. |
Anonymous
| Would definitely still send the private school first choice letter. |
Anonymous
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Actually you absolutely tell the other school about Hunter R2. Your chances of getting in to Hunter are still only 20 percent if you make it to R2 but making it to Hunter R2 increases your chance of being taken by the private school of your choice. Why—b/c to make it to Hunter R2 you need to score around the 99th percentile in an IQ test. Except for HM and Riverdale, most privates don’t administer entrance tests anymore. It’s very comforting for these other schools to know the kid has scored in the top one percent of an IQ test.
Are you in private pre school? If so discuss with your pre school director who will inform the private schools. If not, in your first choice letter be as specific and comprehensive as possible about why you love your school of choice. Then tell them that you are in Hunter R2 and would accept that offer if received only for financial reasons and assure them (if true and only if true) that you are applying to no other public schools apart from Hunter. |
Anonymous
| But you definitely still send the private first choice letter. The only question is whether you tell them about Hunter or your pre school director does. If you are in a good private pre school, the director will do it. If not you’ll do it. |
Anonymous
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Is it really gonna move the needle for the TT by telling them your DC is in Hunter R2?
The TT are so proud and confident about their admission team and methods |
Anonymous
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Hopefully it further validates what they saw in their own internal process for your child. I don't think it moves the needle if your child didn't have a great visit to their school-- they trust their processes.
Send the first choice letter regardless. The schools know they will always lose kids to Hunter. |
Anonymous
I mean yeah but those tests are not *exactly* the most reliable assessment - hell, the fact that they admonish people on their admissions page not to prepare kids in advance for them and insist that they'll be able to tell if you do kind of gives away the whole game. My kids' old school district used to do IQ tests regularly for a state requirement and one of my kids got a 99 one year and a 63 the next; I don't know what they're measuring, but it's not something consistent or immutable at any rate. I suspect most schools have more faith in their own assessment process than in Hunter's, which is why most of them got rid of those tests years ago. Maybe one or two specific admissions officers will glance at it with some passing interest, but if they actually wanted to see applicants' IQ scores they would require an IQ test. |
Anonymous
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My child took the Hunter test 10+ years ago and absolutely bombed it. To the point that we thought there was something wrong with him. He then got a 98 on the G&T. He has gone on to be a top student, excelling in school and on all future standardized tests (top scores on ISEE and SHSAT). I know others who had similar experiences.
Long story short - the Hunter test is of limited value. I don't know what they are looking for. Kids who get into Hunter for K often end up being way behind kids who get in at 7th based on true academic merit (even that is not perfect). So I don't think a good private will give any value to a good result on the first round Hunter test. The better question is do you have younger kids? If so, writing a first choice letter then not attending could negatively impact your younger child. If you don't have a younger child who would consider the same school, I would definitely write the letter. Nothing to lose. |
Anonymous
Former Hunter parent. From what I could tell, it seemed to be a mix of diversity/URM, boldface names/uber wealthy (who probably don't apply often, but H is thrilled to snatch them up when they can), and then a couple of kids from downtown, east side, west side, WaHi, etc almost at random. |
Anonymous
| Schools like Dalton and Speyer like to hear your kid made Round 2 if they did. Otherwise you play the game like Hunter doesnt exist. If you get an offer (excl wait list) you can decide on the same timeline. |
Anonymous
| For round 2 what is the specific criteria and do they factor minority/race status? |
Anonymous
They factor in minority/race, borough, temperament. They are curating a class and Hunter is definitely more diverse than other private kindergartens |
Anonymous
I thought K was only Manhattan or has that changed? I looked at the school about 10 years ago so my info may be dated but I was really turned off by how they acted like they had some special sauce recipe and were so much smarter than everyone else in compiling their ideal class. And I didn't really like their curriculum. |
Anonymous
| They changed it to all 5 boroughs |