SSAT score is in - disappointment

[Anonymous]

My advice would be to have your kid take the SSAT again (YOU get to choose what scores to send in) in a private setting. It's not that much extra money and my DD's scores went up nicely when we did that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The OP here. Thanks for the replies. Should I start to panic? Should we apply to more schools to ensure acceptance to at least one decent school? St Andrews was our backup option but now I am doubting the chances of getting in anywhere at all.... Where do kids with this kind of result get in (I kind of know where they don't).

St. Andrews is a terrific place and will look at the whole child. Talk to them candidly. Great academics and community. Best of luck. Also-- do not let your child feel your disappointment. He will do well many places, sounds like a terrific kid. Make sure he feels that from you.

[Anonymous]

Also placement out of St. Andrews is very good. I highly recommend it.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend whose DC received a score similar to your son's, and got into St, Andrew's for 6th and is very happy there. I looked at it for my DC and really liked it. Then we moved and I decided it was too far.
Also, WIS has its own test and the SSAT is not necessary,

[Anonymous]

The Washington International School does not take SSAT and is a good school. I think you should apply to the schools you want as well as some that don't take the test because it is a broader picture they look at.

[Anonymous]

OP here again: again wonderful feedback, thank you all! It looks like we are going to try to retest, maybe in December and possibly with a private tester - by the way, any recommendation for a private tester?
Also it sounds like (from the replies here) that St Andrews is most likely still a sure bet with this score. At first DC was very upset at the idea of retaking but now seems to be dealing fine with it.
The process of applying is definitely draining....

[Anonymous]

Is DC coming from a school that provides resources/assistance with the process? I know for a fact that at least one of the more sought after schools has taken kids who do not score exceptionally well on standardized tests, but usually in situations where the kids are coming from another private that provides good support during the application process. So you should definitely apply wherever you wanted to in the first place and if your existing school is going to work with you on the process, your options may be better than you think. And I also know at least one person who is at St. Andrews and LOVING it.

[Anonymous]

For private testing - we used Educational Assessment on MacArthur Blvd. in the District.

[Anonymous]

Except for schools like Sidwell, which really will go for the highest scores in order to improve their own numbers, many independent schools have their own conflicts about standardized testing in the younger years and would probably understand the difficulties those tests present for kids from backgrounds like Montessori which don't "teach to the tests." Taking standardized tests is in itself a skill that can be developed. It would be a great topic to discuss with the schools you visit.

[Anonymous]

op, do a little test prep with your child before the retest. Get a workbook and do some sample tests with him/her. Test-taking is a skill and you want your child to be able to focus on the content of the questions without having to stress about the mechanics of filling in a bubble sheet or figuring out what an analogy is. Especially coming from a Montessori background he/she may just not have these skills, but they're easy enough to pick up.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. The DC had some tutoring prior to the test (btw, the tutor at first thought that DC did not need tutoring). DC had about 10 sessions. I did sign up for another SSAT in December and now going over the Princeton Review Prep workbook. Funny thing, PP, you are absolutely right. I notice that my child's knowledge is really good but the test taking skills are lacking such as reading questions thoroughly and confidence that DC really knows the answer. Is blaming Montessori background on poor test scores going to help DC or make it worse?

[Anonymous]

I can't see how blaming the Montessori school is helpful. After all, the logical conclusion then would be either 1) the school screwed up or 2) the parents screwed up in choosing the school!

Instead, I would tell DC exactly what you said here: the knowledge and applications are solid, but DC hasn't yet learned test-taking tricks, and needs to work on that. Taking standardized tests is a game, and DC needs to know the rules. An analogy can be drawn to sports, if DC is into that: the best athlete in the world can't just play a new sport without knowing the rules (offsides in soccer, when to steal in baseball, etc).

[Anonymous]

MY DC did the same thing, he didn't answer a lot of questions, he basically blew the test. He got waitlisted at two Top Three schools, is happy at another independent.

[Anonymous]

PP: He had top grades and has a high IQ.

[Anonymous]

My child went to Montessori for 8 years and also did about what your son did on the test. She applied too for 7th and got into one of the top schools in the area...she was a great athlete. She's at an Ivy now with her sport if that helps you OP.

Some schools such as NCS and STA really go for the top, top scores. Other schools will look at the whole package. Good luck! It was tough for my daughter to adjust to the homework and heavy pace of the traditional school -- she did terribly in the 7th grade with the new school...but soared ahead by high school.