Has anyone received an HGC letter yet?!

[Anonymous]

On a 30 minute test, the difference between a decent score and an outstanding score may have been just a couple of questions. We know nothing about the properties of the test, particularly because it was new this year.

So odd that a different test was used for pilot vs regular programs as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd also like to know the Medians for the different HGCs.

Does that mean certain HGCs are harder to get into than others?

I think that's correct just from reading this thread. It makes sense based on the numbers of kids coming from different schools -- different HGCs have larger or smaller catchment areas.

But it is definitely not all about the scores. Grades and teacher recommendations are important, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On a 30 minute test, the difference between a decent score and an outstanding score may have been just a couple of questions. We know nothing about the properties of the test, particularly because it was new this year.

So odd that a different test was used for pilot vs regular programs as well.

I was wondering the same thing. My child told me he skipped a few questions due to running out of time, and his score was significantly lower than expected (119) given his performance on other tests. In himdsight, I wish I'd taught him test taking strategies like always guess even if you're not 100% sure of the answer and don't spend too much time on one question...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is on waitlist of Cold Spring. His score is 141. Sigh.

WOW, 141 got waitlisted. I am wondering how much it needs to get into cold spring.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if this is accurate for the shorter tests this year, but the last table in this PDF gives conversions between SAS and percentile rank (PR) for the COGAT, which has been mentioned as the hgc test in previous years:

http://help.riversidepublishing.com/robohelp/robo/server/DM_Digital_Resources/projects/DM_Digital_Resources/Baggage_Files/CogAT/1525393_CogAT_7_NormsScoresConv_v.2a_CMP.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is on waitlist of Cold Spring. His score is 141. Sigh.

WOW, 141 got waitlisted. I am wondering how much it needs to get into cold spring.

That's crazy! Maybe the OP can appeal?

It's obviously not a standard program if there is such variety amongst the median scores at the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son is on waitlist of Cold Spring. His score is 141. Sigh.

WOW, 141 got waitlisted. I am wondering how much it needs to get into cold spring.

A couple pages back someone posted the median score of cold spring as 124

[Anonymous]

96%. Reject at fox chapel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd also like to know the Medians for the different HGCs.

Does that mean certain HGCs are harder to get into than others?

My impression is that there are definitely differences in scores for the different HGC clusters. From what I have seen by reported medians in the past, Cold Spring seems the highest by approximately 10 points or so.

[Anonymous]

Does anybody have scores for the new "home school" centers at Stonegate or Matsunaga (or maybe Piney Branch)? Curious how those compare to the other HGCs that pull from a much larger pool.

[Anonymous]

Posters seem to be reporting the median score for all applicants to a particular HGC. In prior years, the median on the letter was for those admitted into the particular program- a higher number, obviously, than the median for the applicant pool. I wonder why they changed the information parents are receiving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:96%. Reject at fox chapel.

98%. Rejected at Fox Chapel too.

[Anonymous]

Well, the scores are only one part of the equation, so while a lower score may keep a kid out completely, a higher score doesn't automatically get your kid in, from what teacher friends have said. A kid with a 136 might have gotten a spot, while the kid with a 141 didn't. I disagree that it should be all about the scores. There are other considerations.

I don't know what sort of test it was... In some tests, leaving things blank doesn't really work against you, but answering incorrectly does.

And just to add perspective: my oldest never tested so stayed at our home school, then went to a magnet middle school and is now in a magnet high-school program. And we know plenty of kids who went to the HGC but then they didn't get into middle school magnets but later went on to high school programs.

[Anonymous]

For Drew HGC, our results came today and mentions National percentile then gave out DS score. Median was 67 and our DS was 99. Disappointed for him

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, the scores are only one part of the equation, so while a lower score may keep a kid out completely, a higher score doesn't automatically get your kid in, from what teacher friends have said. A kid with a 136 might have gotten a spot, while the kid with a 141 didn't. I disagree that it should be all about the scores. There are other considerations.

I don't know what sort of test it was... In some tests, leaving things blank doesn't really work against you, but answering incorrectly does.

And just to add perspective: my oldest never tested so stayed at our home school, then went to a magnet middle school and is now in a magnet high-school program. And we know plenty of kids who went to the HGC but then they didn't get into middle school magnets but later went on to high school programs.

Is the kid with 136 also from Cold Spring? If not, it is hard to tell how the other factors play in the process. From the scores reported in this thread, my impression is that Cold Spring is harder to get in.