Has anyone received an HGC letter yet?!

[Anonymous]

21:34, the reason people are comparing is because the test used to be the #1 thing that was used for admissions. It's changed this year after the big outcry about URMs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The scores for many of the kids rejected this year seem really out of whack. They are really high. Not to stir the pot but the subjectiveness of the new admissions process has me suspicious. Are your kids Asian?

Just stop, no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scores for many of the kids rejected this year seem really out of whack. They are really high. Not to stir the pot but the subjectiveness of the new admissions process has me suspicious. Are your kids Asian?

Just stop, no

Agree wholeheartedly that the madness needs to stop. I think we can all agree a tiny sample of anonymous posts about one or two of the factors considered in making HGC decisions hardly forms the basis for some of the conclusions drawn on this thread. Crafting conspiracy theories and blaming both the school system and URMs will do little more than spread more animus in this world while helping you tuck your prejudice in a little tighter at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The scores for many of the kids rejected this year seem really out of whack. They are really high. Not to stir the pot but the subjectiveness of the new admissions process has me suspicious. Are your kids Asian?

What about simply that for an HGC like Cold Spring the average was higher compared to other areas and the bar was really high for students to get in. In other words, not enough seats to accept all the kids on scores alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:21:34, the reason people are comparing is because the test used to be the #1 thing that was used for admissions. It's changed this year after the big outcry about URMs.

I've had a child go through the HGC system already. She took the full-length test. As per MoCo, the score still wasn't the determinative factor and the application process took into account all of the factors described in this year's letters. Same for magnet middle school -- the magnet administrator emphasized that the score was only a part of a process that included recommendations, student essays, grades, etc.

[Anonymous]

One of the deciding factors is also listed as "the presence of an intellectual peer group of highly able students at the home school". What is the interpretation of this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the deciding factors is also listed as "the presence of an intellectual peer group of highly able students at the home school". What is the interpretation of this?

I thought that was really weird. So potentially -- if there are a bunch of very smart kids at the home school, they should all stay there because they have each other (not that they will get put into advanced classes or anything....) but if there's only one or two very smart kids, they should get to go to the Center? It's hard to interpret.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the deciding factors is also listed as "the presence of an intellectual peer group of highly able students at the home school". What is the interpretation of this?

I thought that was really weird. So potentially -- if there are a bunch of very smart kids at the home school, they should all stay there because they have each other (not that they will get put into advanced classes or anything....) but if there's only one or two very smart kids, they should get to go to the Center? It's hard to interpret.

I think that's considered part of being able to meet the child's needs at the home school. The presentations about the HGC in the fall mentioned this, I believe. Makes sense in some ways -- with limited space, the kid who is more of an outlier at their home school needs the center more. I don't have a problem with that, although it would probably be a better solution to have enough gifted spots for all kids who met a certain benchmark.

Anonymous wrote:The selection committee considered a number of factors when making its decision such as: parent recommendation, school recommendation, academic progress based on report cards from Grade 2 and the first semester of Grade 3, student performance on the [MAP-R], current school attended to determine the presence of an intellectual peer group of other highly able students, special services, and student performance on the CPHG assessment that was administered in January. . .

The letter from the pilot program area was slightly different, mentioning a brief non-scored student questionnaire instead of parent or school recommendations, report card from grade 3 only, and mentioning standardized tests such as both MAP-M and MAP-R. The other factors were the same.

[Anonymous]

My child was waitlisted, and while I was initially disappointed, I feel like he will be fine either way. I know there are so many gifted/smart kids in our county and that it would be a long shot. Thankfully his home school is a good one.

He complains of being bored/not challenged by math at his school, but the other classes seem appropriate for him, so we can give him extra math at home, as he's been requesting. If anything, the reduced amount of homework at his current school will allow him more free time for outdoor play, chores, reading for pleasure, and his own projects (of which there are many.)

I'm a bit concerned about him socially, as he doesn't fit in with the majority of boys whose focus is on sports. He says all the boys play soccer at recess and there's not much for him to do. He's still really into imaginary play, and not as many kids seem to like it at age 8-9. So I thought the HGC would be a better fit socially. Any advice on how to give him some support in that area so he feels more comfortable with peers at his home school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scores for many of the kids rejected this year seem really out of whack. They are really high. Not to stir the pot but the subjectiveness of the new admissions process has me suspicious. Are your kids Asian?

What about simply that for an HGC like Cold Spring the average was higher compared to other areas and the bar was really high for students to get in. In other words, not enough seats to accept all the kids on scores alone.

But on this thread there are a lot of kids with high scores that were not accepted and kids with low scores that were accepted. No one has responded which is interesting. Makes me kind of wonder if those accepted with lower scores are URMs or white to make the racial balance more representative of that cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else still waiting for the letter? wondering why it takes so long.

We received a call from Barnsley earlier this week but still no letter.

We are still waiting... any idea or advice. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The scores for many of the kids rejected this year seem really out of whack. They are really high. Not to stir the pot but the subjectiveness of the new admissions process has me suspicious. Are your kids Asian?

What about simply that for an HGC like Cold Spring the average was higher compared to other areas and the bar was really high for students to get in. In other words, not enough seats to accept all the kids on scores alone.

But on this thread there are a lot of kids with high scores that were not accepted and kids with low scores that were accepted. No one has responded which is interesting. Makes me kind of wonder if those accepted with lower scores are URMs or white to make the racial balance more representative of that cluster.

Well for Cold Spring the percentage of URM students in the feeder pool is less than 10% so I would argue that there will not be an increase in diversity in that cluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else still waiting for the letter? wondering why it takes so long.

We received a call from Barnsley earlier this week but still no letter.

We are still waiting... any idea or advice. Thanks!

Call the central office first thing Monday morning.

[Anonymous]

PP, if you got the call, just go to the open house.

[Anonymous]

But on this thread there are a lot of kids with high scores that were not accepted and kids with low scores that were accepted.

IMO there haven't been "a lot of" kids with "low scores" accepted. Most of the kids accepted across the various clusters on this thread were in the mid to high 130s. That's not low at all. Just because a few kids with 140+ scores (all from Cold Spring feeder schools) didn't get in doesn't mean the whole thing is fixed or that URMs are stealing white or Asian kids' seats (which seems to be what one person was implying). I think the lowest score I saw reported was 121, and perhaps that kid had amazing *other* qualifications.

If your child didn't get in to a HGC, and you think they were robbed of a placement, appeal. Well-documented and teacher/principal-supported (this is key) appeals may get you a waitpool spot, but it's easier to get in with a waitpool appeal than a rejection appeal. If the appeal is accepted at all.

But please don't speculate that just because other kids scored a few or even 10 points lower than yours that they didn't deserve the spot and your kid did. You have no idea what else was in that kid's file or your own kid's for that matter.