Will you share your child's score?

[Anonymous]

What was your child's ISEE or SSAT % if your child was accepted to GDS or Maret? I'm trying to get a feel for if we are at all qualified. We're worried about our son's score and wondering if we should scrap the applications. We hate to have him visit and get his hopes up if he will be out of the running.

[Anonymous]

66%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What was your child's ISEE or SSAT % if your child was accepted to GDS or Maret? I'm trying to get a feel for if we are at all qualified. We're worried about our son's score and wondering if we should scrap the applications. We hate to have him visit and get his hopes up if he will be out of the running.

It pains me every time I read a post like this. As a parent with a child in a private school for many years now, trust me, the test score is NOT the decider. Atleast, not at the vast majority of private schools. Are you full pay ? Do you have a high profile in DC? Might the development team at the school consider your family an asset ? If so, your child's score does not matter even if they have an LD.

The question isn't what score . The question is can you pay 40K a year plus donate about 10K a year/ per enrolled child to the annual fund?

If your child gets rejected, please , please do not think it was because other kids were so much smarter or better in some way. Do NOT think that ! At 99% of schools , it does not matter what score a kid gets. I can ony think of one or two that will say "no" for academic reasons because they reallly don't need your or anyone's money. ( huge endowment and ability to keep it that way)

[Anonymous]

62% GDS 9th grade acceptance

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was your child's ISEE or SSAT % if your child was accepted to GDS or Maret? I'm trying to get a feel for if we are at all qualified. We're worried about our son's score and wondering if we should scrap the applications. We hate to have him visit and get his hopes up if he will be out of the running.

It pains me every time I read a post like this. As a parent with a child in a private school for many years now, trust me, the test score is NOT the decider. Atleast, not at the vast majority of private schools. Are you full pay ? Do you have a high profile in DC? Might the development team at the school consider your family an asset ? If so, your child's score does not matter even if they have an LD.

The question isn't what score . The question is can you pay 40K a year plus donate about 10K a year/ per enrolled child to the annual fund?

If your child gets rejected, please , please do not think it was because other kids were so much smarter or better in some way. Do NOT think that ! At 99% of schools , it does not matter what score a kid gets. I can ony think of one or two that will say "no" for academic reasons because they reallly don't need your or anyone's money. ( huge endowment and ability to keep it that way)

And you want to send your child to a private school like this because???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What was your child's ISEE or SSAT % if your child was accepted to GDS or Maret? I'm trying to get a feel for if we are at all qualified. We're worried about our son's score and wondering if we should scrap the applications. We hate to have him visit and get his hopes up if he will be out of the running.

It pains me every time I read a post like this. As a parent with a child in a private school for many years now, trust me, the test score is NOT the decider. Atleast, not at the vast majority of private schools. Are you full pay ? Do you have a high profile in DC? Might the development team at the school consider your family an asset ? If so, your child's score does not matter even if they have an LD.

The question isn't what score . The question is can you pay 40K a year plus donate about 10K a year/ per enrolled child to the annual fund?

If your child gets rejected, please , please do not think it was because other kids were so much smarter or better in some way. Do NOT think that ! At 99% of schools , it does not matter what score a kid gets. I can ony think of one or two that will say "no" for academic reasons because they reallly don't need your or anyone's money. ( huge endowment and ability to keep it that way)

Don't fall for the cynical baloney about everyone buying their spot. Although it is definitely true that the standardized test score isn't everything, the assertion that "it does not matter what score a kid gets" is obviously farcical.

[Anonymous]

15:17 - this is very enlightening, I do appreciate the perspective as I did not have any idea what an expected donation might be. It's a good reminder that it may not be about the other students being smarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:15:17 - this is very enlightening, I do appreciate the perspective as I did not have any idea what an expected donation might be. It's a good reminder that it may not be about the other students being smarter.

Gross. Just gross.

Sorry that your child did so poorly on the test that you are now worried about admissions -- that must be a terrible feeling. But, to resort to focusing on how a financial donation might help your child's chances is so desperate. I genuinely hope admissions folks have a special radar for parents like you. At my child's private, I'd rather have a kid who's smart enough to get in on his own than a craven parent looking for the magic number donation amount like you.

[Anonymous]

PP, you completely mistook what I was saying. I'm not at all interested in finding out how to donate to a school for admissions (!). Not having a child in HS and no experience with this, I was simply saying that it was enlightening to know what ball park figure was being donated. I'm proud of my child's test scores - couldn't have done much better, really. DC has great chances for admissions based on scores/grades/personal achievements. Not looking for connections or anything outside of what DC has to offer. Your response was very bitter and unfortunately quick to make an assumption.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I really just was hoping to get a sense of test scores. We've never applied to private and have no sense of comparison. Based on the 2 scores mentioned, I feel my son did fine.

As for the poster who believes schools will admit a child regardless of qualifications just because parents have money, I think those places are few and far between. Money isn't everything. It sounds like your child was rejected even though you thought he/she was well qualified and you're looking for an external factor to blame. Although I'm new to this process, I know a number of families and staff at privates who have said the shadow visit, recommendations and/or parent interview can turn a school off to a potential applicant even when well qualified in terms of numbers. There are no guarantees.

[Anonymous]

I agree, OP, it would be interesting to have a general idea of test scores that were part of the overall profile that led to an admissions offer. I hear all sorts of numbers and it would be helpful to have a ballpark range on the SSAT or ISEE scores. I realize it is only one of the factors involved.

[Anonymous]

Totally disagree, 15:17. The only way money plays a part is a) if you pay full fare or not and b) if you can be a financial game changer - in a new building sort of way. People who can donate a few thousand are a dime a dozen.

We have kids at two schools where we pay full, but donate marginally. They did well on tests, yes, but it's a combination of factors. Teacher recs are key to the admitting school being able to visualize your child as part of a classroom, and help them know that the parents aren't going to be crazy PITAs - which are as common around here as the moderate donors. Some might even say directly related....

[Anonymous]

all the families I know at private are not major donors, but the kids are smart.

[Anonymous]

Didn't you already get your answer? 2 people posted that 60-70% will get you in. What more do you need to know?

[Anonymous]

13:19 yes! I got my answer.