2021 AAP Admissions Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For appeals, would you mention in a letter that an older sibling attends AAP? What should be included in the letter? I am at a loss. My daughter had a perfect GBRS and rave reviews from teacher, max DRA, and checked yes to above grade level for both math and Lang arts on GBRS sheet. Report cards all perfect. She is light years ahead of her peers. Her one downfall was NNAT. Not in pool score. Feeling like we got screwed because she didn’t have the CogAT this year. I am certain she would have done well on CogAT. Any ideas? Thanks.

if what you wrote is all true, get a WISC done. I find it hard to believe she didn't get it w/ a raving GBRS. There's more weight on GBRS than NNAT. So, if it's test core an issue, in your opinion, then, have her take the WISC!

I don’t feel comfortable doing one during covid. It is 2-3 hours in a small room. Also, I feel like the committee won’t care anyway. We did a WISC for older sibling which was awesome and he was still rejected!

My son had a 99th percentile WISC and perfect GBRS. Still rejected. Cause his NNAT was apparently not good enough even though Cogat was good.

This seems really bizarre. Perfect GBRS and good Cogat (assuming in pool) should get you in for second grade

It did not get him in. It also did not get him in for 3rd grade this year. Ill add that his GBRS was ALL 4CO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NOT IN (2nd Grade)

NNAT: 120
GBRS: all exceptional (commentary from school also recommended for Level IV)
Currently in Level II AAP for both Math and Reading
put together pretty good work samples from us and school samples were awesome.

I see the previous post where child got in with NNAT 120 and no referral...i can't believe this is true. If it is, it must depend on a school then, and their specific quota for filling out those seats and who knows what. I'm disappointed in the whole process, honestly. In our case, everything else was great except the NNAT score. If it all comes down to test scores, why are we all (school and families) wasting time putting together these packages? Where is the whole "holistic approach" in this?

120 NNAT is 89 percentile. You know 89 percentile is low to be placed in the AAP. The committee needed to see exceptional work samples to justify the exception of letting in a 89 percentile student. It just means that the committee saw even better work samples from other applicants. The process is way too "holistic" in my opinion, with disproportionate weight placed on GRBS. Just read the testing stats of kids that didn't get in despite being in the 97-99 percentile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
120 NNAT is 89 percentile. You know 89 percentile is low to be placed in the AAP. The committee needed to see exceptional work samples to justify the exception of letting in a 89 percentile student. It just means that the committee saw even better work samples from other applicants. The process is way too "holistic" in my opinion, with disproportionate weight placed on GRBS. Just read the testing stats of kids that didn't get in despite being in the 97-99 percentile.

The NNAT is a low quality test and generally is almost irrelevant for AAP placement when they have CogAT scores.

For what it's worth, the AAP equity report showed that among LIV-eligible kids, the mean NNAT scores were 118, 111, 113, and 129 for white, black, hispanic, and Asian kids, respectively. A large percentage of the kids accepted into AAP in the last few years have NNAT scores below 120.

I doubt that the other 120 NNAT kid who got in had better work samples than PP's kid. They just had different review panels. Normally, I would think that LII in all subjects, 4CO on GBRS, and good work samples would get a kid in, even with lower test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
120 NNAT is 89 percentile. You know 89 percentile is low to be placed in the AAP. The committee needed to see exceptional work samples to justify the exception of letting in a 89 percentile student. It just means that the committee saw even better work samples from other applicants. The process is way too "holistic" in my opinion, with disproportionate weight placed on GRBS. Just read the testing stats of kids that didn't get in despite being in the 97-99 percentile.

The NNAT is a low quality test and generally is almost irrelevant for AAP placement when they have CogAT scores.

For what it's worth, the AAP equity report showed that among LIV-eligible kids, the mean NNAT scores were 118, 111, 113, and 129 for white, black, hispanic, and Asian kids, respectively. A large percentage of the kids accepted into AAP in the last few years have NNAT scores below 120.

I doubt that the other 120 NNAT kid who got in had better work samples than PP's kid. They just had different review panels. Normally, I would think that LII in all subjects, 4CO on GBRS, and good work samples would get a kid in, even with lower test scores.

Apparently not in my son’s case. I am so disappointed in this process. I feel like he is a kid who would really flourish and do awesome in AAP, and he is not being given the chance despite having the scores, GBRS etc. Just the frickin’ NNAT when he was in first grade was 116. He was 6. He has matured and has learned how to focus SO much since then, thus the high test scores, grades and GBRS. But hmmm... even though he’s considered gifted according to the WISC, not enough for FCPS. This is why I am thinking about private school. But am wondering if it’s worth their investment in elementary or better to wait until Middle School. No idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IN for level IV
Cogat 121
Nnat 117
High GRBS
Favorite of the AART

What was the GBRS? All CO?
How can you tell the child is the "favorite"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Apparently not in my son’s case. I am so disappointed in this process. I feel like he is a kid who would really flourish and do awesome in AAP, and he is not being given the chance despite having the scores, GBRS etc. Just the frickin’ NNAT when he was in first grade was 116. He was 6. He has matured and has learned how to focus SO much since then, thus the high test scores, grades and GBRS. But hmmm... even though he’s considered gifted according to the WISC, not enough for FCPS. This is why I am thinking about private school. But am wondering if it’s worth their investment in elementary or better to wait until Middle School. No idea.

PP here. The process is so much more random than most people realize. Your kid should have been an easy admission, and the whole thing makes no sense at all. I doubt the NNAT is the deciding factor, though. Either you're saying something in the parent referral that is alienating the panel members, or you have really bad luck and your kid landed on the "reject everyone" table both years. I bet your child's teacher and AART are baffled by the rejection, also.

My 140s WISC child was leagues beyond his AAP classmates and got nothing at all out of the program, despite being skipped ahead in math. He's in a much more rigorous school now, and he's much happier. I'd strongly consider the private school or at least supplement with AoPS, where he'll learn 10x as much as he would have in FCPS AAP.

[Anonymous]

I think one piece of the admissions puzzle everyone is missing here is the fact that the committee wants to see how/why your child "Needs" to be in AAP. My understanding is many parents write narratives that only talk about how great their kid is. They want to know why you child will not do as well if they stay in general education. Perhaps some of the children with lower test scores have parents who wrote referrals clearly explaining this -- with concrete examples. It's not just all about high performance, it's also about justifying *why* your kid needs AAP to succeed.

[Anonymous]

Did anyone with a child of an NNAT lower than 120 get in? That's the lowest I've seen in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s humorous that you AAP parents keep fighting the fact that the pool of applicants was smaller this year. Cant you just be grateful your kid got in? Why do you need to believe this was a highly competitive year? It wasn’t.

Ok lady! You do not need to tell people how to feel. Competitive year or not is not for you to decide.

Ok, I’ll stop.

Smaller pool (which is debatable) is not the same thing as “the smart kids left,” and I have not seen anyone claim it was a highly competitive year.

Word. Some random lady came in the thread and started trying to convince everyone it was an easy year for AAP. Even though nobody ever said it was hard year, normal year, or really made any comment on it. Then when people started disputing her random claims she decides to reframe it as "all you parents were trying to convince yourselves it was competitive." Uh, no we didn't say anything about that.

Agree! There are people who don't know anything about data but always want to talk about data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s humorous that you AAP parents keep fighting the fact that the pool of applicants was smaller this year. Cant you just be grateful your kid got in? Why do you need to believe this was a highly competitive year? It wasn’t.

Ok lady! You do not need to tell people how to feel. Competitive year or not is not for you to decide.

Ok, I’ll stop.

Smaller pool (which is debatable) is not the same thing as “the smart kids left,” and I have not seen anyone claim it was a highly competitive year.

Word. Some random lady came in the thread and started trying to convince everyone it was an easy year for AAP. Even though nobody ever said it was hard year, normal year, or really made any comment on it. Then when people started disputing her random claims she decides to reframe it as "all you parents were trying to convince yourselves it was competitive." Uh, no we didn't say anything about that.

Do you think there were more kids applying, or less kids applying. Keep in mind - 10,000 less kids in the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s humorous that you AAP parents keep fighting the fact that the pool of applicants was smaller this year. Cant you just be grateful your kid got in? Why do you need to believe this was a highly competitive year? It wasn’t.

Ok lady! You do not need to tell people how to feel. Competitive year or not is not for you to decide.

Ok, I’ll stop.

Smaller pool (which is debatable) is not the same thing as “the smart kids left,” and I have not seen anyone claim it was a highly competitive year.

Word. Some random lady came in the thread and started trying to convince everyone it was an easy year for AAP. Even though nobody ever said it was hard year, normal year, or really made any comment on it. Then when people started disputing her random claims she decides to reframe it as "all you parents were trying to convince yourselves it was competitive." Uh, no we didn't say anything about that.

Do you think there were more kids applying, or less kids applying. Keep in mind - 10,000 less kids in the school system.

I’d be curious how many of the 10k are grade 2-5. I suspect a ton are kindergarten.

I know two families that applied even though they pulled out (one for homeschool, one to private) this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Apparently not in my son’s case. I am so disappointed in this process. I feel like he is a kid who would really flourish and do awesome in AAP, and he is not being given the chance despite having the scores, GBRS etc. Just the frickin’ NNAT when he was in first grade was 116. He was 6. He has matured and has learned how to focus SO much since then, thus the high test scores, grades and GBRS. But hmmm... even though he’s considered gifted according to the WISC, not enough for FCPS. This is why I am thinking about private school. But am wondering if it’s worth their investment in elementary or better to wait until Middle School. No idea.

PP here. The process is so much more random than most people realize. Your kid should have been an easy admission, and the whole thing makes no sense at all. I doubt the NNAT is the deciding factor, though. Either you're saying something in the parent referral that is alienating the panel members, or you have really bad luck and your kid landed on the "reject everyone" table both years. I bet your child's teacher and AART are baffled by the rejection, also.

My 140s WISC child was leagues beyond his AAP classmates and got nothing at all out of the program, despite being skipped ahead in math. He's in a much more rigorous school now, and he's much happier. I'd strongly consider the private school or at least supplement with AoPS, where he'll learn 10x as much as he would have in FCPS AAP.

What schools handle 140's FSIQ children well?

[Anonymous]

The NNAT scores are worthless. Its given when kids are 6. And, That test is the easiest for parents to test-prep their kids.

[Anonymous]

Its crazy to me that the only valid measure of a kids intelligence--a WISC score--is not an automatic-admit. Most kids in AAP have IQs in the low 120s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone with a child of an NNAT lower than 120 get in? That's the lowest I've seen in this thread.

112 here