Getting into St. Albans

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02/26/2008 14:33

Subject: Getting into St. Albans

quote

Anonymous

I started to feel Sidwell was unfairly getting all the 'hits' for every parent frustrated with the process of getting their child into a good school. Thus, I've created another post with another compelling subject line.

Truth be told, there is a definite process to see your child into one of these schools. For my son, getting into St. Albans was essentially a two-step process. First, and most important, was getting into Beauvoir, the elementary school which has a tremendous edge with regard to admissions to St. Albans (of the 40 boys who graduate Beauvoir in a given year, and of the 35 who will go on to apply to St. Albans, some 25-30 will be accepted...with St. Albans not being the school of choice for a few, the entering class of St. Albans will have between 20-28 Beauvoir boys). For me, this was accidental. Like every other parent, I simply applied to a few schools (including Sidwell) and the only one which outright accepted my son was Beauvoir. If your son does not go to Beauvoir, the odds are dramatically different, with fewer than 1 spot per 10 applicants for 4th grade.

The second step in the process was preparing for the tests and interviews. For my son, St. Albans considered his WISC IV score, his ERB results, as well as the testing St. Albans administered (math and reading, plus an essay). That, plus his two interviews (this may be Beauvoir-specific...I believe other children only have one interview).

What is a parent to do? Well, I could act as if you shouldn't worry at all, let your child be himself, it will all work out. But sincerely, this is not helpful for anyone who really strives to get their child "in" to one of these top schools. If you think it is unfair or somehow unethical to support your child through this process, you should know that the other children with whom your child is competing have parents who HAVE studied the process and have prepared their children (though not always effectively). I don't know many parents from Beauvoir whose children walked into this process blind. In a nutshell:

Your child will need to do well on the tests (ERB and St. Albans testing). Many hired tutors, many self-taught. To prepare for the 3rd grade ERBs or the St. Albans admissions test, a good rule of thumb is to simply go through standardized test books for 1-2 grades up. Have your child practice the math and reading from a standardized test book and he will improve. It does NOT need to be intense. In fact, it is better if you just sit with your child 10 minutes a night and do a few of the test questions with him. You're not trying to give homework, you're trying to solidify the skills he needs for these tests. Simple as that. Make it painless, fun, just a little something you do when there is time. But do it, because it improves scores and it improves your chances.

Teach your child how to write an essay. There are many websites which talk about how to write an essay. Those talk about a 5 paragraph essay. Your child will need to write a 5-6 sentence essay, but you can basically use that format. Have your child practice writing essays. You don't have to be fanatical. But have your child write 5-6 essays before they go into St. Albans, so that you're sure when they are given an essay, they know how to write without rambling all over the place and skipping from one topic to another.

For the interview, make sure that your child can talk about the things that interest him. That doesn't mean asking your child a bunch of crazy questions they might be asked. It means taking the things your child likes and making sure he has been enriched and can talk about these things. If you have a child who says he likes science, you should be prepared for him to say what kinds of things he likes. If your child likes science, do experiments with him in the kitchen, so when he goes in to interview, he has something solid in his head he can relate. If your child likes history, read a few kids' history books with him, or watch some history shows on tv with him, so your child can talk about what interests him. It's very difficult for children to think off the top of their heads (What do you like about math?). But if they have done interesting things recently (key word: recently) they will be able to talk about them with enthusiasm and confidence, not because they've been prepared, but because they can actually think of something to say.

Too much preparation? I didn't feel like it was. I feel like there is a reason people want to get into these top schools, and you do what you can to help your child.