WPPSI in high 70 range

[Anonymous]

Should we continue our application if my child scored in the high 70 range on the WPPSI? She did not respond to the tester on several sections and ended up with a low score. Any advice is appreciated. We were planning to apply to Beauvoir, GDS, Browne and Burgundy Farm.

[Anonymous]

If your tester said it does not reflect your child's abilities, and you think you will get great recs from your current school, you could continue, but from my experience your odds are not good.

I might withdraw the apps and try again next year. One of our kids tested in the high 60s the first year and in the 90s the next year. The child was just not ready to take the test (given their young age, this does happen). That child is now in a school people fret about getting into on here that is a great fit for that child and doing well. They never saw the first score. Good luck to you OP.

[Anonymous]

From what I heard you need to have atleast 85% overall. My DC scored overall 80% and something like 79% verbal and 75% performance and was rejected everywhere with good teacher recommendations and I would think good playdates. It is so competitive that I believe they just use a 85% base to start taking a second look at the kid. The schools will never tell you they have a cut-off but they do. Like the PP my child took it again the following year and scored 90% overall. I think getting a good tester helps!

[Anonymous]

Did your child do well on the verbal? If so, I would apply.

[Anonymous]

I would suggest you apply to non test schools only (i.e. DCPS OOB). Your chances of a private school admission is nill.

[Anonymous]

The write-up on the WPPSI matters, too. Is the write-up about the child's behavior/attitude/persistence during the test good? Does the write-up imply or state that the test may be an underestimate of the child's true ability?

My child is very slow to warm up to strangers and basically refused to do a large part of one of the last sections of the test. DC tested "borderline" on that section; well below 50%, but well above average on other sections of the test. However, the write-up stated something along the lines of "dc easily completed the first few items on this section, but would not even attempt further items." However, it was complimentary about DC's persistence on other items, and DC scored in the 90's on the verbal section. Working in my DC's favor: DC was a sibling applicant and had what I suspect was a glowing preschool reference. DC was admitted to one of the schools on your list. DC is doing very well academically, and the WPPSI clearly did not reflect DC's abilities, but the tester picked up on that and mentioned it. I also suspect that DC just didn't 'connect' with that tester.

I disagree that your chances are nil. Your chances are probably slimmer than they would have been with higher WPPSI, but you should pursue the applications anyway. If you don't get in to any of your choices this year, you can alway try again next year, with a new WPPSI score from a tester with a different personality. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

The WPPSI is only one piece of information the school will look at ... how do you think your child will do during the playdate? What do you think the teacher recs will look like? Is one or more of the schools a really good fit for your family in terms of educational philosophy? Look at your complete "package" before you decide not to apply. I would say that Beauvoir and GDS are going to be harder, but Burgundy and Browne are more possible. I say this not because I believe the second two school are not excellent schools, but rather because they have smaller applicant pools and somewhat different educational philosophies.

My child scored an 81 on the WPPSI and we got into one of the four schools you named ... all is not lost!

[Anonymous]

OP, my DC scored 15% ile in matrix (maybe even less), and 99%ile in verbal. Big 3 admit. Overall score was 60% ile.
I highly doubt that 85% of kids have better matrix reasoning. We just did not take it seriously, and the tester was not the best.

[Anonymous]

I disagree with the previous posters. I think you should save your money. I have never heard of anyone admitted with scores in the high 70s to a good private school.

[Anonymous]

Agree...haven't even heard of anyone in the low 80's get admitted! I know that you need 85% with good teacher recs and playdate.

[Anonymous]

I applied for K last year and had my child scored below 90%, I would not have even bothered to apply. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

OP, go for it. You'll never know unless you try. There could be something about your child that makes him stand out from the pack and fit in perfectly at a particular school. Adcoms realize some children are shy or aren't that great in test-taking situations. My son scored in the high 80s and was accepted at Beauvoir, Sidwell, Maret & Lowell. He's at St. Albans now and is a straight A student.

Good luck, hope you find a school that's a great fit

[Anonymous]

Apply anyway. No one knows what the admissions folks are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Give it a shot. Do people whose kids scored in the 70s advertise that fact? You'll never know.

[Anonymous]

Have heard of low 80s or 80 admitted to a Big 3.