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[quote=Anonymous]    [quote]I disagree, it should mostly be about the test. But sounds like test was shortened this year. Using teacher recommendations and grades is too subjective. Teachers at biased. And P grades are meaningless.[/quote]

OK, this is based on knowing middle-school teachers at magnet schools, but I'm guessing it applies here too.
It *is* mostly about the test in the sense that a kid below a minimum score doesn't even get their teacher recommendations or report cards evaluated. The committee just doesn't have time to bother digging deep if you get below a certain score, from what I've been told. Those kids are just sent a rejection letter. Way above that minimum score, the outliers (let's say above 145+ here, although I'm guessing) basically get auto-approved unless there's some figurative red flag in their file.

[quote]I disagree with you. One bad day and the kid is decidedly unqualified? My child has test anxiety and gets nervous in tests, I know it makes her grades suffer slightly but she's still very qualified. Also some parents do test prep, which may give them a somewhat false showing on a test. What if they do great on the test her can't hack it in the program because their parents can't give them prep on how to handle the classroom? It shouldn't be just one score. [/quote]

Of course! I agree with this. In an ideal situation, there would be interviews as well, according to a teacher who has served on the committee. But, yes, that would cause even more biased judging. But in that teacher's mind, it all evens out -- the test on one end and the interview on another. There just isn't bandwidth/personnel/time for that. And there would always have to be a line below which they just don't consider the kid. If there is really an anomaly or problem, that can usually be figured out via the appeals process.

I'm not a fan of test prep, because then it's not an even playing field (not that it is to begin with but...). I know from taking one of my kids to sports practice at a private school that rents out space to a second-language school: every car in the parking lot (including mine) got papered with adverts for a test prep class/tutor in English and the second language.[/quote]

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