Anonymous wrote:It's a good way to screen out autistic kids.

And, to complete the thought, acquire sociopaths.

It's a good way to screen out autistic kids.

CSS is required for the Upper School application at Sandy Spring Friends School this year.

Yeah this is an old thread with outdated info. Most of the schools aren’t requiring or even taking test scores.

This thread is from 2019 and I’m not sure it’s accurate anymore. DC did not do the CSS as part of the SSAT last year and none of the schools we applied to mentioned it. Our k-8 even told parents it was unnecessary, and given how helpful and supportive the school was through the whole process, starting in 7th grade, I doubt they’d be dismissive of it if the CSS was a useful or necessary component of many applications.

This seems like a terrible replacement for recommendations.

Hi all,
I am concerned that my daughter told me she was sometimes forced to choose between three negative answers in “most like me”. I think this is unethical as we all have negative aspects but maybe totally different to the ones she was forced to choose from. She was not allowed to leave it blank. For example, if you are the most thoughtful person, and the three options are related to not being comfortable to do favors, or helping others, etc, you are being forced to answer something that doesn’t represent you at all.

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think Maret was asking for the character snap shot?? I don't see it anywhere. DD bombed the CSS and she is a lovely well balanced kid with good social skills and a great sense of right and wrong. we worry so much about her academics I didn't even THINK of this stupid thing!

It is right on the upper school admissions page of Maret’s website.

“While useful, grades and test scores are not the only factors we consider in the admission process, and don't always tell us the whole story of your child. As such, we recommend (but do not require) applicants to Upper School take the Character Skills Snapshot (CSS), which provides us with additional, holistic information and illuminates areas where Maret can help your child grow and thrive. ”

No original thinkers wanted