Admission Decision

7 Aug, 2009

The Decision

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Now that you have decided to send your child to a private school, it is time to start thinking about the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) and the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT). Independent schools will use one of these two exams to determine your child’s eligibility for their program and you want to make a great impression. After all, many of these schools are highly competitive and only have a limited number of slots to fill.

Preparing your child for the ISEE or SSAT exam is a priceless gift that you can give them. The children they will be competing against have likely spent countless hours prepping for these tests, which will give them a distinct advantage over kids who have not gone through ISEE prep or SSAT prep courses. Let’s face it, at this age kids haven’t been exposed to many standardized tests. Standardized testing has little to do with falling back on your own knowledge, as even smart kids can do poorly on these exams if they haven’t practiced. You have to know the format and be comfortable working against the clock. ISEE prep and SSAT prep courses will help your child excel in these areas.

Most admission committes will advise you to apply to multiple schools, and this is sound advice. Every year families across the country get their hearts broken, because many competitive private schools reject far more students than they accept.

Selecting a student for admisison to an incoming class is truly and art and not a science.  Please move away from thinking that your child will be a shoe-in for a particular school because their grades are outstanding, their current teachers love them, and they play violin.  Unfortunately, many applicants will fit that profile.  And on that canvas that is the incoming class, the committee may be looking to round out the class with other talents. like perhaps an art history buff, or an avid photo journalist with just good grades.

There is a lot that goes into selecting the perfect combination for an incoming class. One constant, however, is that the student must be capable of success at that particular school. The barometer that most private schools use, is the student’s performance on the ISEE or SSAT test.  If you are serious about your child attending private school, it would be wise for you to do your homework, and be prepared for the ISEE and SSAT test.