Getting into Private School

Your child has taken the SSAT as part of the admissions process for several schools. You have received the Scores Report. Now, what does it mean? How do you read the Scores Report?

Background

The first thing to remember about the SSAT is that each private school you are applying to views SSAT test scores through its own admissions lens, as it were. That means that your child's score won't necessarily mean the same thing in the various admissions offices. Why is that? The answer lies in the fact that each private school is an independent, legal entity. In other words, each school does its own thing. Each school has its own educational philosophy, its own idiosyncratic approach to teaching, and so on. Most schools also have had years of experience and tradition teaching young people. That means that their admissions officers know what kind of applicant will be successful in their educational and community setting.

So, where does a standardized admissions test like the SSAT fit in? It provides a common platform for assessing basic academic knowledge. Put another way, if Sally from Middle School A applies, she will be taking the same admissions test as every other applicant, regardless of where they go to school. Standardized testing provides a level playing field; at least, that is the theory behind standardized testing. Read Aaron Churchill's essay Bless the three reasons for standardized testing for an overview of the subject. Most standardized admissions tests

Sometimes things don't go exactly as you'd like. For any number of reasons you find yourself starting the school search process really late. Perhaps you have been transferred and are suddenly faced with finding a place for your child. It's May and the move is planned for July. You need a place for the fall. And fast. What do you do?

Contact Schools.

Contact the schools directly and see if a place is available. Phone the admissions department as soon as you can. That assumes, of course, that you know the schools in the area to which you are relocating. But what if you don't? What if you simply don't have time to do all that careful research? The solution is to hire an educational consultant to do the work for you. Consultants know private schools and have the contacts to find a place for a qualified student.

This video deals with the issue of missed deadlines. While it talks about college admission deadlines, the same principles apply to private schools.

You May Be in Luck If There Are Places.

Back to the original question: what if you have missed the deadlines for entry next fall? You probably will be out of luck when it comes to the most competitive schools. But there are plenty of very good schools which have rolling admissions or no fixed admissions deadline. In other words, they admit qualified

You applied to several schools. But your first choice didn't accept you. Instead, it waitlisted you. What exactly does this mean? And why do schools waitlist applicants? What do you do now?

What does waitlisting mean?

Schools typically offer places to more applicants than they have places for on the theory and experience that they will receive enough acceptances to fill all their seats. Calculating the actual yield from the acceptances which they have sent out is something that experienced admissions officers know how to do almost instinctively. For example, let's say the school has places for 100 students. It could send acceptance letters to 100 applicants. But what happens if only 75 of those families accept the places which have been offered? Having 25 empty seats will wreak havoc with any private school's finances.

That's where the waitlisting comes in. The admissions officers know that if they offer a certain number of applicants over the actual number of places that they have available, that they will receive the necessary yield of acceptances. For example, using our hypothetical 100 places available, the admissions office sends out 125 acceptance letters. The admissions staff know that historically they will receive 90-100 acceptances when they send out 125 acceptance letters. But what if circumstances conspire to produce the number on the low end of the yield scale? Say they only receive 90 acceptances? That's where the waitlist comes into play. The school will send out 125 acceptances. It will make up

You thought everything was set. The test scores were excellent. She had glowing teacher recommendations. The visit and the interview went well. But the school didn't accept your child. What do you do now?

A private school does not have to accept your child. Nor does it have to give you any reason why it has refused your child admission. How can this be? Surely there must be some federal or state laws which govern the situation? There is no legal recourse because private schools don't take public funding. They pride themselves on their independence. They admit who they choose for whatever reasons they decide are best.

Most of the time parents find themselves in this frustrating situation because they thought they could chose a private school for their child by themselves. Of course technically you can do it. You can also write your own will or buy a house without consulting an attorney. But would you? Should you? Do you trust your limited knowledge of private schools? That is why you need to hire a professional educational consultant. A consultant offers you a wealth of experience for a very modest fee. While she can't guarantee that your child will get into a particular private school, a consultant knows private schools. He understands the process, knows who to call and the questions to ask.

So unless your father endowed the school or was its first headmaster, don't take a chance. Seek and pay for the expert advice you need. Here

Many Roman Catholic high schools don't use the SSAT or ISSE admissions tests as part of their admissions requirements. For instance, Roman Catholic high schools in the Archdioceses of New York and Brooklyn/Queens administer the Test for Admission Into Catholic High Schools or TACHS.

Elsewhere in the country, you will find the Cooperative Admissions Exam (COOP) or the High School Placement Test (HSPT). What the admissions staff are looking for is readiness for high school level academic work. The tests are generally given in the late fall of grade 8. Study.com offers a Practice and Study Guide for the COOP exam.

This video from Petersen's offers strategies for taking the HSPT.

Diocesan and archdiocesan high schools generally admit most of their new students from elementary schools within their own dioceses. (A diocese is a legal territory and entity under the control and jurisdiction of a bishop.) Consequently, most of the students have been educated to certain standards that are well-known within that diocese. Standardized tests are not necessary in order to develop a student profile. That profile is already well-known. as well, the teachers and principals of the diocesan elementary schools themselves are known quantities. That being the case, it is simply a matter for the admissions office to identify any marginal performers and decide on those applicants. The testing per se has already ben