A Better Chance Program - Middle Grades

Just got an e-mail from our Regional Dir that they are working out issues with website

We were able to access the notification letter on the website. He made it over the first hurdle now the real work begins. We are so pleased and excited.

Just got my son’s acceptance! Happy he’ll be able to have the chance his brother had.

I just checked the portal, my two were both accepted! Hope everyone else receives good news.

Congrats!! Thankfully, my daughter was just accepted as well. Would you be able to give me an idea on the next steps? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

My childrens’ letter had a sign up to attend orientation next week (Boston is the 24th). I know Ny was listed as well. We are delaying our vacation to attend.

We are in the MidAtlantic region and my daughter recieved notice that she was accepted into the upcoming cohort this morning. Feeling Blessed.

Congratulations everyone!!! The first big hurdle is over and it’s a great feeling! I’m thankful for the program and am absolutely happy to help with any questions you might have over the next few months!

Congrats! While keeping/increasing your SSAT is important, the attendance to the events AND behavior observations are just, if not more - depending on your SSAT, important. Kids often don’t get referred after this phase because of a drop in grades and or poor behavior (during camps - usually when parents are not there).

Today at 9:00am: Congratulations every one and my son received notice that he accepted in the upcoming cohort. Feeling blessed and grateful. Any parents from the Connecticut

@SkysTheLimit2007 where is your child attending next year and what grade will she be entering? We are located in the Boston area too.

SkysTheLimit2007 please advise, is there any transportation facilities from CT to New York Workshops

@adhawan if you live in the CT area, you need to find your own way to the workshops in NY. Is that what you’re asking? You can actually go to any of the NE workshops, Boston or NYC.

Congratulations!
@fire18 I’ll try to pm you!

My son was accepted too lives south of Boston. Sign up for 6/24 at 9am in Boston and 8/22 as well. Not sure was going to happen during these meetings.

At those meetings you’ll go over the program requirements and what to expect. You’ll see a good number of families in the cohort, some of whom you’ll see over the next year and some will drop out. You’ll meet Liz, who leads the Northeast team and she is the person you’ll have most contact with during the entire process. One of the summer meetings is for the kids only, where you’ll drop them off for two consecutive days and pick them up at 5. There, they work on their personal statements,etc before the applications get forwarded in the fall. It’s important for the kids to be at the meetings because the team need to get to know them — that way they can better advocate for them when they apply to schools. Later in the year the meetings are geared very much to the parents and you’ll get lots of advice on anything you need plus there is a specific financial aid workshop and referral workshop whiich are really beneficial.

@elijahsmom I will see you at orientation on 6/24. We live South of Boston too.

@fire18 still debating between day and boarding schools? my son will be going to middle school not too many boarding schools available for his age group? I am Tamara btw.

We’ll be at the Boston orientation next weekend as well. My son is applying for 9th grade. He’s my third son to go through the private school application process. My second used ABC and found it helpful. It’s so much easier come application time as they only have to do the one application and then ABC disseminates that to the member schools. My oldest had to write so many essays that his head was spinning. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s no application fees as well.
What did you all think of the SSAT scores? Being a 7th grader currently, my son had to take the upper level. His scores were very lopsided, 90s for math, but very low for verbal and reading. We’ve got our work cut out for us this summer! Not too surprised as this fits with his strengths.

@elijahsmom if your son is in middle school then ultimately the decision will be made for him as to where he will be referred should he continue with the cohort. Based on his real test scores in the fall (he will sit another SSAT through ABC) and his overall application they will decide where to refer him. You get to express an interest in particular schools but the kids don’t get referred if ABC doesn’t feel their application will be competitive. Obviously you apply independently if you want to though. Some kids only get one referral but the older kids generally get way more because they are wanting or willing to go to boarding school. My daughter ended up with five referrals as a middle schooler be because she was only going into 6th grade so more limited. If you live near a member boarding school though, you can apply as a day student if they support your child’s grade — that’s what my child is doing.

@elijahsmom and @Momto4kids my children will bE applying for 7th and we are only considering day schools. They currently attend a school that does not give standardized testing and the SSAT was their first experience. I thought they did fine but I will definitely have them do test prep all summer. I will also have them take the ISEE instead of the SSAT.