A Better Chance Program - Middle Grades

@elijahsmom - I am new to the forum and my son just got accepted to the Northwest cohort.
The higher the precentile the better it is.
For example, if the Reading SSAT percentile is 80 it would mean you son scored equal or better in the Reading section than 80% of the students of his gender and grade who took the test.

Yes, @SkysTheLimit2007 he is willing to go anywhere. I hope his chances are good. We are working out a strategy to bring up his math score on the SSAT.

That’s great @1OboeMom — it pays to be open minded! From what I know those are the applicants who usually have great success!

Good luck!

@mandumama Thank you so much.

@fire18 South Boston, will see you this Sunday

For the parents that been in the program before wondering about scholarship package? is it full scholarship or you pay a percentage if percentage how high could it be? Just being anxious?

@elijahsmom it depends on your income (and outgoing expenses). In the fall, you’ll complete a financial statement and provide taxes. They will generate a dollar sum that you “can afford” but a lot of the time that number is still high for many! The schools then take that sum and determine what they will award you. It also depends on how big of an endowment the school has. A lot of the time the schools that have a lot of money will offer very generous financial aid packages to students they really want for whatever reason.

@SkysTheLimit2007 thanks so much

My son is scheduled to do the SSAT on 9/16/18 thru ABC but was wondering should I privately do the ISEE on 11/3/18 and see which one he does better on? He just started 5th grade today but did study throughout the summer via testinnovators and purchased SSAT book. Or should I wait for the SSAT results before scheduling the ISEE for November? Any help will be greatly appreciated

@elijahsmom if I were you I’d go ahead and schedule the ISEE for as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you get the SSAT results because it will likely be too late. My daughter took the ISEE the very week that school started last year then did the SSAT the next week. By Nov 1st ABC was able to refer her to the schools we picked because all the results were in. She started her new member school today!

me being anxious again? in the Northeast Cohort going to schedule the ISSE privately some says that some kids do better on ISEE rather SSAT? Is it true? Will I be able to give the results he has done better in? These are the school I was thinking about for middle school admissions: Noble& Greenough, Milton Academy, Thayer Academy, Lexington Christian Academy and Beaver Country Day School, as listed begins with first choice. Which schools give the best financial aid? and anything else you may think off?

The northeast cohort will not schedule the ISEE for you. You have to schedule on your own and list ABC as the recipient. They will decide what scores to send to the referral schools. If your son is a 5th grader, nobles is not an option at this time. It has a 7th grade entry point.

@elijahsmom financial aid depends on your financial statement that you’ll submit soon AND what the schools would like to do also. My child applied to three of those schools and was admitted to all three with financial aid packages for each. I also know people who were accepted to schools but he financial aid wasn’t enough…it just depends and I don’t think you can say until they make an offer!

@fire18 my friend’s daughter got in 6Th grade at Nobles via Steppingstone a few years ago. But thanks good to know early. Will schedule the ISEE then. Thanks

I am the OP for this forum and although we were referred by ABC and accepted to various schools the FA was not enough. Luckily we also applied to Non ABC schools and D attends one of those schools. We were in the NYC Northeast Cohort and they did schedule the ISEE for us. My D preferred this test better and I would recommend taking both. I would also recommend applying to Non ABC schools, but I think that depends in your market. All that we learned at ABC was very helpful for the application process to non ABC schools so no regrets. FA is the deal maker or breaker so that is why it helps to have various options. You will file all the paperwork and get an estimate, but you really don’t now how much you will get until you are admitted.

@magnetnh we are in the Boston area and we will be applying to non member schools as well. We don’t have as many options for a 7th grade entrypoint as NY

Yes, my child preferred the ISEE too for whatever reason although I’m not sure which results were forwarded to schools. She took it online at an independent test center and I got the results emailed the very next day.

I also wanted to add that when you get your estimate as to how much you should be able to afford, some of the accepting schools will literally go by that in their offer of financial aid, while other schools might allow you to pay less. You can never really know.

@fire18 We’re in the Boston area too. Even with less 7th grade options than NY, you have some great choices! Are you trying the exam schools also?

@SkysTheLimit2007 What is exam schools? We schedule the SSAT via ABC for 9/16 and ISEE in Foxboro for 11/3. I am making him study everyday. Two more questions about the essays? Can he use the same personal statement as before? Asked his teacher to grade his expository essay as well after he writes it this weekend. Is there a third essay due on 12/1? because there is essay by 10/1 and graded writing sample by 12/1? What’s the difference. Thanks

@elijahsmom I believe that exam schools refers to NYC schools. As far as the essays go, they need to write a new personal statement and expository essay. I don’t believe that the expository essay can also be used as a graded essay. He will need a separate one.
Just to clarify; the personal statement and expository essay are due 10/1. The graded writing sample should be something separate; hopefully an assignment for school and that’s due on 12/1. We haven’t even received the page for the second due date, so there’s plenty of time. I would recommend waiting on the graded writing sample. There’s plenty of time. If in November he hasn’t had an assignment for school, then you can ask his teacher if he or she will grade a different essay.

@Momto4kids Thank you so much.