I like the index card idea. Thanks for the tip @CaliMex. I was so nervous about it that I reached out to the TASO schools he was referred to. He will be able to do offsite interviews here for four schools next month. Those were the schools I was most concerned about. I’m waiting to hear from the others. If he does end up doing a few Skype interviews the index card will help put him at ease. Thanks again!
Has anyone else heard anything recently from the Northeast region? We haven’t heard anything and haven’t gotten a response to emails. Kind of wondering if something is up, but I assume they are just really busy.
My best friend’s housekeeper has two daughters who I adore and I’d like to help them get involved with ABC since the social life among the latino kids at their NorCal public schools tend to revolve around gangs. Who can educate me on the basics? The parents don’t speak any English. All ideas welcome. There are no private schools near their tiny NorCal town, either. (No idea if they would even be open to boarding school… but these girls and their family deserve better…)
@CaliMex have you checked out the ABC website? There is lots of info there. The application for next year opens in February and is due some time in the spring. You are told if you are chosen in June and if chosen they prepare you during the fall for the application process. All the people here have been involved since last spring. The kids write essays and get references which are sent in directly to ABC. They then send out that application to member schools, you don’t have any other applications and pay no fees. The downside is that they choose the schools to which they will send that application. We put down a list of up to ten schools in which we are interested, but they make the final decisions. All of us right now are waiting to hear which schools have received our children’s applications , it’s a bit anxiety provoking!
Yes & my child received 11 referrals. We reside in NY. They have been extremely responsive for us. Please call them, if you haven’t already done so. Wishing you the best of luck:)
We received 7 CSP referrals, but zero day or boarding ones. I’m wondering if they were working on the NY ones first. We’re in the Boston area and unfortunately the silence for them has been deafening. I can remember some of this happening with our older son. It really felt as though the Boston area was considered second. I just wish they would send out at least a blast email to all the Boston families. In some ways this makes sense as I know that the NYC schools have earlier deadlines.
I just wish they would respond to emails! Can anyone else in the Boston area tell me if you’ve heard anything? At the very least we will have some interaction this coming weekend at interview day!
@Momto4kids as you may or may not know, my daughter was in last year’s cohort and started at her school in September. Last year, we received her referrals on November 3rd and by this time all her interviews were arranged. I did hear a couple of days ago that NE referrals were still being worked on and that none had been sent out yet. I know that the NE manager is out on maternity leave still and there is someone working in her place — I wonder if that’s playing a large part in things not running as smoothly this year? I hope you hear something this week!
@CaliMex the kids have to sit a benchmark SSAT as part of the application process then are selected as part of that years’ cohort. They then work towards being referred to schools. Depending on how old the girls are, boarding schools may be their only option OR traveling daily to the member school. There are ABC member schools in many states so you’d have to see if there were any close-ish to where they live. During the fall, they’d sit the SSAT and those results, along with their application would determine which schools they would be referred to. They are all top notch schools, so their application packages must be as competitive as possible, obviously. It’s a great program, especially for people who don’t know too much about the process. Good of you to try to look out for those children!
My daughter is an ABC Student. We live in the Midwest. She received her referrals late November 4. She has 3 skypes and 1 phone interview this week. The Skype process is pretty cool.We zre scheduled to visit a school this month and one next month. Make sure you are working on the financial aid piece of the process.
It sounds like they are working on boarding and community schools first. @SigmaJaRay congratulations on your child’s referrals! Once she is accepted by a school and signs a contract, then she will officially be an ABC student, right now she is part of the cohort. You make a good point about being sure to work on the financial aid part because that can be quite lengthy and takes time!
I hear you about the financial aid part. This is my third child to go through the process and I know it very well. The good thing is that the information that I’ve done in prior years is pre-populated into this year’s application. I just need to add this year’s financial data.
@Momto4kids that’s good to know! This is my second year in the financial aid department and didn’t know about it being pre-populated — thanks!
Did you older two get into a school? How many referrals did you work? My daughter is doing skypes, although a few face to face in the next couple of weeks. She does not have a top choice, but likes all the referrals we are working.
@SigmaJaRay My oldest wasn’t with ABC, but my second son was in the 2016 group. He had 19 schools referred although five of those were CSP. The CSP are different in that they contact you if they are interested. It was really crazy getting all the tours and interviews done for the other schools on his list, but it worked out. He actually only had rejections and wait lists on March 10th that year, but stuck with it and was placed in a totally different school in May. We are in the Boston area so we were able to interview at them all in person, it was crazy. That’s why I’m a bit freaked out now as we haven’t heard anything from the NE office at all. We need the time to get interviews done!!
Thank you. Your reply is helpful. We will trust the process.
Referrals came in for my son this morning, thank goodness! Now to schedule interviews and tours!
Great news @Momto4kids — schedule away!
Awesome!
Should we visit a school after the Skype interview? A Skpe was offered I assume because we live in IL and the school is in CT. The skpe was today.
What are your thoughts on visiting after the Skype interview?