<p>I'm hoping for some guidance here. D2 is in 10th grade, academically successful and socially miserable at the local public HS. We have just seriously starting considering private school starting in 11th grade, and it appears that deadlines are VERY soon! In fact, she really can't take the SSAT any sooner than early Feb and many deadlines are in January. So, here are my questions:</p>
<p>Will they consider the application with the SSAT pending (but does have a 10th grade PSAT score of 228)?
Is it reasonable to complete this process in 2-4 weeks?
How to deal with disabilities when applying to private schools? She needs some support for anxiety/social skills and extra time on tests/assignments.
What's the best way of sorting out whether there are kindred spirits or a culture that would work for this quirky kid? We'd really be changing for this reason.
We are in central NJ and are considering George School and Stuart Country Day. If anyone has suggestions for others...?</p>
<p>Our daughter attended a day school and decided last Feb to apply to BS. We were beyond the application submission deadlines, though calls to the schools assured us that, if she took the March SSAT and submitted her applications by the end of Feb, she would still be considered. </p>
<p>It was an intense two weeks of application essays and I would testify that she never slept, but all applications were submitted (5). Similar to your girl, she’s bright but gets time accommodations. So, it is possible, but difficult to accomplish the mission. What worked for her was to prioritize the applications before starting the writing. This gave her the spiritual comfort that the most important ones were out the door first, and greatly helped to reduce the stress. </p>
<p>We gave total transparency to the schools about her extra needs (including the independent school she attended for two years). This really worked out well as it opened a dialog about how the school helps kids like her, and assisted us with valuable information and a sense of the school culture not covered in the glossy booklets, when she had to decide where to attend. In no way did we get any sense that this was perceived as a negative in the application process. </p>
<p>After she’s accepted to the school(s) many have visit days where she can spend the day on campus and come away with a good sense of the fit. </p>
<p>My daughter applied a little late and they took her PSAT, which was good, but not as good as your daughter’s.</p>
<p>I’d ask the admissions people if they will accept her PSAT pending the SSAT. Her score is already above the Boarding School cut off for NMQT, they might not even make her take it.</p>
<p>I don’t know where exactly you are in Central NJ but have you checked out the Hudson School in Hoboken? I know a few bright, quirky kids who’ve been very happy there.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the info. Both of the schools we have looked into will accept the PSAT and don’t need the SSAT. The Hudson school sounds wonderful but is too far away (and the deadline for high school was 12/31!). We are currently looking at George School and Stuart. We’ll see!</p>