ISEE scores....ugh (Paris: fit in, home, school district)

[MSC31]

Our daughters ISEE scores were not great. It ended up not being a great time for her to take the test but we didn't have any other options. We are definitely nervous that her chances of getting into a school have decreased rather dramatically.

We did just receive her ERB scores from November. I am planning on having the scores emailed to the admissions people tomorrow morning so hopefully those scores will help. Thoughts?

[EDS_]

How old is she?

Is she angling for admission into a private for next Fall?

Send the ERB tests to everyone relevant as you mentioned.

What schools are you considering?

[MSC31]

She is a rising fifth grader and we are applying for the fall.

We applied to Hockaday, Greenhill and Parish.

I'm hoping that the scores don't play a huge part in the decision process and that they realize it is just one day. This is going to be a long month.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by MSC31

She is a rising fifth grader and we are applying for the fall.

We applied to Hockaday, Greenhill and Parish.

I'm hoping that the scores don't play a huge part in the decision process and that they realize it is just one day. This is going to be a long month.

Without overstepping comfortable bounds do you mind sharing her ISEE percentile scores?

[MSC31]

I don't mind sharing. She made three 6s and one 7. We would have had her take it on a different day (she was getting over the flu and had a play performance the night before) but we didn't have a good option that wouldn't have taken us into February. I don't know that she would have done better on another day but her ERB scores usually include 7s,8s and a 9 or two and that is taken in November when they haven't been exposed to some of the stuff tested.

I just hope that everything else helps. Who knows...maybe all the insane hours I have spent volunteering at her current school will help her. (-:

I do wonder if we should have done test prep with her but I really did not want her to stress out about this test. She is already so sad about moving and scared about getting into a school that we have really tried to lessen her anxiety about it and just told her to do her best.

[SMS_Parent]

Three sixes and a seven is a solid ISEE performance. You have to to remember that the group taking the ISEE is the most self-selected, high achieving group possible. The test pool consists only of students applying to relatively elite to highly elite schools (particularly at the fifth grade level) so coming out above the average -- four fives -- is a solid performance. According to the counselors at my kids' private elementary school, because of the difference in the testing pool between the ISEE and regular achievement tests, you should expect that ISEE scores will come in one to two stanines lower than the child's normal achievement test performance.

I am not familiar with the fifth grade ISEE scores at the schools you are applying to, but when my children were applying to high school, the average ISEE for accepted ninth grade students at Hockaday, Ursuline and Jesuit was pretty consistently around a 26. I would say that a 25 is in for sure at Parish. Hockaday and Greenhill may be more of a toss up, but it sounds like you are coming from out of town, which can actually be a helpful factor since your daughter won't be in competition with other kids from the same elementary school.

[Gladly]

I know this is an old post but in case someone is searching for this topic, I wanted to add my experience to hopefully demystify the process a bit. I have no idea how each school looks at a 4,5,6 on the ISEE but I can share that my daughter received one 5, a couple of 6's and one 7. I forget if there was another score in there but it would have been a 6,7 if there was 5 categories. We applied to Parrish, Greenhill and Hockaday. She was accepted to all 3. The rest of her file was strong in my opinion. Good recommendations from current school and teachers, a musician, articulate and well spoken in person. She was only 11 at the time but mature and felt confident in her responses in the interview. We had no connections, no legacy, no special situations.

[ISEE1234]

My kid just received ISEE scores and had a low of 6 and a high of 9 and a net total of 30. Applied to SM and GH.

Now the long wait for March 8th begins.

[wynnedutch]

Originally Posted by ISEE1234

My kid just received ISEE scores and had a low of 6 and a high of 9 and a net total of 30. Applied to SM and GH.

Now the long wait for March 8th begins.

The thing to keep in mind is that there are so many other factors that are considered for admissions to the top-tier schools. If not applying in an "expansion year" (5th and 9th), so much will depend on availability of a spot in the class. SM typically only admits 4-6 boys for "off years". And to get more granular than that, it also depends on the type of kid you have. Meaning, do they play competitive sports, are they more artistically or musically inclined? Demographically how do they fit in, not just the class, but also as it relates to the type of kid that vacated the spot, or creates diversity in the class.

Don't let being on a wait list discourage your and your child's long-term vision for their academic and social development. This is the hardest part. Our son spent 2 years on the wait list at SM, but was ultimately admitted after someone didn't move from California for the same seat in the class. We also have friends who were wait listed on their first application, then the next year told no. It's a stressful journey for sure.

(for reference, our son had a 31 cumulative on the ICEE the year he was admitted - no test prep/tutoring, other than us printing a couple free practice tests online for him to get comfortable with the format).

**TLDR version: ICEE scores are just one of the many variables taken into consideration for admission.

[ISEE1234]

Originally Posted by wynnedutch

The thing to keep in mind is that there are so many other factors that are considered for admissions to the top-tier schools. If not applying in an "expansion year" (5th and 9th), so much will depend on availability of a spot in the class. SM typically only admits 4-6 boys for "off years". And to get more granular than that, it also depends on the type of kid you have. Meaning, do they play competitive sports, are they more artistically or musically inclined? Demographically how do they fit in, not just the class, but also as it relates to the type of kid that vacated the spot, or creates diversity in the class.

Don't let being on a wait list discourage your and your child's long-term vision for their academic and social development. This is the hardest part. Our son spent 2 years on the wait list at SM, but was ultimately admitted after someone didn't move from California for the same seat in the class. We also have friends who were wait listed on their first application, then the next year told no. It's a stressful journey for sure.

(for reference, our son had a 31 cumulative on the ICEE the year he was admitted - no test prep/tutoring, other than us printing a couple free practice tests online for him to get comfortable with the format).

**TLDR version: ICEE scores are just one of the many variables taken into consideration for admission.

Sorry I just saw your response, so replying after a while. Thank you for the information provided. My son is applying to the 9th grade. so it is an expansion year. His overall application is solid and am pleased with his ISSE scores. I tutored him at home so nothing fancy

We have applied to GH too but SMS is our preference. If he doesn't get in either we are lucky to be a in a good school district. The whole application process was a great learning experience for my son and okay with whatever happens now.