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I have a few questions for 1st grade SEES prep and testing. I know that most RGC and Classical programs start with Kindergarten, and only a few start with 1st grade. I really enjoyed the program I put my kiddo in, so I decided to wait to test for first grade so that they can finish their Kindergarten program.
1. Test Prep
From my understanding 1st grade students have to test both for RGC and classical separately. What are some test prep that people used that they felt like were successful with RGC? Classical seems straight forward but I will also take any and all advice.
2. Testing
Did you decide to wait to test your kiddo till the last test date or did you just take the first test date you could? For those who retest every year do you find it better to wait? What does retesting in the same year look like if possible?
3. Waitlist
For those who were waitlisted, how long did you wait to accept a school until you realized you were not going to come off of the waitlist of your school of choice? What is the latest a school will tell a family that they are off the waitlist?
4. Admission
I see a lot of people have said that they test their kiddos every year. Do you all really apply to these schools for non-entering grades? When I look at admissions for schools (for RGC & Classical), it seems like no one applied to non-entering grades and no one was accepted. Just trying to get a feel of the reality of waiting to test for first grade instead of Kindergarten. Is it even worth our time applying to schools that have K entry>
Thanks for reading my long question. I appreciate any advice
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Hey @ChicagoMom4! I can’t answer all of your questions, but hopefully what I can answer will be helpful.
1. You are correct, kids test for classical and RGC separately. My child tested for 5th grade entry; based on what she told me the classical test was more academic, while the RGC test was a “typical” gifted test with more logic, abstract thinking, pattern matching, etc. I didn’t do any test prep, but if you check out this year’s SEES Gifted and Classical Results thread, some parents have shared their resources.
2. My only experience was this year, but there was no option to choose a test date. The different dates listed were for different grade levels; this year there was one testing date/time for each grade and each test in the fall. I believe there are spring testing dates for people who are new to the city.
3. Once you get an offer, you have 48 business hours to accept – so if you get an offer on Tuesday, it expires 11:59 pm Thursday; Friday offers have until 11:59 pm on Monday to decide. I can’t find the exact dates, but I believe this year rolling waitlists are open through the first couple of weeks of the school year.
4. There are definitely people applying to non-entry grades (just take a look at this year’s results thread!) It is difficult to get in, but some are accepted, and it seems this is more common in lower grades than higher (with the exception of 7th grade, when many students go to ACs). For reference, my daughter scored 98th percentile on the classical test and perfectly on the RGC…no initial offers. We’re on the waitlist at 4 RGCs (position #1-4) and 2 classical schools (position #14 & 15). The only waitlist movement has been one spot at each classical school. I would say it’s always worth applying to a school you’re willing to attend, but to open your mind beyond your first thought at the “perfect” choice and view the process with some flexibility! Someone in the results thread posted offer stats from previous years – those can give you an idea of waitlist movement.
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Just wanted to chime in and correct the above: there are multiple test dates for your grade level to choose from for both RGC and classical for non-entry years. You also cannot see other grades test dates, only yours.
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Thanks, ES! I thought I only remembered having one option for each test; maybe that had something to do with the timing of when I signed up or full test dates…or maybe I’m just misremembering. We’ve only tested this one year, so I have no clue what is typical.
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This forum is very oriented toward specific SE schools that are in high demand, like Skinner, Bell, etc. For some other SE schools there seems to be much more movement at later grades. For example, my understanding is that Carnegie never fills all their RGC spots because they don’t get enough applicants. So people here saying that the SE schools are full in non-entry grades are mainly talking about the handful of schools discussed on this forum.
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Agreed. Morton, NTA, and Carnegie don’t get enough attention on this forum. My son has gotten into those schools every year, but they are too far for me to drive to. Plus, my neighborhood school is excellent, so why would I do the drive? I’m sure those schools still have spots available for anyone who wants to enroll their kids in a SEES.
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