Abacus Mom

New ERB WPPSI IV Books Available for the New ERB Kindergarten Admissions Test

Aristotle Circle has released its new ERB prep book for the revised ERB / WPPSI IV exam.  Aristotle Circle writes:

Our two-volume complete workbook demystifies the new WPPSI-IV test and gives you hundreds of practice exercises and an additional 400+ colorful Vocabulary images.

Bright Kids has released its new WPPSI IV / ERB Practice Test.  Bright Kids writes:

The Bright Kids ERB/ WPPSI-IV Practice Test can be used as a diagnostic tool to help assess a student's ability to perform well on the eight WPPSITM-IV subtests administered by the ERB.  This practice test consists of two books; an Instructions and Scoring Manual and a Stimulus Book that contains all of the picture-based questions from the test. Blocks and a dauber are also included with this practice test.

New York's First International Boarding School Opens

Kyle Spencer has a fascinating article about NYC's first international boarding school, Leman Manhattan:  Seeking College Edge, Chinese Pupils Arrive in New York Earlier

I have noted for the past two years the huge rise in demand amongst Chinese students to come to NYC to attend private school.  Every few weeks, a Chinese consultant calls me seeking to set up an international alliance.  While the consultants hope to send students to Trinity, Dalton, Brearley and Collegiate, the reality is that these elite schools don't have room for large numbers of international students.  Hence the opening for Leman (and soon Avenues) to educate these Chinese students as well as other wealthy, striving students from around the world.

Spencer writes:

According to the Department of Homeland Security, 638 Chinese students with visas attended high schools in the city in 2012, up from 114 five years earlier.

The influx has not been seamless. But the schools — particularly ones with lagging enrollment — have actively sought an international component and parents who can pay full tuition, even if that means accepting students who speak limited English. Chinese students and their parents have seen the schools as a way to gain an advantage on the thousands of students at home who apply to United States colleges every year. They are also availing themselves of a more well-rounded educational model than they find in China, including that decidedly American college application line-item: extracurricular activities.

There is huge money to be made here by enterprising schools.  Look out for more international boarding schools opening in Manhattan.  

NYC Private Schools Ponder How Best to Appeal to Parents

I received an interesting email today:

Dear Emily Glickman,

<Name of Consulting Company>, a consulting and research firm specializing in private-independent schools, is conducting a study on behalf of an independent school in New York City. The purpose of the study is to determine how school counselors, education consultants, and college admission officers determine the quality of an independent school, and which factors they feel are most important. This will be of great value not only to our client, but to our own research that helps us guide independent school leaders in their decision-making.

 We would greatly appreciate the opportunity to conduct a brief interview with you (10 minutes), following an online survey that takes approximately 2-3 minutes to complete.  The identity of our client will be disclosed in the survey.

Interesting how NYC private schools are thinking through how best they can appeal to today's parents.   Manhattan is a competitive market for the schools too.

I confidentially consult with private schools, drawing from my nineteen years talking to affluent, educated New Yorkers about their schooling needs and my extensive marketing background.  My experience includes consulting for the most successful new school.  For more information, you can email info(at)abacusguide.com;  

Ask a Private School Admissions Expert: Guest Blog Post

Thanks to Varsity Tutors, for interviewing me about private school admissions:  Ask a Private School Admissions Expert: Emily Glickman

The interviewer asked me some very interesting questions about the private school admissions process timeline, common parent mistakes, standardized testing and its importance in the process, and more.  This is a very thorough interview. 

I hope you find it helpful as you go through the NYC private school admissions process.

Avenues the World School: Parent Reviews

Jenny Anderson nails the parent and student experience at Avenues The World School in her New York Times magazine article Is This the Best Education Money Can Buy?

I have sent many clients to Avenues, families who applied regular admission and relocating families who got  in late.  Parents have given me almost uniformly positive feedback about the school.  Parents are very excited about Avenues' new approach to education and appreciate that their feedback is valued.

Early in its development, Avenues' management team hired me to consult with them about NYC parents' tastes and the local private school scene.  The school continues to hire and recruit experts on every aspect of education, most recently school nutrition and child psychology.

Anderson writes,

It is almost impossible to get into kindergarten — the school received 350 applications for 25 kindergarten slots — and many parents who applied thinking it was a “safety” school were shocked to be rejected.

I don't find this to be so.  While the private school is rejecting NYC families, especially in entry grades and when children have obvious special needs, at this time it by no means almost impossible to get into.  Avenues is a large school--over 100 students per grade, and this for-profit school needs the seats filled.  I find Avenues is absorbing many students at many different grades.  The school even opened a new kindergarten class after the regular admissions cycle. 

I have had the pleasure of helping more than 20 students gain entry, and will be working with many families considering Avenues this season.