High scoring child looking for feedback on middle school

[HerecomestheSun]

I was hoping for some feedback for my dc. We are seriously considering ESMS because of location. I hear good things about academics there too. My child scored all 4's on report card and 4.5 ELA and 4.41 in Math. Dc happens to be very competitive and adores being challenged. My other thought would be Anderson but I'm worried about the commute and the fact that I would have to tutor for the test. I don't want to make it so difficult if the schools are more or less equivalent. I would be grateful for any thoughts on the matter.Thank you.

[FancyBookLearnin]

I was hoping for some feedback for my dc. We are seriously considering ESMS because of location. I hear good things about academics there too. My child scored all 4's on report card and 4.5 ELA and 4.41 in Math. Dc happens to be very competitive and adores being challenged. My other thought would be Anderson but I'm worried about the commute and the fact that I would have to tutor for the test. I don't want to make it so difficult if the schools are more or less equivalent. I would be grateful for any thoughts on the matter.Thank you.

Success Academy UWS or Union Sq?

[TAGPARENT4TH]

i think anderson is materially better than ESMS based on hearsay plus state test scores (Anderson has a higher percentage of kids that score 4's in both ELA and Math than ESMS). unless you child is coming from a citywide g&t, most of the anderson kids will prob be well ahead of where the average ESMS student is given the citywides accelerate (other G&Ts just enhance and add breadth to current curriculum). even with those scores, i think there are so few seats at anderson, most likely you'll end up at ESMS anyways. unless you get very lucky (which is a sad thing given your very strong scores). Anderson has said they'll have about 10 seats avail vs ESMS which has 123. If they like to be challenged, Anderson is your school, but admittance is like winning the lotto.

[HerecomestheSun]

Thank you Tagparent4th for your insightful answer. I think you are correct, although Anderson might be a good fit in an ideal world. my dc isn't in a g&t currently and I feel like if I'm going to prep like that I might as well try for Hunter and get a full year to rise to that level. Dc wasn't prepped in order to get the grades he got, just really enthusiastic and had a wonderful, thoughtful 4rth grade teacher who explained Common core like a boss. It is like winning the lottery for Anderson and I don't think I'm up for all the hoopla, I'm sure many other parents will take my place and I wish them and their child great success.

[GregsTutoringNYC]

Just a note that prepping for Anderson would be nothing like prepping for Hunter. The perceived and actual difference you're sensing between ESMS and Anderson would be magnitudes more between Anderson and Hunter.

To your original question, even the best of schools have many problems and challenges, every single last one of them. Re ESMS it has a reasonable culture with some out of the box stuff going on with very good stats that I think with the deets you provided thus far would perhaps be a joy.

[HerecomestheSun]

Thanks! GregtutoringNYC,
My best friend has her child at Hunter. I am well aware of the difference and thus the year long prep. I'm fine either way. Observing my friends dc, Hunter is on a total other level as you said and those kids need a home, glad NYC provides one for them. If my dc is indeed that child, I'm sure Hunter will let me know next year.

[MBNar]

"...the year long prep."

FYI, my child did not attend an elementary G&T, had similar scores to yours, did not get into Anderson MS and got into Hunter the following year. We did not prep for any of the exams including Hunter.

[GregsTutoringNYC]

Not that Hunter has many seats at ~175 but Anderson even pales that by 17-fold less. That aside, at the end of the day, a kid meeting the Hunter test cutoff has to obtain the no-doubts-about-it additional information from somewhere.

[MBNar]

a kid meeting the Hunter test cutoff has to obtain the no-doubts-about-it additional information from somewhere.[/QUOTE]

Well "gregstutoringnyc" clearly stands to gain from scaring parents into thinking their child must be prepped to pass the Hunter test, but that simply isn't true. The HCHS exam is designed to test academic potential. Many of the kids there came from regular general-ed schools and did not do any formal prep for the test.

[GregsTutoringNYC]

If you want to discuss the issue, including disagreeing with me, go for it, but if you're only here to hurl insults and make aspersions for some unknown reason then you're in the wrong place. Peace and love to you in this holiday season.