Greetings from the Valley,
Soon the empty picture above will be full of the energy and enthusiasm that makes the place, the place! Until then, I trust that summer continues to move along at a familiar pace and that you are all enjoying the time with family and friends.
I have been in touch with many of you at some point over the summer and look forward to growing a strong partnership with everyone as the year progresses. I wanted to write with a couple of important points regarding secondary school counseling and planning.
I have enjoyed some much needed time off this summer, but I am excited about the start of a new school year. I am certain that you have been doing your homework this summer, and you have been exploring the schools on your preliminary list. It is important to remember that this is indeed a preliminary list. I am happy to discuss options with you as the summer winds down and the school year commences.
I am hopeful to see as many of you as I can during the fall term either in person or if need be via Zoom. Enjoy the last month of August as days grow shorter, and we near the return to the Valley. We are looking forward to your children returning to campus this September!
Regards,
Clayton Ketchum P’14, ‘17
Director of Secondary School Counseling
SECONDARY SCHOOL INTERVIEWS -
The interview is an important component of the admissions process, as is the tour itself. It is essential for your student and you to feel that a school could be the right place, and there is no better way to do this than to be on their campus and see the place in action! Rumsey has reserved the entire week of October 16, 2023 for Seniors to visit and interview in person at secondary schools. We can provide a quiet place for your child to interview virtually here on campus, if need be. It is best that you schedule interviews and visits during the week of October 16, 2023 so students do not miss valuable class time. Please be sure to communicate any virtual interview needs to Clayton or Julie.
TOEFL SCORES
If your child has taken the TOEFL during these last several months, please be sure to forward a copy of the scores to me or Julie.
SSAT SCORES & DESIGNATING RUMSEY AS SCORE ADVISOR
If your child has taken the SSAT over the last few months, it is essential that you designate Rumsey Hall as your Score Advisor. While we will not send any of your child’s scores on to schools, this does give our Secondary School Counseling Office access to your child’s test results so we can continue to work on your child’s behalf. You can add a Score Advisor during or after registration for a test. Instructions are available under Resources/Links at the end of this Newsletter or contact Julie at jfred@abadiadetortoreos.com and she will send you the instructions.
SSAT PREPARATION
It seems that many schools will continue to remain test optional this upcoming admissions cycle, but we will still proceed with an on campus test on November 11. While our area does not have the resources to provide support for test preparation and practice, parents and students can utilize online preparation platforms detailed below.
As I have said in the past, test preparation is only as effective as the prepper, but families have had great success with their children using the services and practice offered by Test Innovators, Summit Educational Group and the SSAT online practice tests in the ssat.org portal.
Test Innovators:
http://testinnovators.com/
Summit Educational Group
http://mytutor.com/
SSAT Prep Options:
http://www.ssat.org/prepare/practice
SSAT TESTING OPTIONS FOR THE FALL
As Rumsey’s Academic Calendar indicates 2023-24 Academic Calendar, the Class of 2024 will take the paper-based SSAT here at Rumsey on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The Placement Office will register your child for this test, so please do not do this on your own.
The two (2) remaining fall National Test Dates for paper-based testing take place on Parents’ Day (October 14), and December 9. If you would like your child to take an additional SSAT test (aside from November 11), please try to avoid October 14. The At Home Online Test is offered by SSAT on weekends Friday - Sunday every 3-4 weeks. Registration opens on August 1st. Note that an At Home Online Test cannot be administered here on Campus. SSAT At Home International students, in most cases, remain limited to paper-based tests.
To Do List – based on the last few Newsletters:
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Schedule interviews at secondary schools the week of October 16, 2023. Keep in mind your child’s academic, athletic, and programming commitments during the fall term when choosing other dates and times.
- If English is not your child’s first language, register your child for a TOEFL or forward any recent scores to Julie.
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Designate Rumsey Hall as your child’s SSAT Score Advisor. Email Julie Fredlund if you need assistance with this.
