Dear Prospective Families,
We hope you have been able to find some time to rest and unwind during the summer months. At Vistamar, our Admissions Office has been working hard on plans for virtual shadow days, open houses, and informational coffees for the fall. We will be sure to provide you with the necessary information later this summer, but for now, we wanted to take a moment to update you on our testing policy.
Earlier in the spring, we announced that Vistamar would go test optional for any family submitting a Rolling Admissions application for fall 2020. COVID-19 had an immense impact on families wishing to take standardized exams. Moreover, going test optional eliminated the unnecessary anxiety surrounding the exam and accompanying test prep during an already stressful time. By making the swift decision to provide an alternative assessment, families had a more pleasant and seamless experience.
With COVID-19 continuing to impact education, we want to reduce the stress families may experience during the application process. To that end, we are extending our test optional policy to applicants for fall 2021. Any family that would like to take the ISEE or SSAT may submit those scores for consideration. Families that choose not to have standardized test scores considered can sit for Vistamar’s writing assessment at no additional cost.
For years, standardized exams have played a minimal role in a student’s application at Vistamar. We pride ourselves on being able to take a truly holistic approach in our review process. If an applicant family chooses not to submit the ISEE or SSAT, their admission file will not be negatively impacted.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Vistamar Admissions Office
