Anderson Middle School Prep FAQs

Anderson Middle School Prep Frequently Asked Questions

Kweller Prep will offer a prep course for students in the 5th grade who have received invitation letters to take the Anderson Test.
This course will cover complex math topics and advanced personal and descriptive essay writing. The Anderson school entrance test is written by Anderson teachers ad no part of the exam is released to the general public. Much of the content below can be found on the Anderson School’s website and from emailed invitation letters sent to families

About Anderson Middle School

The Anderson School is an academically selective talented and gifted completely free public school that seeks a diverse student population and welcomes applications from students of all races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds living in any of the five boroughs. Anderson is a K-8 school but accepts about 10 students in for Grade 6 Admissions. Students must apply directly to the Anderson School using their school’s own application. The application is separate from the district middle school application that public school students will submit to their guidance counselor. Applying to Anderson does not jeopardize a student’s chances of being made an offer from any other school. All applicants will be ranked based on a calculation from our Eligibility Rubric that weights all components of the student’s fourth grade final report card and fourth grade NYS Math and ELA test scores. The 200 highest-scoring students, as determined by the Eligibility Rubric, will be invited to The Anderson School’s onsite admissions test. After the invited students take the onsite admissions test, the acceptance list and ranked waitlist will be created using our Admissions Rubric, which includes the onsite test score, fifth grade report card, and teacher recommendations. Admissions notifications will be emailed to families in May, at the same time as all other Department of Education middle school placement notifications. Anderson is a feeder into the Specialized High Schools (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech…). Over 90% of Anderson students gain admission into Specialized High Schools.

Anderson Grades 6-8 FAQs

Q1: How Many Seats Do You Have For Next Fall?

A: We expect to have approximately 12 seats for 6th grade, because we expand our class size in 6th grade. That number may increase somewhat once our current 5th graders notify us as to whether or not they will continue at Anderson. Most years a significant number of our students are accepted into Hunter College High School, which begins at 7th grade. We will not know how many 7th grade seats will be available, if any, until late February.

Q2: How Many Students Are In Your Upper Grades?

A: Next year’s 6th grade will have two homerooms of about 32 students each. We expect our total student population in grades 6, 7 & 8 next year to be approximately 215 students. In Anderson K-8 this year, there are approximately 560 students.

Q3: What Are The School’s Hours?

A: Regular school days run from 8:20 am-2:40 pm, with half days ending at 11:40 am.

Q4: DO Students Travel From Class To Class With Their Homerooms?

A: Yes, with the exceptions of electives, advisories and health education.

Q5: Is There Off Campus Lunch?

A: Starting in January of 6th grade, students can earn twice a week off-campus lunch privileges with specific boundaries and with parental permission. In 7th grade, it is extended to an option of 3 times a week and in 8th grade to 5 times a week. We revisit this privilege annually.

Q6: What About Afterschool?

A: Students in grades 6-8 participate in our on-site free afterschool program, run by Manhattan Youth (www.manhattanyouth.org.) Many classes are taught by Anderson teachers and include our debate, chess, math, and Science Olympiad teams, a musical theater production, literary magazine, our 16 sports teams and much more. Students in grade 6 can also attend our for-a-fee afterschool program with offerings such as fencing and computer programming (www.wingspanarts.org)

Q7: How Much Homework Is There?

A: Anderson is a highly academic school, so students can expect up to 90 minutes of homework per night, with additional time for long-term projects.

Q8: Is There Transportation?

A: According to the Office of Pupil Transportation, students may receive either a half- or full-fare Metrocard depending on how far they live from the school. Free yellow bus service may be available for 6th grade students who live in Manhattan and are not mandated for the extended day schedule. Families can also contract with private bus services to and from the Bronx. The cost can be up to $4,000 a year, depending upon your distance from the school. There are no private bus companies currently bringing students from Queens or Brooklyn.

Q9: Do Students Take Any Regents Exams?

A: Yes, students take the Integrated Algebra and Living Environments (Biology) courses, both leading to the respective Regents exams in eighth grade. Students may also take the Spanish Proficiency exam.

Q10: What About High School Placement?

A: The vast majority of our 8 choice schools. Many have received acceptances to specialized public high schools (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, LaGuardia Arts, American Studies at Lehman College, MSE at City College and Brooklyn Latin) and desirable, high performing local schools including Bard Early College HS I and II, Beacon, Eleanor Roosevelt, Millennium, Nest+M, Townsend Harris, Upper Lab. In addition, students have been accepted at private schools such as Brearley, Chapin, Dalton, Deerfield, Fieldston, Friends, Horace Mann, Nightingale-Bamford, Regis, Spence and Trinity. We have a full-time guidance counselor to help families with the high school admissions process.

Anderson Grading Rubic:

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Anderson Admissions Overview:

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Anderson Exam Sample Invitation Email:

Below is a sample email sent to parents whose children were invited to take the Anderson exam in the 5th grade. The only way to take this test is by invitation. While the exam itself is strictly confidential, its safe to assume that the exam tests accelerated math and ELA and is an above-grade-level test. It is not likely that basic 5th grade ELA and math will be tested.

Dear Parent(S)/Guardian(S):

We are pleased to invite your child to take The Anderson School’s admissions test for incoming sixth graders for the 2019-20 school year. Please follow the link provided below to select an appointment for testing for Saturday, February 2nd at 9:00 am or 11:45 am. If you have a religious conflict on Saturdays, please send an email immediately to ___ Our make-up test date is Thursday, February 7th from 4-6 pm.

  1. Fax or email any 504 testing accommodations immediately to ______

We will need a copy of that paperwork by January 28th. If your child has a 504 for extended time for testing, you must schedule a morning test appointment only. Please note: If your child is ill on the testing date, please send an email to us that morning. You must provide us with a doctor’s note in order to be permitted to reschedule testing.

On The Test Day:

  • Bring the Testing Confidentiality Form, at the bottom of this letter, signed by parent and student, or your child will not be admitted to the test! (Do not send this to us prior to the test date.)
  • Bring a couple of pencils with erasers. If your child forgets to bring pencils, we will supply some. Your child may also bring a clear plastic bottle with clear water to drink during the test.
  • Arrive at The Anderson School between 8:30 am -8:50 am for your 9:00 appointment; or at 11:15-11:35 for your 11:45 pm appointment. The school is located in the William J. O’Shea Campus at 100 West 77th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. Subways are at Broadway & 79th Street (the #1 train) and at 81st & Central Park West/American Museum of Natural History (the B and C trains.)
  • You will turn in the Testing Confidentiality Form at the registration desk in the lobby. In exchange, your child will be given an index card with identifying information. This card is your child’s admissions ticket to the test.
  • Immediately after check-in you will be directed to the auditorium and your child will be taken to the testing floor, so please make sure your child already has his or her pencils and water before you enter the building and be ready for a quick goodbye.
  • Once the students have settled into the testing rooms, we will have a few things to share with you in the auditorium before you enjoy some time to yourself. You may wait in our auditorium or you are welcome to explore our neighborhood.

Some children complete the testing in 45 minutes while others like to take advantage of the full two-hour testing time. Whenever they are finished, students will be released to the auditorium where we will have volunteers to supervise them. A cell phone will be available, so your child can contact you if you are not in the building when he/she is finished with the exam.

About The Test

Our admissions test is not a standardized test; it is a test written by our teachers, similar to a mid-term classroom exam, consisting of a writing assignment and a math assessment. There are no multiple choice sections. Students will be offered a total of two hours to complete the test, although they may leave when they are done. There will be no interview. Please do not have your child bring a portfolio.

Student cell phones must be turned off during the test. They will be collected prior to the start of the exam by the proctor in each room. If the faculty or staff determines that a student’s cell phone is on or has been used at any point during the testing (including the classroom, hallways, stairwells, or rest rooms) his/her test will become invalid immediately and the student will not be eligible for retesting for this year.

If the proctor feels that a student is cheating (looking at another student’s work or talking to another student during the exam) their test will become invalid immediately and the student will not be eligible for retesting.

Do not invite friends or classmates who may also have applied. Students who are not scheduled for this date/time will not be admitted.
This test will be a significant part of the school’s evaluation for admission to the 6th grade for the 2019-20 school year and it is also the only way to be considered for admission to the 7th grade for the 2020-2021 school year. If you are no longer interested in having your child test for admission to The Anderson School, please let us know right away.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Disclaimer: Kweller Prep Programs are not refundable. Read our policies and procedures here.