FAQs If you have questions, we hope you find answers here.

No. We are not a scholarship organization, however, many of our Member Schools offer need-based financial aid based on specific guidelines and each family’s financial situation.

In some cases, the A Better Chance application will show a family is not a fit for the A Better Chance program. In this case, A Better Chance will decline the application. This means A Better Chance will no longer consider the application for the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, but the family is free to apply again in future years.

A family whose application shows them to be a fit for A Better Chance will be admitted to the A Better Chance “cohort.” The cohort is the group of families who will go through A Better Chance to hopefully secure placement at an A Better Chance member school.

Decades of experience at work for you

Applying as an A Better Chance Candidate will give you benefits in the school admissions process because of the long standing relationships we have built with admissions offices at each school. We actively work to leverage these relationships to your benefit.

Less Paperwork and Fewer Fees

In most cases, you only have to complete the A Better Chance application to apply to a number of schools at once - and school fees are waived! Some schools will require supplemental information.

A Personalized School List

We forward your child’s A Better Chance application to schools that we believe will be a good match for them, based on their activities, interests, and strengths.

An advocate by your side

You have the organization advocating for you the entire time (highlighting your student’s strong points and potential!)

Increased insight

As a candidate, you will have access to workshops that cover everything from interview prep to financial aid.

Continued support and leadership development

Scholars placed at Member Schools have continued student support and access to family programming, such as traveling, college tours, and more leadership opportunities, throughout their time at the school.

No. Information sessions are not mandatory. They are an opportunity for you to learn about our program from an A Better Chance representative.

The A Better Chance application is free. However, there are costs associated with test registration, test prep, and financial aid applications. During the Candidate phase, we provide fee waivers for families who meet our income eligibility.

Complete applications receive a decision in mid-June.

Our main method of communication is email. During the application process, A Better Chance will send communications about upcoming information sessions, the release of the application, and missing items. Be sure to use a personal email address that you check regularly when beginning the application process, check your junk/spam, and add recruitment@abetterchance.org to your email contacts.

We use income as a criterion for eligibility in order to best serve those in need of our services. Additionally, we use your financial information to make determinations about eligibility for our Community Schools Program and fee waivers for testing and financial aid applications. If you have questions about income, please contact recruitment@abetterchance.org.

There is no interview required for this part of the application process. If you are accepted to the program, you will participate in mock interviews and conduct official interviews for your referred school(s).

You will be expected to attend one week of summer programming and other scheduled workshops during the application process. These dates will be sent to you after you submit the online application.

A Better Chance candidates take the SSAT and/or ISEE exam beginning in September. Information about which test to take and how to register are provided ahead of time.

Test prep services are available through A Better Chance, but are not mandatory. You may access other test prep services independently.

A referral is a school(s) that we believe is a good match for you based on your activities, interests, and strengths. We send your application only to these schools and advocate (highlight your strengths and potential) for your placement there.

This begins in the fall, after students complete supplemental requirements and take the SSAT/ISEE.

A Better Chance hosts a tuition assistance workshop during the candidate process with information on how to apply, when to apply, and how tuition assistance is determined by schools. However, we encourage you to do your own research as well.

Understanding Private School Tuition Assistance

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