Getting into a Science High School is one of the most desired achievement for sixth graders in the Philippines. In the midst of skyrocketing tuition fees for private schools, Science High Schools offers high standard of education without breaking the bank as it is fully subsidized by the government. For indigent families, financial grants are also provided by the school on top of the free tuition fee. A big window of opportunity await graduates from Science High School as their chance of passing big universities both here and abroad is very high. Some even qualifies for scholarships in Ivy leagues abroad.
From what I know of, each city and major town has its own Science High School, each with its own set of admission requirements and grade retention policies.
As Heinel is in his last year in grade school, we thought of giving Philippine Science High School (PiSay) a shot. Before submitting the requirements, I explained to him the benefits of enrolling, and if ever, graduating in PiSay. As Math and Science are among his strongest subjects he got excited with the idea of being in a school that will further strengthen his skills. To set the expectations straight, we reminded him that being in a science high school also means hard work. We had been told of the amount of schoolwork and pressure that comes with being a PiSay scholar. It will be quite an adjustment for him since he comes from a Montessori learning set-up while PiSay is a traditional school. We want Heinel to be at least be aware of that idea, in case he got accepted in the program.
Eligibility and Requirements
It is easy to get the basic details about PiSay eligibility and requirements as it is provided in detail in their Facebook account and their website www.pshs.edu.ph.
The great thing about PiSay is that the application forms are downloadable from the same website. The announcement of the beginning of application requirements comes about by month of July so be sure to be checking out their website from time to time if you are planning to submit. Their testing dates are usually around October so be sure to comply and submit the requirements by then.
Aside from the basic identification documents, the following were the requirements will be provided by the school grade six students are enrolled in:
- Portion of the application form
- Certified true copy of the Grade 5 report card, signed by the class adviser or the school principal.
- If the final grade in Math or Science are below 85%, a certification from the school as proof that the student belongs to the upper 10% of the batch.
It is best that these data are requested from the school as early as possible to get the results faster. There might be a number of students from your child’s school who will also apply in PiSay, and surge on the requests and other delays might be encountered if your submit too near the deadline.
Submission of Application Forms
Lucky for us, we live near PiSay so submission of the application form is convenient. It also gave me the chance to get a glimpse of the school campus.
I appreciate that the school is surrounded by a lot of greens; wide lawns, well-cared plants, sturdy trees. The magnificent green field adds to the serene charm of the campus.
The canteen is open and airy. I like that it is not in an enclosed room, giving the students to feel the breeze coming from the trees surrounding them.
I also commend the school for the tight security. Those going in and out of the campus are asked to disclose the purpose entry to the campus. I was also given a slip to be filled up by the contact person to validate my business for going in.
The Admissions building is not hard to find. It is located on the second floor of the building where the canteen is. It is also where the Cashier and other school services offices are located.
Provided that all the requirements are well prepared and complete, the submission process is quick and hassle-free. The staff are nice and very accommodating. They even told me how glad they are that a number of students from Heinel’s school have submitted their application.
For kids enrolled in private schools, there is a minimal fee which I paid upon submission of the requirements. For those enrolled in public schools. application is free of charge. Once all requirements and fees had been settled. a stub and form will be given indicating the date, time and location of examination. Be sure to read carefully, especially the location. There are various testing sites in PiSay so as not to cause inconvenience, make sure to know and even check the location of the testing site prior to the exam date.
Preparing for PiSay Entrance Exam
Now that we have the examination schedule, it is time to prepare of the exams.
A number of Heinel’s classmates enrolled in weekend review classes in preparation for PiSay entrance exams. Please note, however, that on the date of writing this post (2019), PiSay does not offer review classes nor are they endorsing any review school, as confirmed by the staff from the admissions office.
In our case, we opted for Heinel to self-review because he is already taking Kumon lessons for Math and English. He also has his basketball learning camp during weekends. We would not want him to get all worked up and exhausted during the weekend.
For our home review, we started with MSA reviewers which we purchased from National Bookstore. We find its Math solutions really helpful and easy to follow. It helped Heinel (well, yes, even me!) understand a lot of concepts. It also has good set of Abstract Reasoning sets.
Halfway through answering MSA, we combined with review materials from PiSay. It is a set of 3 booklets which I purchased in PiSay on the same day I submitted Heinel’s application. It is also has a good set of review questions but it does not provide any solution on Math equations.
On Examination Day
After months of preparation, exam day finally came! It is a good thing that it was scheduled early in the morning so Heinel did not become so nervous for too long.
Despite the distance of the exam site, it is advisable to arrive at the venue early. We are assigned to a public school approximately 10-15 minutes away from home. The distance was not the concern, but the traffic. Because most public schools do not offer a lot of parking spaces, it can be expected that the zone around these exam sites will have slow moving traffic. On our way back, we saw some parents and kids walking a few meters away because it came to a point when traffic was not moving at all. It is best to come early to avoid the stress of being late.
Another reason to come in early is to have the time to look for your child’s assigned classroom. In our case, the list is posted in the bulletin board thus, several parents are in queue to view the list. Not everyone is lucky enough to have their child’s name on the frontpage of the list so give some time allowance for that.
Students were asked to line up based on their room number on the school covered court. Parents were not allowed to join the kids at that point so from then on, the kids are left with the assigned teachers as they will all go together to their assigned rooms.
The examination lasts about 3 hours. By the time it was finished, it was almost lunch time. For me, I only felt a huge relief since I know how nervous Heinel is. He was even worried about how he did even after the exam but we told him to just let it go. He did what he already can; the rest is up to the will of the Lord. If he is meant to be in PiSay, then he will pass. If not, it means there is a different path chosen to him.
PiSay results will be out by January next year through an announcement and list of students who passed. We are hopeful and at the same time not expecting too much. For now, we just wait. 🙂