Many families with eighth grade students are well into the process of looking at potential secondary schools for their children. Although parents naturally want to do everything possible to ensure successful entry into the right school, it is important to recognize the opportunities presented during this process to shift agency and responsibility to children. Engaging […]
We encourage students to find the test – whether the SSAT or the ISEE – that works for them and to prepare for that test. However, sometimes students will perform about the same on both tests or will simply want to give both the SSAT and the ISEE a try. How should students best go […]
Thinking about taking the SSAT or the ISEE and trying to figure out which is best for you? The first step is to make sure you know the requirements of the schools that interest you. In the Washington, DC area, most schools (other than some of the Catholic schools that require the HSPT) will accept […]
First, let’s define demonstrated interest; after that, we can explore how it can help you make an informed decision regarding your college choice. “I thought demonstrated interest was me telling colleges that I am really interested in them?!” Yes, this is true. You are the one reaching out to colleges, and demonstrated interest is an […]
Soon, private high schools will send out their admissions decisions. I’ve helped hundreds of families through this process, and I am no longer surprised by the immense significance families often place on the outcomes of these decisions. Some truly believe that whether or not their student “gets in” to their first-choice private school will forever […]
One of the exciting things about starting at a new school or beginning a new year is the opportunity to be a new you – a fresh start, a reset, an opportunity to reinvent yourself. The transition from middle school to high school can be one of those classic moments. One of the really cool […]
Applying to college is taxing, from the first college visit until the final decision is made. Perhaps no time in the process is more stressful than ticking through these cold weeks, politely dodging the questions of aunts and cousins, waiting for a stranger in an office somewhere to decide what your next four years will […]
The flurry of a private school admissions process feels, in some ways, more complex even than the looming college process. Parents in the Washington, DC area have a vast number of choices, but they often lack some information that feels necessary to understand what their child’s experience may be like at a given school. Further, […]
No matter how often we get this question, we are still perplexed. We think, “Of course they matter!” Still, it’s not unusual for an aggressively hard-working, disciplined senior to be looking for the light at the end of the tunnel after years of grinding out assignments, never missing soccer practice, all while leading the debate […]