Originally published October 2, 2019 When meeting with parents, this is the most frequent question I get asked, so obviously I’m very experienced answering this simple, logical question. The answer is “I don’t know.” I completely understand that this is a frustrating answer. The entire application process is complex and tiring, and offering this simple […]
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 […]
The week of the test… Prioritize sleep. The #1 test-week “to do” is a straightforward one: get plenty of sleep! Research has proven time and time again that a lack of sleep raises the level of the stress hormone cortisol, impairs cognitive functioning, and even negatively impacts our physical health. Still, too many students with […]
The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is the entrance exam required by many Catholic high schools. Its content is reasonably similar to that of the SSAT and the ISEE, but the HSPT is much faster paced: the HSPT has roughly twice as many questions as the other two tests, but the test runs for about […]
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 […]
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, […]