Accommodations for the ISEE and SSAT

December 4th, 2017|

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS TAKING THE ISEE    Educators are fully aware that many very capable students struggle taking standardized tests because they have learning or physical challenges. This is why accommodations are offered to students who "are unable to take the ISEE under standard conditions" These challenges must be documented and upon approval, a student may be eligible to receive [...]

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Is it necessary for juniors to take the PSAT?

October 11th, 2017|

Is it necessary for juniors to take the PSAT?   Well no, not necessary. But it’s a good idea for several reasons.   First, colleges are willing to look at PSAT scores and give them weight when they’re beginning to sort out admissions. So not only is it worth taking the PSAT for this reason, [...]

September To Do List for Independent School Admissions

September 18th, 2017|

September is when families are embarking upon the admissions process for the following school year.  This is a time to gather information about the schools to which you're applying and plan for their specific requirements for admission.  One of the most important pieces of advices that we give parents is to make sure you are not holding up [...]

Kids can learn how to take a test well without stress. In fact, that’s the best way to learn.

March 30th, 2017|

When I played the saxophone, I had fun. But I didn't love it so much that I wanted to practice 8 hours a day. And I was OK with that. I liked goofing around and being able to play what I wanted to. But no one was offering me a spot in their band, and [...]

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Why Do Kids Struggle with Standardized Tests? Part II

March 9th, 2017|

If you want to see what these tests look like to your kids, the Youtube video linked below will give you a fairly good idea. In it, three college grads – one from Yale, one from Stanford, and one from UC Berkeley – try out a couple of questions from standardized test given in South [...]

Why Do Kids Struggle With Standardized Test Questions?

February 23rd, 2017|

Whether you understand the meaning of a test question or not may depend on whether you’re the one who wrote the test, or are the one who’s taking it. As experienced teachers, we've seen this first hand.   We would write questions for tests that seemed perfectly fair. The material had been covered in class, [...]

5 Steps to Acing the Writing Section of the Test

February 20th, 2017|

When it’s time for the writing section on the test, you will very likely do just fine using the writing methods you’ve been taught in class.  So while you don’t want to try to learn any new style, since this is a timed writing sample, there are a few strategies to know before you sharpen [...]

What Are Schools Looking For in the Writing Section?

February 10th, 2017|

It’s not easy to put together a good writing sample on the test if you don’t know what your schools will think is good.   Do they want formal writing? Should there be astounding thoughts that unlock the secrets of the universe? Should it be in iambic pentameter?   Don’t worry. None of those things [...]

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Reading Comprehension – Finding the Best Strategy for You

February 1st, 2017|

     The first thing to know about the reading comprehension section of any test is that it is not a test of how well you read. It's a test of how well you take a reading test.      What this means for test takers is that to do well on this test section, [...]

What Parents Should Know About Standardized Tests

November 17th, 2016|

One of the great myths out there is that students who know the material taught in class will be prepared for standardized tests. But  the reality is that except for a few naturally great test takers, knowing only the academic material is going in half-prepared.   One concept we try to instill in our students is that [...]