HSPT

Gaining admissions into some private middle and high schools is surprisingly similar to the college admissions process. Everything from a student’s grades, extra-curriculars, and teacher recommendations are looked at by the admissions officers at different schools. Since curricula, educational and assessment standards can vary widely from school to school, admissions personnel can compare students from varying backgrounds with respect to the “core subjects” using the standardized test scores.

The most popular of these exams are The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT), The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), and The High School Placement Test (HSPT). The former two are prerequisites to be considered for admissions to many private or independent high schools, while the latter is taken for admissions to parochial (Catholic) high schools. Step one, as with any standardized test, is to determine which schools you’re interested in, and to find out each school’s requirements or preferences. Step two is to learn a bit about what to expect, and how you can begin to prepare. Here’s a breakdown of the three tests:
Read More »High School Entrance Exams – demystifying the acronyms SSAT, ISEE and HSPT