Superscoring, Score Choice, and the Digital SAT
/Most teens who choose to take the SAT may end up sitting for the exam more than once, but colleges deal with multiple SAT scores in different ways.
Read MoreDigital SAT | Top 13 Changes in the New Digital SAT
/The transition from the traditional paper-based SAT to the new Digital SAT marks a significant shift in the landscape of standardized testing. . Here are the top 13 changes in the New Digital SAT:
Read MoreSHSAT Test Prep NYC | SHSAT Tutoring
/Have you asked yourself whether your child would benefit from a private SHSAT tutor, or if a class might better suit his or her needs? Have you questioned how much time your family should commit to the SHSAT test prep process? Are you concerned about how your child will fit tutoring into a tight schedule that is filled with numerous school and family commitments as well as after-school activities?
Read MorePrepping for the SHSAT: Hire a SHSAT Tutor Or Go It Alone?
/For any students in NYC who are thinking of attending a specialized high school, the SHSAT is the key to getting accepted. Because the SHSAT is the only entry criterion that specialized high schools use to accept new students, it is important for students who take the test to achieve a high score.
Read MoreSHSAT Test Prep Guide| Everything You Need to Know About the SHSAT
/If a student is thinking of attending one of the specialized high schools in New York City, he or she will have to excel on the SHSAT (Specialized High Schools Admissions Test). This test determines which students are eligible to attend the Specialized High Schools in NYC, which include:
Read MoreHunter College High School Entrance Exam | What You Need to Know
/If you have a sixth grade child in NYC, chances are that you’ve heard about Hunter College High School (HCHS), more commonly referred to as Hunter. Situated on the Upper East Side, Hunter is a free K-12th grade school administered by a division of the City University of New York (CUNY), rather than the NYC DOE. HCHS is known for educating intellectually gifted students from diverse backgrounds, and for having a rich and accelerated curriculum. It is one of NYC's most competitive public schools, with an acceptance rate of about six or seven percent, depending on the amount of applicants.
Read MoreWhat to Look for at a NYC High School Fair
/The best way to determine which types of schools will be the best fit for your child is to attend high school fairs: you and your child will have the chance to talk to representatives from all kinds of high schools.
Read MoreWhat Happens in an Alumni Interview?
/At this point during the year, students applying to colleges might have to do a few alumni interviews. These can be stressful, especially when students are trying to balance schoolwork, applications, and extracurricular activities all at one. Thankfully, alumni interviews only count for a tiny portion of a college application.
Read MoreMidyear Check-In for High School Juniors
/Junior year is halfway over, but there’s still a lot that students need to do as they prep for senior year and the college application process. There are decisions to be made about high school classes and AP (Advanced Placement) courses, as well as the AP exams themselves in May. Students might want to take the SAT and ACT during junior year or some SAT II subject exams, so they can see what areas they need to strengthen. Brainstorming ideas for college essays and asking teachers for recommendation letters are also essential. Finally, there are college visits to do and college lists that students need to make.
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Improving Math Scores With Online Tutoring
/Plenty of kids struggle with math, and this can be frustrating because each year of math classes builds on the year before. Falling behind during one challenging year can mean students stay behind in their later classes. Ideally, students would always have access to a tutor in order to work through homework problems, review tough concepts from class, and prepare for tests, but this isn’t practical for most people. Many families have turned to online tutoring solutions for extra help at a more affordable cost, with the added flexibility of access around the clock, by either scheduling an hour of tutoring on specific days, or using one-off sessions in order to master a concept before exams.
Read MoreSAT Accommodations for Dyslexia
/Standardized tests can be rough for students with learning disabilities, and the thought of rushing through reading comprehension questions based on long passages can be stressful for anyone with dyslexia. For teens who apply to colleges that require SAT scores, there are testing accommodations available for students who qualify, and these accommodations can make the test-taking process a little bit easier. Additionally, teens may want to apply to a few test-optional schools, such as the ones listed on Fairtest.org, so they don’t feel as pressured about their exam scores.
Read MoreISEE Testing Accommodations |How Do I Get Accommodations for the ISEE?
/If your student plans to attend an independent or private school, particularly for middle or high school, he or she will need to score well on the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). This exam is offered nearly every month at participating schools in the city, and students can retake it as many times as they want at six-month intervals. The increased flexibility of the ISEE exams (as compared to the five test dates for the SAT, for example) means that students who want to take the ISEE exam early in the year as practice, and then improve their problem areas later in the year have the freedom to do so.
Read MoreELA and Math Exams in NYC | Everything You Need to Know
/All third through eighth grade students in New York City have to take annual math and English Language Arts (ELA) exams in order to fulfill New York State’s test requirements. This rule applies to students in public, private, independent, and charter schools, as well as students who are homeschooled. For some students, these exams are also the first step toward applying for a selective middle school, while other students just need to do well in order to achieve a good grade in that year's math and ELA classes. Sometimes these tests can be confusing, especially because strong scores can be required by middle schools or junior high schools during the admissions process.
Read MoreACT Writing Test: What's Changing on the ACT Writing Section?
/The ACT, a well-known rival to the SAT for students planning to apply for college, has an optional writing section for students who want to display their writing skills. In mid-October the ACT announced plans to change this writing section for tests beginning in the fall of 2015, so current high school sophomores and juniors will want to pay attention to this change if they plan to take the ACT.
Read MoreACT Test Dates, Location Of NYC Testing Centers 2014 -2015
/Below you will find some useful information on ACT test dates and registration deadlines for 2014-2015. You can also find the addresses of testing centers located in NYC. Please note that there are no test centers scheduled in New York for the February test date.
Read MoreISEE Test Dates At NYC Test Centers
/In this article you will find some useful information on ISEE test dates, location of NYC test centers, and registration deadlines for 2014-2015.
Read MoreHow I Got Accepted to Hunter College High School: One Student's Journey
/I grew up in New York City as the oldest girl in a family of four children, and unlike most NYC kids, I didn't go through the nightmarish high school application process. After a brief stint at The Family School for prekindergarten, my parents decided to homeschool me, so I said goodbye to everyone who had counted beans with tweezers and made turkeys out of their construction paper handprints with me during Thanksgiving. I was homeschooled through the end of sixth grade, when I received my Hunter acceptance letter and decided to attend. I began college in 2011 at Amherst College in Massachusetts, and I will graduate in May with a B.A. in Classics, English, and Mathematics.
Read MoreHow Mindfulness Can Improve Test Scores
/Students face tests on a regular basis, from routine school exams to high school entrance tests to the SAT and ACT during the college admissions process. Kids who have to juggle test prep with their typical homework workload and extracurriculars may view tests as a huge stressor, which can lead to decreased performance on exams and test anxiety. Without some kind of strategy for managing stress before exams and on test day, kids can feel a little overwhelmed. Some recent studies on mindfulness and meditation have signaled that adopting some of these practices can ease test anxiety and even improve test scores in some circumstances,
Read MoreHow to Help Students with Learning Disabilities Prepare for Standardized Tests
/New York City schools are already challenging to navigate for students with learning disabilities, and even beyond routine schoolwork, there are many different standardized tests that NYC kids have to take. All of these exams can be daunting for students who have learning disabilities
Read MoreNYS Regents Exam | Everything NYC Families Need to Know
/Teenagers in New York City high schools may need to take five or more NYS Regents Exams in order to graduate with a Regents diploma, but it can be tough to know which schools require the exams, which tests to take, and when students take the exams during their high school career. Every school is a little different, so it’s important to check with the high school counselors and get your school’s exact schedule, but you should be prepared for five exams or more taken over the four years of high school. When you’re trying to get more information about the exams, you may wonder:
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