Expert tips, strategies, and insights to help you succeed in academy entrance exams and beyond.
Explore Articles
Getting into St. Mark's School of Texas means more than strong grades — your son's admissions essay and ISEE writing sample both land on the same desk. This post gives grade-specific essay strategies, an ISEE prep timeline, and writing tips aligned to St. Mark's core values of character and leadership.
St. Agnes Academy requires the ISEE Upper Level — and even though the essay is unscored, admissions officers read every word. This post gives Houston families school-specific ISEE essay tips, target stanines, and a prep timeline built around St. Agnes's exact deadlines.
St. Ignatius College Preparatory is one of the only Bay Area Catholic high schools that requires a same-day timed essay immediately after the HSPT. This guide explains exactly what the SI Post-HSPT writing prompt is, how admissions staff evaluate it, and how to build a realistic 8–10 week practice plan before December 6, 2025.
Shrine Catholic High School requires both an HSPT score and a separate written essay — and most families don't know how to prepare for both. This post gives you school-specific essay tips aligned to Shrine's mission, plus HSPT score benchmarks that unlock up to $4,500 in merit scholarships.
The Southeastern High School application requires a scored, 750-word persuasive essay graded by two independent reviewers — and most Detroit 8th graders don't know it counts. This post breaks down all four guiding questions, the DPSCD HSPT format, scoring weights, and a step-by-step writing framework built specifically for the DPSCD examination high school application.
SLA Beeber replaces the bubble-sheet entrance exam with a project-based presentation — but two gatekeepers stand between your child and a lottery seat. This guide walks you through PSSA eligibility thresholds, how to choose a strong project, and exactly what SLA evaluators are listening for.
Montgomery Blair's Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Magnet Program now uses MAP-M scores — not a separate exam — as a key admissions criterion. This guide explains what RIT score is competitive, how the adaptive format changes your prep strategy, and what your 8th grader should practice right now before the November 7, 2025 application deadline.
Your 8th grader gets one shot at the PSAT 8/9 this school year — and the score counts for 50% of the S&T @ Oxon Hill composite. This month-by-month prep plan walks Prince George's County families through exactly what to study, when to study it, and how the 2880-point admissions formula works.
Science Leadership Academy admissions work nothing like a traditional magnet school process — no written test, but your child must clear PSSA score thresholds and deliver a live project-based presentation to SLA staff. This guide walks through every step: hitting the 50th-percentile PSSA benchmark, choosing the right project, and understanding the ranked-choice lottery that determines final placement.
School Without Walls admissions 2026 is more competitive than most DC families realize — roughly 1,400 students compete for about 150 seats. This guide covers the GPA you actually need, what happens inside the panel interview, and exactly what the on-site writing sample rubric scores so your child walks in prepared.