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The STAR Math test is roughly half your test score for Lowell High School Band 1 admissions — and most prep guides skip it entirely. This post covers what 8th graders are tested on, what scores you need, and how to prepare for all three Lowell admissions pathways before the December 12 application deadline.
The CPS HSAT gives your child one shot — 60 minutes, no retakes — to secure a seat at Chicago's most competitive selective enrollment high schools. This guide identifies the specific critical thinking and math reasoning sub-skills that drive HSAT scores, explains the 900-point admissions system, and shows you how to build a prep timeline that actually works.
The Boston exam schools MAP test has two testing windows, one registration deadline for non-BPS families, and a 70/30 scoring split that changes how you should prep. This guide walks you through every key date and decision point for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle so you can build a strategy that works for your child.
The 2026 SHSAT is expected to be computer-adaptive — and that changes how your child should prepare. This post breaks down the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that separate 550+ scorers from the rest, with real score targets for Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, and Brooklyn Tech.
Free TJHSST problem-solving essay practice is almost impossible to find — most resources either charge $50+ or stop at telling you the test exists. I've seen students with 3.9 GPAs miss admission to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology because they treated the Problem-Solving Essay (PSE) like a math worksheet instead of a reasoning demonstration. Your child's GPA gets them to the starting line. The PSE is where 550 seats get decided. This post gives you five actual practice prompts, a self-scoring rubric, and a preparation plan you can start using today — at no cost.
MAP-M test prep for Blair Magnet looks nothing like studying for a regular school math test. This guide covers 10 critical thinking strategies built specifically for the Blair Magnet math preparation your 8th grader needs — from adaptive test mechanics to essay writing tips, with a complete application timeline.
If your child is a current 9th grader in North Carolina, the NCSSM application window opens October 15, 2026 — and preparation starts now. This guide covers the Math Assessment, essay strategies, course choices, and how to decide whether NCSSM is the right fit for your family.
The Detroit Examination High Schools admit students through the High School Placement Test — a 298-question, paper-and-pencil exam that can only be taken once. This guide gives 8th graders a concrete 3-month HSPT prep plan, free practice questions for every tested subject, and a full breakdown of the essay and scoring system specific to Detroit admissions.
Lowell High School is San Francisco's most competitive public high school — and the Lowell High School STAR score requirements are the number every family wants to know. This guide breaks down Band 1 point totals, what STAR Reading and Math scores actually contribute, and how to prepare for all three admissions pathways before January.
Most Chicago parents start researching CPS HSAT prep too late. This guide gives 7th grade families a concrete, month-by-month timeline — covering the 900-point scoring system, socioeconomic tiers, and the reasoning skills that determine whether 8th grade prep is fast or frantic. If your child is aiming for Walter Payton, Northside Prep, or any CPS selective enrollment school, the work starts now.