We publish 27 in-depth prep guides covering 26 selective enrollment and competitive admission schools in California, including Archbishop Mitty High School, Archbishop Riordan High School, BASIS Independent Fremont, BASIS Independent School, BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, Bellarmine College Preparatory, Bellarmine HSPT, Bishop O'Dowd High School, and 18 more — covering essays, exam strategy, and application timelines.
Francis Parker School requires both the unscored ISEE essay and its own Student Writing Assessment — two timed writing challenges most San Diego applicants underprepare for. This post teaches a 30-minute argument framework, section-by-section ISEE score targets, and a prep timeline built around Parker's February 1 priority deadline.
The Mark Twain IHP Interdisciplinary Assessment tests four specific critical thinking and problem-solving skills — and no published practice tests exist for it. This post breaks down each skill with student-facing examples and gives you a concrete prep plan tied to the actual IHP eligibility criteria LAUSD evaluators use.
The IHP Placement Assessment at Walter Reed Middle School is one of the most demanding middle school entrance exams in Los Angeles — and LAUSD releases zero official practice materials. This guide breaks down all four tested domains, the 2026–27 admissions timeline, and exactly how to prepare your child before the January exam.
Junipero Serra High School requires the HSPT for 9th-grade admission — and the Serra Scholars benchmark sits at the 90th percentile. This guide gives Bay Area 8th graders a concrete, section-by-section prep plan to hit that target before the one-shot December 6, 2025 test date.
Getting into La Jolla Country Day School means mastering the ISEE — and two separate written components most families never see coming. This guide covers LJCDS-specific ISEE stanine benchmarks, a prep calendar tied to the February 1 deadline, and exactly how STEM critical thinking practice connects to the sections LJCDS weighs most.
Lowell High School admissions 2026 explained: Band 1 STAR score cutoffs, Band 2 essay strategy, and all three pathways to get your child in.
The HSPT Quantitative Skills section trips up more Mercy Burlingame applicants than any other — and almost no prep resource covers it in depth. Here are score benchmarks, question-type breakdowns, and a timed practice strategy built around the STEM critical thinking skills your daughter needs before December.
The Moreau Catholic admissions essay feeds directly into scholarship decisions — and most prep resources ignore it entirely. This post gives 8th graders and their parents specific, current strategies for writing an essay that stands out to Moreau's Scholarship Committee, tied to the school's Holy Cross mission and the February 4 deadline.
The HSPT for Notre Dame High School Belmont is administered on December 6, 2025 — and most students don't start preparing early enough. This guide gives you exact test dates, section breakdowns, competitive score targets, and a month-by-month NDB HSPT prep timeline built around the December deadline.
The HSPT Quantitative Skills section is the one Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep applicants prepare for least — and it directly affects honors-track placement. This post explains exactly what is on the section, why it works as a STEM critical thinking test, and how Bay Area 8th graders can prepare before the December exam.
Getting into Saint Francis High School in Mountain View means tackling the HSPT — 298 questions in 150 minutes — plus three separate Ravenna essays. This post shows Bay Area 8th graders how STEM critical thinking is the fastest lever for improving HSPT quantitative reasoning and verbal scores, and what the full Diocese of San Jose admissions timeline looks like.
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.