We publish 49 in-depth prep guides covering 28 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 20 more — covering essays, exam strategy, and application timelines.
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.
Getting into Lowell High School takes more than last-minute cramming — it takes a grade-by-grade plan. This post breaks down exactly when to start Lowell admissions preparation, what the STAR assessments test, and how Band 2 essay prep can open a second pathway to SF's most competitive public high school.
Getting into Lowell High School means knowing exactly how the STAR Reading and Math assessments affect your Band 1 score. This guide covers real point cutoffs, Band 2 essay prep, and what private school students need to know about the lowell entrance exam 2026 test day.
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.
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.
The Lowell High School Band 2 essay is one of the least-covered — and most important — parts of SFUSD admissions. This guide explains what the district committee evaluates, how the three admissions bands work, and how timed essay practice gives your child a real edge in January.
The Lowell Band 2 essay is the least-covered pathway into San Francisco's most competitive public high school — and it's open to students with 1-3 Bs. This guide explains how Band 2 works, what reviewers actually look for, and how timed essay practice sharpens your child's shot at admission.
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 Mercy High School Burlingame HSPT is your daughter's one shot at admission — no retakes allowed. This guide covers realistic score benchmarks for a competitive Bay Area Catholic school, the full admissions timeline from September through March, and a 12-week prep plan built around the December test date.
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.
One test date. No retakes. Real stakes. This guide gives Bay Area families concrete HSPT score targets, Diocese of Oakland percentile context, and a combined test-plus-essay strategy built around how Moreau Catholic's Scholarship Committee actually reviews applications.
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.