We publish 7 in-depth prep guides covering 7 selective enrollment and competitive admission schools in Massachusetts, including Arlington Catholic High School, Boston Exam Schools (Boston Latin School, O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Boston Latin Academy), Boston Exam Schools (MAP), Boston Latin Academy, Cathedral High School (Cathedral 7-12), John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science and Malden Catholic High School — covering essays, exam strategy, and application timelines.
The Arlington Catholic High School HSPT is a one-shot test — the Archdiocese of Boston allows no retakes. This guide covers 2026 test dates, school code 14, competitive score targets, and section-by-section prep strategies to help your child earn a top percentile score and maximize merit scholarship eligibility.
Getting into a Boston exam school in 2026 means understanding a 70% GPA, 30% MAP Growth formula — and knowing how competitive each school really is. This post breaks down Boston Latin School MAP score expectations, O'Bryant MAP requirements, and Latin Academy admissions so you can build the right strategy for your child.
Boston Public Schools now uses the MAP Growth Assessment — not the ISEE — for exam school admissions. This guide explains the 70% GPA / 30% MAP scoring formula, key dates for 2026, and exactly how to prepare your child for Boston Latin School and beyond.
The MAP Argumentative Essay is a scored, rubric-graded component of Boston Latin Academy admissions — and most families don't prepare for it at all. This post walks you through the exact BPS scoring rubric, step-by-step writing strategies, sample prompts, and a model response so your child walks into test day with a plan.
If your child is applying to Cathedral High School in Boston, the HSPT is the one test they take once — no retakes allowed. This post breaks down exactly what HSPT scores Cathedral looks for, how percentile rankings affect scholarship awards, and how to prepare your 8th grader before the fall testing window opens.
Getting into the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science means mastering two things: your GPA and the NWEA MAP Growth test. This guide explains O'Bryant's exact 70/30 admissions formula, the RIT scores you need, and a step-by-step prep plan built around the May and December test windows.
Every parent of an 8th grader applying to Malden Catholic asks the same question: what HSPT score does my child actually need? This guide covers score benchmarks by program tier, the one-attempt Archdiocesan rule, and how to build a top-quartile Quantitative score before test day.