The wild and wooly world of NYC specialized and independent high school admissions is difficult enough to navigate without adding test prep to the mix...which is why we, at Intelligentsia, wanted to give you a data-driven leg up this year!
Ideally, we want your student to ace every test and be admitted to every school in the city, but we also want to increase your efficiency in your student’s testing and applications. Once you have narrowed a list of schools based on your student and family preferences, you may begin to notice that SSAT, ISEE, or SHSAT scores are required. Here’s a quick primer on how to figure out which test might be right for your student.
Basically, we can divide testing into New York City high schools into two groups: those that require SHSAT and those that require SSAT/ISEE.
The SHSAT
The first group, which asks for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (or SHSAT) is comprised of eight aptly named Specialized High Schools only:
Bronx High School of Science
Brooklyn Latin School
Brooklyn Technical High School
High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College of NY
High School of American Studies at Lehman College
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
Staten Island Technical High School
Stuyvesant High School
If these schools do not interest your student, then feel free to skip to the section on ISEE/SSAT! But if your student is bonkers for Brooklyn Latin or a sucker for City College, read on...
SHSAT Test Composition and Scoring
The SHSAT format is two sections, Math and English Language Acquisition (ELA), spread out over three hours, with no extra written essay, and no wrong answer penalty. The highest possible score in each section is 350, leading to a total score out of 700. The key to the SHSAT and therefore, the Specialized High Schools, is that you simply test into them, and are admitted based on your scores (assignment to the schools themselves in the case of testing into multiple ones adheres to a slightly more complicated algorithm, but that’s a story for a later blog post). The cut-off score changes slightly every year, but you can get an idea of the present year’s score by checking the previous year’s score online.
Here’s the good news: your student does not have to get a perfect 700 in order to have a chance at the Specialized HS group. In 2019, the minimum cut off scores were in the 500s and high 400s!
The ISEE/SSAT
If you and your student are interested in the wide array of New York independent schools and even some boarding schools outside of NYC, you can narrow your test choice down to the ISEE or SSAT. But how, you ask, will you decide which test to choose?
While it’s true that some schools will outright list which test they accept, most will take either score. So, choose initially based on your student’s strengths. The ISEE has a slightly more difficult Math section, so if your student is a numbers whiz, they might head in that direction. The SSAT has more age-appropriate math and a slightly more challenging ELA section, so point your little Shakespeare towards that test.
ISEE/SSAT Test Composition and Scoring
Both tests are broken down into four sections plus an essay over 3 hours:
ISEE: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning (basically Math), Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement + Essay (1 prompt)
SSAT: Quantitative 1 and 2 (Two Math Sections), Reading Comprehension, and Verbal + Essay (choice of 2 writing prompts, one personal essay or one short story)
The scoring of each test differs, but the major gist of it is, your student should try to do the best they can.
For the ISEE, your student receives a raw score for each section, which is then converted into a scaled score between about 800 and 940. This number is then read as a percentile out of 100 and finally assigned a stanine (basically just groups or clusters of percentages) labeled 1-9. Aim for stanines 7-9! The essay is not scored but is sent to every school to which your student applies so the admissions specialists can see an example of the student’s undistilled writing. There is no penalty for a wrong answer on this test. Your student can only take the ISEE once every six months/once a school year, so plan accordingly.
For the SSAT, your student will receive a point for every correct answer and lose ¼ point for every incorrect one. Each section will be assigned a raw score, which will be converted into scaled scores between 500 and 800 points and a composite scaled score between 1500 and 2400 points. Your student can take the SSAT multiple times with fewer limits than the ISEE.
When preparing for the essay, consider that besides an exercise in structure, this is also an opportunity for your student to show their personality, voice/ability to write, and sense of humor.
General Testing Tips:
If you do not wish to hire a tutor, buy a book so your child can begin studying at home - Barron’s and Princeton Review make excellent test books with great tips and practice tests.
Whether you work with a tutor or solo, it is important for your student to take a few mock tests to practice upping their score and rehearse the testing experience. This can help cut down on test anxiety, too.
However, keep in mind that there is a limited number of each mock test available in the public domain and plan accordingly.
Schedule your actual test with enough time/awareness that your student might want to do some more studying and retake the test to attempt a better score.
Make sure your student gets a good night of sleep, hydrates, and eats a good breakfast before the test
And my personal favorite trick: send your student to the test with a pocket-sized snack. If they need to do so, they can run to the bathroom on the test break, to relieve themselves and raise their blood sugar levels.
We hope we’ve been able to demystify the test selection process a bit as you begin your journey. Here’s to an easy and exciting high school application process this year and beyond!
— Claire S.
