Updates for 2020-2021
As information about standardized testing for the upcoming admissions season is released, I will share it here.
The Bay School of San Francisco will have a test-optional policy.
Berkshire School, MA will have a test-optional policy.
Branson will not require standardized test scores as part of the application process but will accept test results.
Drew High School will not consider standardized tests as a part of their applicant review process.
Jewish Community High School will continue their testing optional admissions process.
Hotchkiss, CT will have a test-optional policy.
Lick-Wilmerding will have a test-optional policy.
Marin Academy will have a test-optional policy.
Mid-Pen does not require standardized testing.
The Marin School does not require standardized testing.
SF Girl's School will have a test-optional policy.
SF University High School will not require standardized tests for the upcoming admissions cycle and will not accept test results.
St. Georges School, RI will have a test-optional policy.
Urban School will not require standardized test scores as part of the Urban application. Click here to read more about their updated policy.
Woodside Priory will have a test-optional policy.
Test preparation
Remember that this is only one piece of the application!
Each student has his/her/their own way of studying for a test. Preparation styles include solo practice using a book or an online tool, working with a tutor 1:1, taking a class with a group, or any combination thereof.
Test Innovators: Online Test Preparation
"We are now working with the creators of the official SSAT, the Enrollment Management Association (EMA) as a certified SSAT content partner, and we are very excited to announce that we are now releasing official SSAT practice content on our platform! This new content includes three additional full-length tests as well as thousands of additional practice exercises. You can use these in conjunction with our tools and features, including paper tests, timing data, and detailed analysis."
Tutoring Companies
Below please find the names of organizations that our families have worked with in the past, noting that this is by no means a complete list of resources.
The Noe Vally Tutor (David Freeling)
The SSAT Forum (Ron Shalita)
Fall SSAT test registration will open on August 1.
Requesting accommodations
If you receive test accommodations, you will need to request these on August 1. Please click here to learn how to take this first step. Once Ms. Porchella has approved the request you will be able to log back into your account and register for a test.
If you have questions about the SSAT registration fee, please contact me to request a fee waiver. Please also note there are optional services SSAT provides for additional fees, such as receiving notification when scores are available or receiving a copy of your writing sample. Please note these are not required, and that the fee waiver doesn't include these pieces.
If you need assistance with and/or access to technology, please click here.
To schedule a test click on the following link: SSAT at Home Availability
Please note that for students who register on August 8, the first test administration will take place on August 29, 2020.
Please add Millennium School as your score advisor and score recipient.
Sharing your Scores with high schools
Schools only see the score reports you submit. If you decide to take the test more than once, you can also decide which score report you want to share and/or share multiple score reports.
Make sure you are using the parent/guardian account, not the student account.
Testing Resources
SSAT at Home Webinar (July 20)
Upper Level test format and sample questions
10 Tips for Doing Your Best on the SSAT
The Official Study Guide for the SSAT
You may have noticed that some schools have made the Character Skills Snapshot an optional part of their application. The CSS is a relatively new, online tool through SSAT that measures a child’s character skills in eight different categories: intellectual curiosity, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, resilience, self-control, open-mindedness, and social awareness. The CSS takes 20-30 minutes and is taken digitally, at home. There is no cost for a student who is already registered for the SSAT. The outcomes are conveyed in a spectrum of positive feedback and will complement your child’s overall admission profile.
For most schools, this is an optional evaluation (please check each of your school's application details to confirm this is the case).
If you choose to participate and to share the results of your child’s Snapshot, it cannot jeopardize their candidacy at a school. Rather, admission teams see this tool as an informational window into what they really care about when building their school communities, character and growth potential.
Most independent high schools accept the ISEE and/or the SSAT.
ISEE at home: This new, at-home solution for students entering Grades 5-12, in partnership with Prometric, will enable students to take the Independent School Entrance Exam at times that work for them from the comfort of their homes with the same rigor and reliability you expect from ERB.
High School Placement Test (HSPT)
This is the entrance exam that faith-based schools require for their application process.
"The HSPT is published by the Scholastic Testing Service (STS). The exam consists of individual tests covering verbal ability, quantitative ability, reading comprehension, vocabulary, language arts, and mathematics.
Applicants applying to more than one Catholic high school in the S.F. Archdiocese can only take the exam once. Scores will be sent to each high school the student specifies on the exam day. The entrance exam may be taken at any Catholic Secondary School in the San Francisco Archdiocese that administers the exam where the student has filed an application. The exam is offered by other Catholic High Schools on __________ . It is the applicant's responsibility to check with individual schools for testing dates and school specific details. The exam site chosen by the applicant has no bearing on the admissions decision.
Click here for Free HSPT Practice test questions.
Applicants with documented learning differences may be eligible for extended time testing.
Please review the adjacent documentation requirements and download the application for extended time testing.
Applicants with documented learning disabilities may be eligible for extended time testing at SI. Reach out to SI about these accommodations.
Lowell Admissions Test
Lowell administers an entrance exam in January. In past years, the assessment test has been TerraNova. Click here to review sample questions.
For further information about what to expect, please click here and then click on the TerraNova Testing Guide tab.
This year students have the option of taking the test on ___________.