A Tutor’s Perspective on the High School Application Process in New York City: Part II, The ISEE

I’ve been a tutor in New York City since 2004, and since I specialize in working with middle school age children, I have become quite familiar with the high school application process. There are many categories of high school and the application process is by no means the same for each category- because of this, the whole process can sometimes feel even more complex and draining than applying to college. This essay will be about applying to New York City Independent Schools, with particular focus on standardized testing. Other essays will address applying to Specialized Public High Schools and Selective, Non-Specialized Public Schools.

Applying to private school at the middle or high school levels is a lot like applying to college. Students submit transcripts, teacher recommendations, and an essay. They list their extracurricular activities and go on interviews. Instead of taking the SAT or ACT, they take the SSAT (or, much more commonly) the ISEE. Every portion of the application process counts and different schools grant different weights to the various aspects of an application. Perhaps the most difficult part of the process is recognizing that in addition to all of the elements that families can control, there is an element of randomness and luck as well.

It’s a stressful process, for sure. Try to remember that just as children need schools, schools need students. Do your best, but try not to let it take over your life. Also, remember that going to the right school is important, but there is no one right school, and what a student makes of his or her education is at least as important as the school he or she attends.

As a tutor, I am far more familiar with the ISEE portion of middle and high school applications than I am with any other part of the process. Fortunately, many of the long-term strategies that lead to a good score on the ISEE also promote good grades, strong teacher recommendations, and well-written essays. (Hint: If you’re reading this essay, there’s a pretty good chance that you want to know what to do about the ISEE now. Skip to the end for short-term suggestions.)

Long-Term Strategies

The ISEE rewards students who are avid readers. Most obviously, kids who read a lot do much better on the reading comprehension part of the test. No matter what any testing company or private tutor may tell you, there is simply no way to compensate for the hundreds of books reluctant readers haven’t read compared to their enthusiastically reading counterparts. Of course, certain test taking techniques can help book-avoiding students, but they can never fully bridge the gap. In addition to reading comprehension, the test contains straight-ahead vocabulary questions, many of which are quite sophisticated. Reading is certainly not the only way to develop vocabulary, but it is probably the single most consistently effective way.

But what if your kid isn’t a reader? There are several approaches you can try to encourage reading. First, of course, it helps to read to children extensively when they are little and have them read to you when they learn how. What many people don’t realize is that older children often enjoy reading with their parents almost as much as pre-schoolers do. Even if your child is in middle school, you may be able to start a habit of reading together as a family. It’s also very helpful for children to see their parents reading regularly. “Do as I say, not as I do” is rarely effective.

Nothing can replace reading, but other activities can support vocabulary development and the acquisition of background knowledge, both of which are important components to reading comprehension generally and success on the ISEE particularly. Activities to consider include watching more sophisticated films, listening to books on tape, and partaking of the many theatrical offerings we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by in New York City. I can’t prove it, but my instincts tell me that acting in school plays and being on a debate team are also beneficial activities.

The ISEE also rewards students who are thoroughly comfortable with math. Obviously, doing well in math class in school is critical. Students who pay attention in class, ask questions, study, and most especially think about what they are learning do far better on the ISEE than students who don’t. Some math curriculums give students insufficient practice working with thought provoking, non-routine problems. If you suspect your child’s school is using this type of curriculum, joining a math team is a really good idea, if it is at all possible. Other students don’t get enough practice with basic calculations. If you suspect this is the case, I would suggest putting the calculator away for a good long while, no matter what the teacher allows.

Outside of school, it’s a good idea to involve children in the math that you do on a daily basis. If you go to a restaurant, tell your kid what percent you want to tip, and have him or her do the calculations. If you go shopping, look for sales and have your child calculate the actual price of items. If you’re comfortable with it, get your child to balance your checkbook for you.

One important aspect of doing well on the ISEE, and in academics more generally, is to deal with small problems before they become big ones. If you sense that your child is struggling in a particular subject, take action before the situation becomes dire. Talk to your child’s teacher- maybe you’ll find out that extra help is available. If extra help isn’t available or doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, consider private tutoring. Sometimes, even a short course of tutoring can get a student back on track.

Short-Term Strategies

There are three basic ways to prepare specifically for the ISEE: independent study, group classes, or private tutoring. Some families combine one or more of these methods while other families choose not to do specific test preparation at all. (Not doing any specific test prep is actually a perfectly valid strategy for students who are very strong academically and proficient test takers. I would not recommend it for any other type of student.) Each method of preparation has strengths and weaknesses.

When a student prepares through independent study, he or she simply gets one or more of the commercially available ISEE test prep books and works through it, perhaps with a bit of help from a parent or older sibling. One great advantage of this method is the cost, which is extremely minimal. Another advantage is that if the student succeeds in getting a good score, he or she can take full ownership of that accomplishment. Obviously, independent study only works for highly motivated students. Perhaps less obviously, they also have to have a strong skill set to draw on. This method will not work for kids who don’t already have command of the fundamental academic skills the ISEE tests. If you want to try independent preparation, I suggest starting early so that you have time to move on to a plan B, if necessary. One final note on independent study- it should be relatively easy to evaluate how well your child is doing simply by examining their sample test results. However, in my experience the vocabulary sections in the commercial prep books are very difficult for almost all students. Therefore, I wouldn’t necessarily worry too much if your child is having trouble on that one section.

In general, group classes are my least favorite way to study for the ISEE. There are many places you can go to take a group class, and some are obviously better than others. Unfortunately, the big players don’t seem to get very good results and they do seem to take a big chunk out of their students’ quality of life. Sitting through wearisome 3-hour classes with a bunch of other kids, slogging through huge piles of homework, and getting little personal attention is drill and kill in the worst sense. It’s mind-numbing and not particularly educational. It’s cheaper than private tutoring, but I would call most group classes a false economy.

On the other hand, there are a few group classes that are actually quite good. You should look for small groups (no more than 8 students per teacher) and individual classes that are a reasonable length (perhaps 1.5 hours). The teachers should be experienced and should be able to produce excellent references. Homework and practice tests should obviously be part of the program, but you should not feel that a class takes over your child’s life or your family’s life.

For most students, private tutoring will be the most effective option. The individual attention makes a big difference when working on challenging and potentially tedious material. It’s more efficient, because a good tutor focuses on exactly what an individual student needs and it’s easier to remain motivated when accountability is provided by one-on-one lessons.

Unfortunately, tutoring can be quite expensive. Rates vary widely, but $85-$150 per hour is the general range you can expect to pay for an experienced, effective tutor in New York City. Tutoring is expensive largely because tutors must spend a great deal of time traveling between appointments and you are paying for their travel and lesson planning time as well as the time they actually spend with your child.

If one-on-one tutoring is prohibitively expensive for you but would otherwise be your first choice, there are a few strategies you can try to lower your rate. If you know another family that lives very near to you who also wants tutoring, you might consider looking for a tutor together. If you can arrange to have lessons back-to-back, with only 5 minutes or so of transportation time in between, you’ll very likely be able to arrange a discount. Likewise, semi-private lessons (with two or perhaps three students and one tutor) can be much more affordable and still very effective. Most tutors don’t advertise semi-private lessons, but if you ask, you’ll find that many tutors are amenable.