Meet Noa
Meet Noa
We are happy to introduce you to Noa, one of our extraordinary 2024 scholars! By remaining resolute with her practice, Noa increased her score on the SSAT by 17 percentile points!
When it comes to academics, Noa is particularly drawn to the humanities. “Whether it be English or history, there’s so much to kind of delve into,” she explained. Noa is also an avid reader and shared that one of her favorite books that she read last year was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. “It was really, really interesting to learn about Dickens himself and what a different time period he was writing in,” she added.
In her personal life, Noa is focused on honing her skills as a ballerina. “I train about 28 hours a week at a studio in my town,” she shared. Noa also has a passion for staying involved with her community. “I volunteer at my local synagogue every Sunday during the school year and assist a younger group of children with their class,” she explained. “I also have volunteered a little bit with Flower Petals Adaptive Dance Company… they provide dance lessons to special needs kids.”
Preparation
When asked to reflect on her preparations for the SSAT, Noa said that “Test Innovators provided so many resources that helped me prepare.” From webinars to tutoring sessions and comprehensive practice tests, these tools gave Noa a better understanding of the test as a whole, as well as tips on how to approach each section strategically.
One of the biggest lessons Noa said she learned throughout the process was how to manage her time. “Knowing when to skip questions or come back…was really important,” she explained, adding that mastering this skill early on made a significant difference in her performance.
If she were to prepare for the SSAT again, Noa said that she would spend more time with the score analysis on the Test Innovators platform after completing a practice test. “I think using those tools a little more might have helped me a little bit, just to understand kind of where I was at,” she explained.
Advice for Students and Parents
Noa’s advice to other students preparing for the SSAT is to focus on the areas that need the most improvement. “I struggled more on the math portion…so I really decided to dedicate my time…to the math sections,” she said. Noa also emphasized the importance of considering “what other practices I could do in relation to the skills that I was having trouble with.” Sometimes it’s important to spend time practicing both the skill that you’re struggling with as well as foundational or adjacent subjects to improve your overall understanding.
Noa’s dad, Shane, added that it’s important to take practice tests to not only improve your understanding of the material but also to adjust to testing with a time limit. Shane encourages parents to utilize the resources available to them throughout the process as well. “All the resources are there and, I definitely encourage people to take advantage of them,” he added.
New School
Noa is attending Greenwich Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut as a 10th grader. She said she chose Greenwich Academy for its stellar academic reputation.
We are incredibly proud of Noa’s success on the SSAT, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. We wish her the best of luck at Greenwich Academy this year!
Test Innovators is Here to Help
Test Innovators is committed to helping students gain admission to their top-choice schools. We prepare students for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT, equipping them with the skills they need to perform their best on test day. Our practice platform offers a personalized experience, allowing students to focus on areas of improvement and achieve their target scores.
In addition to test preparation, Test Innovators supports students and families throughout the entire admissions process to independent and private schools. Our Admissions Assist courses provide step-by-step guidance, from researching schools to navigating waitlists, and everything in between.
