Greg Jones served a long and illustrious career in education. Recently retired, Jones was the Director of Enrollment Management and Admissions at Epiphany School for 14 years and a middle school Humanities teacher, department chair, and admissions committee member at The Northwest School for 15 years, both located in Seattle, Washington.
In this conversation with Test Innovators’ CEO, Edan Shahar, Greg talks about his experience helping 8th graders find the best high school fit, and offers his advice for parents as they navigate the admissions process.
Originally published on December 12, 2018. Updated on January 5, 2026.
Since 2012, Test Innovators has helped more than 65,000 students prepare for the SSAT and the ISEE, the admissions tests required for applications to the most competitive independent schools in the country. Every year we review our data from thousands of test-takers to find out the schools that students are...
Yes, you can get accommodations on the official SSAT exam! Score reports do not provide any indication that a student was provided testing accommodations, so there’s no reason not to use them if you are eligible. Here’s how it works:
The Middle and Upper Level SSAT exams include two separate Quantitative Reasoning sections. Both are 25 questions long and take 30 minutes to complete. The Elementary Level SSAT only includes one Quantitative Reasoning section, which is the first section of the test, takes 30 minutes to complete, and is 30...
The Verbal Reasoning section of the ISEE is designed to assess vocabulary, including the ability to identify synonyms and complete sentences with missing parts.
Fast Facts
First and shortest section of the ISEE
Lower Level: 20 minutes with 34 questions
Middle and Upper Levels: 20 minutes with 40 questions
Made up...
Summer is a great time to address all that is missing during the regular school year—in particular, it’s a great time to foster and develop skills relevant for the future. Did you know that, according to the World Economic Forum, "65% of jobs for the next generation don’t even exist...
The SSAT is a very competitive test, and having a preparation plan is key to achieving the best scores that you are capable of. Here's our favorite strategy:
Students receive a scaled score, percentile, and stanine score for each section of the ISEE. The most commonly referenced score is the stanine score. Learn how stanine scores are calculated.
Due to the recent coronavirus outbreak, The Enrollment Management Association (EMA), makers of the SSAT, is taking preventative steps to ensure the safety of students, test center administrators and proctors, members, and employees. They are closing test centers in impacted areas and requiring a completed Travel Declaration from anyone entering...
The SSAT at Home is the same test as the traditional SSAT— the only difference is that the test is administered on the computer rather than on paper. However, because the experience of taking a test at home on the computer is different from taking a test in person...
Meet Kate and BradyKate’s son, Brady, recently took the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) in hopes of gaining admission to Lakeside School for the start of 6th grade. Brady is a very strong student, but like many of his peers, the SSAT was a new challenge for him. To ensure...
