Meet Kartik
Meet Kartik
We are proud to introduce Kartik, one of our 2022 scholars. Kartik’s tenacity and focus allowed him to increase his ISEE score by 15 points, scoring in the 97th percentile!
Kartik has a wide range of interests, but he spends much of his time earning merit badges through his local Boy Scouts chapter. Kartik recently earned his environmental science badge. His goal is to achieve the Eagle Scout rank with his troop before he starts high school. Kartik also enjoys fishing and the calmness that accompanies this task. He’s hoping to earn the fishing, fly fishing, and water-and-fish management merit badges so that he can win the All Around Angler Award. Kartik’s other interests include fencing, playing guitar, and practicing the keyboard.
In school, Kartik excels in math. Despite having multiple avenues to solve them, he likes that math problems only have one answer. Additionally, Kartik enjoys science and is looking forward to taking chemistry because he aspires to be a chemical engineer.
Preparation
Kartik saw great improvement after preparing with Test Innovators, particularly in the math and reading sections. In math, he felt a bit rusty when it came to multiplying and dividing fractions but was able to relearn this concept by utilizing practice exercises. In reading, he improved on the point-of-view questions once he learned more about when to use quotation marks.
Kartik found that taking full-length practice tests on the Test Innovators platform helped familiarize him with the test’s structure and question types, which helped improve his time management. He explained that the format of the questions on the test is similar to those on the Test Innovators platform.
Lastly, Kartik found the scores data on the Test Innovators platform helpful in setting target scores that would make him a competitive applicant for The Kinkaid School. It was very motivating for Kartik to see his stanine scores increase as he continued to take practice tests and he could hone in on specific areas that needed improvement.
Advice for Students
Kartik advises other students to practice frequently. He said,”Even if [you’re] really good at one subject, like math, [you] shouldn’t relax on it. Although you’re really good, there’s probably going to be questions [on the test] that you don’t know.” He also suggests that students focus on improving their time management. One way Kartik improved his time management was by taking individual practice test sections. Lastly, he did the practice tests on paper because he took the actual test on paper, and he found this to be incredibly beneficial.
Advice for Parents
Kartik’s mother, Rahki, advises others to start the test preparation process early in order to avoid cramming. She also recommends practicing routinely in small segments to avoid burnout. Rahki found that frequent practice provided Kartik with a sense of comfort and familiarity with the questions, which decreased his test anxiety. She also felt that the time management tools and the interactive diagnostics on the Test Innovators platform were very insightful. Rahki found the graphs that indicate the specific question types Kartik needed to focus on incredibly helpful.
New School
Kartik is currently a 6th grader at The Kinkaid School in Texas. He has wanted to go to The Kinkaid School for as long as he can remember. In addition to its extensive academic and extracurricular offerings, Kartik was excited about the school’s requirement that students try different sports each semester. He looks forward to playing soccer, basketball, and baseball. Kartik also finds the school’s food options to be delicious.
Test Innovators is Here to Help
Test Innovators is committed to helping students get into their top-choice schools. We help students prepare for the SSAT and ISEE, so that they can do their best on test day. Our online practice platform provides each student with a personalized experience, teaching them test-taking skills and helping them build confidence.
Test Innovators also helps students and families prepare for other aspects of the admissions process to independent and private schools. Our online Admissions Assist course includes interactive videos and exercises to help families through every step of the admissions process, from researching schools to navigating the waitlist and everything in between.
