Meet Arianna
Meet Arianna
We are excited to introduce Arianna, one of our 2021 scholars. Through hard work and determination, Arianna increased her ISEE score by 41 percentile points!
In school, Arianna’s favorite subject is math. She especially likes algebra. Outside of school, Arianna enjoys the performing arts and is a dedicated member of a local theater group. Theater allows Arianna to combine her passions for acting, singing, and makeup artistry. She also enjoys spending her time with friends. Something she loves most about her close group of friends is their shared sarcastic sense of humor.
Preparation
When Arianna first started studying for the ISEE, she did all of her preparation in a few long study sessions. After taking the test the first time, Arianna didn’t get the scores she was hoping for. When she started studying again, Arianna decided to break down those longer study sessions into shorter, more frequent ones. This allowed her to retain what she had learned, and the next time Arianna took the test, she saw a big improvement in her scores. If she were to prepare for the test again, Arianna would plan on studying in shorter, more frequent sessions from the beginning.
Arianna took the ISEE on paper, so she was glad that she was able to print out the practice tests and still take advantage of Test Innovators’ normative scoring, interactive feedback, and detailed analysis. The information she got from the Test Innovators’ platform made it possible for her to identify and improve areas of weakness. For example, when Arianna first took the ISEE, she struggled with questions regarding probability and statistics because she had not yet covered these concepts in school. Test Innovators’ targeted practice exercises, in addition to the answer explanations on the practice tests, helped her understand the fundamentals and gave her the necessary tools to answer these questions on the test. Arianna looks forward to learning more about probability and statistics in her future math classes.
Advice for Students
Arianna advised other students not to get “too overwhelmed about [the test].” She encouraged students to remember that “you can retake the test. The first test you take doesn’t have to be your final score.”
She also shared some advice that her math teacher gave to her. Her teacher suggested, “When you sit down for the last section of the test, pretend that you’ve just arrived—that it’s the first section and that you don’t feel tired.” This advice helped Arianna stay more lively and focused throughout the test.
Advice for Parents
Arianna’s mother advised other parents to make sure their students “prepare for the test.” She explained, “A lot of the stuff that’s on the Middle Level ISEE is not taught as part of the general 5th and 6th grade curriculum. You may have a great student, but there may be a lot of stuff on the test your student hasn’t seen yet, so there is certainly an advantage to studying with the help of something like Test Innovators.”
New School
Arianna is currently in the 7th grade at The Newman School. She had previously attended other small schools and felt that the Newman’s smaller size made it a great fit for her.
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 ISEE and SSAT, so that they can put their best foot forward on test day. Our online platform provides each student with the most impactful practice, 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 schools. Our online Admissions Prep course includes interactive videos and exercises to help families understand how schools evaluate prospective students, prepare for the student and parent interviews, and craft excellent essays.
