Scott Duddy is the Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management at Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts, and brings with him 14 years of professional experience in the world of independent schools. He has served as a secondary school counselor at The Fessenden School and as Director of Financial Aid at Westminster School.
In this conversation with Test Innovators’ CEO, Edan Shahar, Scott talks about the admissions process from two perspectives: that of an educator helping students find their next school, and that of an admissions director deciding which applicants will be the best fit.
Scientific research shows that taking practice tests improves learning and memory retention more than studying and reviewing material alone, a phenomenon termed the “testing effect.” Practice tests have also been shown to defend memory against the effects of stress and identify content gaps important in learning.
As you research the admissions process for different independent and private schools, you may notice that many schools’ admissions offices mention a holistic review process. What does this mean exactly, and how does it affect your application specifically?
Meet Kate and Brady
Kate’s son, Brady, recently took the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) in hopes of gaining admission to Lakeside School for 6th grade. Brady is a very strong student, but as for many students, the SSAT was a new challenge for him. To make sure he was best...
The Verbal Reasoning section of the ISEE consists of two types of questions: synonym questions and sentence completion questions. Both require a strong vocabulary, so the best way to prepare is to learn as many new words as possible.
The most effective way to expand your vocabulary is to establish a...
Over the past five years, Test Innovators has helped more than 60,000 students prepare for the SSAT and the ISEE, the high school 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...
Since vocabulary is one of the main areas tested on the ISEE and SSAT tests, you will need to learn as many new words as possible before taking the test. While vocabulary questions primarily appear on the verbal section of the test, there are also vocabulary questions on the reading...
Test preparation is an iterative process. Each practice test serves as a benchmark of progress and as a roadmap for what to work on next. Approach preparation one step at a time, and don't get discouraged if you aren't reaching your goals immediately or as quickly as you expected. Like...
The Middle and Upper Level SSAT have six total sections. Two are unscored: the Writing Sample and the Experimental Section. The other four are scored: the two Quantitative (Math) Sections, the Reading Section, and the Verbal Section.
