In our Featured School series, we’ll be profiling some of the schools that use the SSAT as part of their admissions package. We hope to demonstrate the enormous diversity of competitive schools in the US, Canada, and abroad.
The first school we drew out of our hat is Pingree in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Let’s take a look.
Nestled among the farms and forests of northeastern Massachusetts, Pingree began as a school for girls in 1961. The school gets its name from the Pingree family, who generously donated its fifty acre homestead to house a school. The 9th through 12th grade high school has been growing ever since, welcoming boys in 1971 and expanding its facilities to meet the needs of a diversifying student body.
Today, Pingree enrolls around 350 high schoolers at its spacious day-school campus.
Fast Facts:
Pingree draws students from around western Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
Due to its distance from central Boston, Pingree isn’t quite as competitive as some other top private day schools. That said, Pingree draws many applicants with its idyllic rural setting and quality academic and athletic programs.
Students applying to Pingree can take the SSAT or ISEE. To have a good shot at acceptance, applicants should aim for the 70th percentile or above on these tests.
We are excited to introduce Sonia, one of our 2022 scholars. Through consistent practice and perseverance, Sonia increased her SSAT score by 17 points, scoring in the 87th percentile overall!
We are delighted to introduce Roger, one of our 2023 scholars. Through hard work and perseverance, Roger increased his ISEE score by 3%, scoring in the 99th percentile overall!
Over the past six years, Test Innovators has helped more than 100,000 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 most...
One of the integral features of the Test Innovators preparation platform is the system of Practice Exercises, which is located on the “Practice Exercises” tab of the dashboard. The Practice Exercises are an important supplement to the full-length Practice Tests. Here are a few tips for maximizing the Practice Exercises:
One of the most common mistakes on the SSAT is misreading a question, usually due to reading too quickly. Be sure to take a few extra seconds on every question to avoid careless errors.
Underline important information
Underline words and numbers indicating the quantities, relationships, and calculations (less than, twice, product, etc.)...
Did you know there are over 300 boarding schools in the US? In fact, over 25 are scattered throughout California alone. Today’s boarding schools exude a college campus atmosphere that welcomes students from all over the world to study and learn in a supportive environment.
We’re thrilled to introduce Faris, one of our 2023 Independent School Tuition Scholars! Faris increased his SSAT score by 30 percentile points, earning him a spot in the 59th percentile overall!
Why are practice tests such a critical piece of preparation?
The American Psychological Association defines the testing effect as the psychological finding that retention is better when taking a test compared to restudying the same material. The testing effect, also called retrieval practice, indicates that practice tests are a more effective...
Get resources: full-length SSAT practice tests, level-appropriate vocabulary lists, a watch for test day (and practice sections!), a quiet place to complete timed sections
Help students eat well, sleep well, and exercise often
