What are Magnet Schools in Houston ISD? Houston Independent School District (HISD) is the eighth largest public school district in the U.S., with more than 176,000 students across 273 schools. Of those schools, 118 are considered Magnet Schools. Magnet schools, known as “magnets,” aim to attract specific types of students [...]
What is Houston ISD's Vanguard Gifted & Talented (G/T) Program? Approximately 14% of students enrolled in Houston ISD (HISD) are designated as Gifted and Talented (G/T). These students who demonstrate "high performance capability" receive additional state funding that aims to enrich their curriculum. This article takes a deep dive into [...]
The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the most popular standardized test required for admission to most Houston-area private schools. This page details test dates and locations for the 2025-2026 application season. Parents must register directly with the test administrator at ERBLearn.org. General Academic is Houston’s leading ISEE tutor; [...]
Since 2020, the overwhelming majority of US colleges have adopted a test-optional policy, meaning that they do not require students to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications. Fast forward five years and many elite colleges like MIT, Dartmouth, and Georgia Tech are reverting back to requiring standardized [...]
Analysis of Houston School Choice Lottery for 2023-2024 The most popular Houston ISD (HISD) magnet schools for 2023-2024 are River Oaks Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, and Carnegie Vanguard High School. The application cycle for the 2023-2024 school year took place the previous year, between 2022-2023. Families had [...]