Blog
ISEE Course Survey Results: Students Understand the Stakes
For Houstons students applying to highly competitive private schools—such as Awty, Kinkaid, and St. John's—the ISEE admissions test is a high-stakes gatekeeper. We surveyed 81 rising 5th and 8th graders before and after they completed General Academic’s ISEE prep courses [...]
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Our Latest News, Research, and Analysis
Is Private School Worth the Cost in Houston?
The private school deposit is due in three weeks, and your zoned elementary just cycled through another principal. You're sitting at your kitchen table with cold coffee and a tuition [...]
Summer Opportunities for Houston High School Students in 2026
While the summer period is a great time for high school students to relax and recharge, it is also a fantastic opportunity for enrichment — especially when it comes [...]
How Houston Elementary Students Can Maximize Summer Break
While summer vacation is a great time for your child to relax, recharge, and spend time with friends, it's also a critical period academically. Summer slide affects students across [...]
State of Test-Optional College Admissions in Texas for 2026
The test-optional wave that swept through higher education during the pandemic hasn't receded—more than 2,000 colleges and universities still don't require SAT or ACT scores for admission. But the tide [...]
Academics and Elementary Learning
Spring Branch ISD’s Best Elementary and Middle Schools by STAAR Scores 2025
Many Houstonians have a Houston zip code but aren't part [...]
Houston ISD’s Best Elementary and Middle Schools by STAAR Scores 2025
T.H. Rogers continues its reign as Houston Independent School District [...]
What is Executive Function and How Students Can Improve It
Executive functions are the suite of cognitive abilities that allows [...]
The Science Behind Success: Meet Tutor Noelle Svoboda
We are excited for you to meet Noelle Svoboda, one [...]
Houston’s Major School Holidays and Test Dates 2025-2026
Whether you are planning out your timetable for extracurricular [...]
Test Prep
When Should Students Start Preparing for the ACT and SAT?
One of the age-old questions of test prep is [...]
ISEE Test Dates in Houston for 2025-2026
The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) is the most [...]
When Should Houston Students Start Preparing for the ISEE Test
Most students in Houston start researching ISEE prep in March [...]
Houston Schools
How to Apply to Houston ISD Magnet Schools for 2026-2027
What are Magnet Schools in Houston ISD? Houston Independent [...]
How to Apply to Spring Branch ISD Choice Schools for 2025-2026
What is an SBISD Choice School? Spring Branch Independent [...]
Spring Branch ISD’s Best Elementary and Middle Schools by STAAR Scores 2025
Many Houstonians have a Houston zip code but aren't part [...]
College Counseling
Test-Optional College Admissions for Texas Students
Updated Guide Available: For a deeper look at what [...]
Balanced College List Template for Applying to College
Choosing where you will spend the next four years is [...]
Automatic Admission at Texas Colleges for 2025-2026
Every Texas public college, more than 30 in total, [...]