To help students conquer their test anxiety, the first step we take is to validate their concerns—the ISEE, ACT, and SAT are high stakes test after all—but then we walk them through the science of why they feel the way they do and implement research-backed mitigation strategies. Our more than [...]
Overwhelmingly, students fear the two Math sections the most (cited by over 55% of our incoming students), closely followed by Verbal Reasoning (vocabulary). The good news is that they also improved tremendously in these areas. After completing our course, over 70% of students reported significant improvements in their math and [...]
About half of General Academic's nearly 400 ISEE students start preparing by the end of August. When preparing for a standardized test, the most important tools are a diagnostic test and time. Students need to know where they are and how far they need to go to meet their goals. [...]
Students are generally able to take the ISEE twice during the application cycle. In Houston, we recommend that students take the ISEE in mid-November and again in early January (if they were unhappy with their first attempt). Students generally take the test either at their current school (for terminal middle [...]
While it's impossible for us to guarantee specific improvements given every student's unique situation, our research shows that the average General Academic student improves by 2 stanines or up to 30 percentile ranks. Click here to read our analysis about student score improvement.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, the average Houston private school costs $27,952, which was up 4% from the previous year. Catholic schools were generally 20% cheaper. Click here to read our annual analysis of Houston-area private school tuition.
We could debate this topic ad nauseam! Some Houston private schools like St. John's, Awty, and Kinkaid routinely boast of an exceptional number of students who score in the top 1% on the PSAT. However, ultimately the definition of "best" is different for each family, and indeed each child. Click [...]
Taking a full-length mock test under timed conditions is one of the best ways to predict how your child will perform on the actual exam; it also helps them build the mental toughness necessary to perform reliably on test day. There's a big difference between working 10, untimed questions at [...]
Ideally, students will complete at least 3 full-length practice tests before they take the ISEE, SAT, or ACT exam. However, parents should be careful not to force students to take mock tests in quick succession without sufficient studying. We expect students to complete a minimum of 20 hours of tutoring [...]
As the fourth largest public school district in the United States, Houston is fortunate to offer some exceptional public schools. Our research shows that elementary school desirability and performance are directly related to the wealth of the surrounding neighborhood. Therefore top schools inside the city include River Oaks, West University, [...]