Test Preparation

ISEE / SSAT / HSPT / ERB (CTP)

We are the Bay Area’s premier middle school and high school entrance exam experts. Our curriculum is kid-friendly, rigorous, enjoyable and efficient, tailored to meet the unique needs of elementary and middle school students.

We help parents and students pick the right test, plan a sensible preparation schedule, and make adjustments to optimize growth.

We have a stellar track record for high score results and improvement.  We align our programs with the highest standards of nationally recognized middle and high schools, and we enthusiastically support our students to make a dramatic improvement in skills and self-confidence. We believe that every student can make dramatic improvements regardless of learning differences or educational background.

Proctored Writing Sample

The proctored writing sample is a student’s chance to showcase creative ideas, analysis, organization, sentence fluency, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. 

We build upon the interests and strengths of the student to develop skills and strategies great writers use.

Our program, based on over a decade of writing instruction in the elementary, middle, and secondary grades and on thousands of hours of 1-1 timed writing coaching (ISEE, SSAT, SAT Essay, ACT Writing, AP Language, AP Literature), prepares students with excellent fundamental writing skills and the strategies needed to be successful in a timed environment.

PSAT / SAT /ACT

Our PSAT, SAT, and ACT tutoring prepares students to achieve their best possible score with a combination of test-taking strategy and content review. We help students build a comprehensive approach to each section that includes timing strategy, the process of elimination, and ways to reduce stress, maintain focus, and optimize performance. We welcome students at all levels and enjoy working with students with learning differences. We set high goals for improvement and tailor our work to help each student achieve score improvements that exceed expectations.

To decide whether the SAT or the ACT is a better choice, we consider a range of factors and may recommend diagnostic practice tests as a starting point. Our tutoring programs consist of 10 1.5 hour meetings with either 1.5 hours of homework or a practice test between sessions. We offer proctored practice tests at our practice test office on weekends. 

AP

We specialize in AP English Literature and AP English Language test preparation. Our work helps students build strategies for AP multiple choice and essay sections. 

Our essay strategies help students optimize both planning and writing of the essay to achieve thoughtful analysis within the given time constraints.