Stepping up from middle to high school in Chicago means picking the right schools and understanding their required grades and entrance exams. Each type of school has a separate test, so how do families find the right Chicago high school entrance exam prep?
“A lot of kids take multiple tests,” says Andrew Ferguson, Director of Client Services at Academic Approach in Chicago. “They’re taking the selective enrollment exam for Chicago Public Schools, but as a backup, they’re taking the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE) for a private school and the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) for a boarding school. Some students will also take the High School Placement Exam (HSPT) to apply to a parochial school.”
To help kids get ready for these exams, Academic Approach offers the High School Entrance Exam Prep Class, a comprehensive live online class designed to help middle school students prepare to take all of the Chicago high school entrance exams.
Not sure how Academic Approach’s HSEE Prep Class can help your student? Here are some basics you should know.
What does Academic Approach’s Chicago high school entrance exam prep cover?
Each test is unique, but they all have two things in common: math and reading. Academic Approach’s HSEE Prep Class covers these topics both generally and in the way they are presented on each of these exams.
“We will be very clear in the course what content will be featured on which test, and how it will be assessed on the specific exams,” Ferguson says, adding that the math portions of these exams are quite similar, but just one allows for calculator use — and then, only on certain questions.
Who should take the Academic Approach HSEE Prep Class?
The class is open to middle school students who are preparing to apply to a high school in Chicago or the Chicago area. Seventh and eighth grade students will get the most out of this course. If you’re a family that is working to get ahead of the exams, your sixth grade student is welcome to attend.
What’s the format of the HSEE Prep Class?
This is a live online course that is 15 hours long, delivered over five weeks. Your student will be part of a classroom and can ask questions directly during the course.
When is it offered?
Academic Approach’s HSEE Prep Class is offered in April, June, July and September.
How do I know which session my child should take?
Which session you choose should depend on how much work your child needs. “If you feel like testing hasn’t always been a strength for your child and you want to get started a little earlier in a group setting, the earlier date might be the right choice,” Ferguson suggests.
No matter what, try to choose a session that won’t compete with travel, sports, drama or other high-intensity commitments your child might have.
How do I know for sure?
Reach out to Academic Approach and schedule an HSEE diagnostic test for your child. This test covers a little bit of everything included in the various high school entrance exams. You’ll get a consultation with a director to go over the results and learn how the course can address your child’s needs. The diagnostic and the consultation are free of charge.
“Our directors do a really good job of painting a picture of the areas your child may need the most support and what can be achieved by the course,” Ferguson says. “Some families choose to do one-on-one tutoring because their child either needs a bit more focused instruction or prefers a one-on-one setting. Most families go with the course.”
At the end of the class, your child will take a second exam to see what they have learned over the 15 hours.
How much does it cost?
The HSEE Prep Class costs $500. Participants who want to continue with one-on-one instruction with Academic Approach will qualify for 15% off additional tutoring.
What are the extra benefits of taking the Academic Approach HSEE Prep Class?
The Chicago high school placement exams are most students’ first experience with a test of this length and intensity. The exams are designed to be accessible to any seventh grade student, but the truth, says Ferguson, is that some material is well beyond the eighth grade level.
“Some kids will see material they’ve never seen before and will not see until their high school education is underway, and this class prepares them for that,” he says, adding that extra work to prepare for these tests is helpful immediately because students will learn concepts that they can use the very next day in school.
Additionally, while the PSAT and SAT or ACT are still in the future, your child will learn valuable test-taking skills to apply to these standardized tests.
Best of all, your child will work with a course director who is highly skilled at supporting 13- and 14-year-old students. Academic Approach’s instructors know how to instruct and build confidence at the same time, meeting your middle school student where they are in this stage of their academic development.
“Confidence is such a necessary element for middle school students facing this big moment in their lives,” Ferguson says.
Learn more about the Academic Approach High School Entrance Exam Prep Class and register your student at academicapproach.com.
