ISEE vs. SHSAT: What NYC Parents Need to Know
If your child is applying to high school in New York City, you may be trying to make sense of a seemingly endless list of acronyms (as former teachers we can assure you that the NYCPS truly is acronym happy). Two of the big ones for those thinking about private school and public school are the ISEE and the SHSAT. They’re both admission tests but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.
The ISEE is used by many independent schools whereas the SHSAT is the entrance exam for NYC’s specialized high schools (except Laguardia which is its own process). If you’re like many of the parents we meet with, you might be wondering which test to prep for, when to take them, and how. Here’s what you need to know.
ISEE vs SHSAT: What’s the difference?
The simplest way to think about it is this: ISEE = private school. SHSAT = NYC public specialized high schools. Many students take both especially if families are considering both private and public schools.
For private schools, the ISEE is generally just one piece of the puzzle. Schools also look at grades, teacher recommendations, interviews, essays, extracurricular activities, and overall fit. The SHSAT, on the other hand, is the sole admissions criteria for the eight specialized public high schools. That’s a pretty big difference and one that often causes families stress.
ISEE Insider Scoop
The Independent School Entrance Exam is an admissions test with several versions for different grade level. Students are tested in areas such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension and math. Some versions also include an essay. It’s important to note that not every private school requires the ISEE! Make sure you develop your school list first and see what each school actually requires before you run to sign your kid up for the test.
The importance of the ISEE depends on the school. For most private schools, the test is one piece of a much larger application. A great score won't guarantee admission, and a less-than-perfect score doesn't necessarily take a student out of the running. That means you don’t need to get overly fixated on a “perfect” score. A big sigh of relief for that one.
The SHSAT Nitty Gritty
The Specialized High School Admissions Test (commonly pronounced sh-sat) is taken during the fall of 8th grade when students are applying for high school. It is the sole admissions criteria for entrance to the eight specialized high schools. That makes the SHSAT a very different experience from the ISEE. If your kid (or you) have your heart set on a specialized school, doing everything you can to make sure your child is prepared is essential.
Parents ask us all the time which test is harder. There’s really no straightforward answer. They’re different test designed for different admission systems. The SHSAT does tend to feel more intense because the stakes are so high. A student who struggles with anxiety around testing day can really struggle because of the pressure. The ISEE still has it’s own challenges; students have to work quickly and some of the questions are designed to test reasoning more so than content.
When should my child start preparing for the SHSAT and ISEE?
There’s no magic number of month that every student needs. Generally, we recommend getting started once you’ve made the decision to apply to each of these schools (sometime around the fall or winter of 7th grade). This gives you the gift of time. Time to figure out what exactly it is that your child needs to work on and what will help them get where they need to be. You want to know:
What does your child already do well?
Where are they losing points?
Is the problem content, timing, or both?
Are they making careless mistakes?
Do they understand the question but run out of time?
Are there concepts they simply haven't learned yet?
Once you know that, you can build a much more efficient preparation plan.
Can I prep for the SHSAT and ISEE together?
This is a question we get all the time. The answer is generally yes, but at the same time, no. Maddening, we know! The tests do overlap in areas like reading, math, vocabulary, and test-taking skills, so much of the foundational work can benefit both exams. However, the tests have different formats and question types, so your child will still need some test-specific practice. How much test-specific practice depends on your child as a test-taker. A student who is naturally strong at test taking might not need as much test specific prep. A student who is coming from a school where they haven’t taken many tests or quizzes might need even more time to prep. The general key is to build strong academic skills first and then tailor preparation to each exam as the test dates approach.