ISEE, SSAT, HSPT & STAR Test Prep

Many independent middle and high schools ask applicants to take an admission test. The most common are the ISEE and the SSAT, though some Peninsula schools now use the STAR Assessment instead. We offer one-on-one prep for all three, and for the HSPT used by many Catholic high schools.

The ISEE and SSAT

Both tests come in levels based on the grade your student is applying to, and both cover verbal skills, math and reading, plus a writing sample that isn’t scored but is sent to schools. The verbal and reasoning questions look unlike anything most students see in class, and the math can include topics they haven’t covered yet. That’s where one-on-one prep helps most.

The STAR Assessment

The STAR Assessment is a shorter, computer-adaptive test of math and reading. Because it adjusts to each student as they go, preparing for it is less about tricks and more about solid skills and feeling comfortable with the format.

The HSPT

Many Catholic high schools, including Saint Francis in Mountain View, require the High School Placement Test, or HSPT, from 8th-grade applicants. It’s a timed, multiple-choice test of verbal skills, quantitative reasoning, reading, math and language, and it moves quickly, so pacing matters as much as content. We help students prepare for it the same way we do for the ISEE and SSAT.

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How we help

Our tutors are Stanford students. They start with a practice test to find the gaps, then build a plan around them: vocabulary and reasoning practice, math your student hasn’t reached in school yet, reading strategies and timed practice, so test day feels familiar. We also help with the writing sample, since schools will read it.

Start with the schools on your list

The right test depends on the school and the grade your child is applying to. The Harker School requires the ISEE for applicants to grades 2–5 and accepts the ISEE or SSAT for middle and upper school. This season, scores are due by January 5, 2027, and Harker considers only the first set you submit (Harker’s requirements). We help students build the reading, reasoning and math skills these tests measure and get comfortable with the format.

Saint Francis applicants take the HSPT on January 9 or January 23, 2027, and register for it when they complete the preliminary application (Saint Francis timeline). For the HSPT, we work on the material and on pacing, so students can move through the questions with confidence.

Menlo School uses the STAR Assessment, a computer-adaptive test of reading and math given on campus in January (Menlo’s STAR page). Because it adjusts to each student, the best preparation is strong reading and math skills, and that’s where our tutors help.

Tell us which schools and grades you’re considering, and any test date you already have, and we’ll help you choose where to focus.

We also offer middle school tutoring in math, reading and writing, which builds the same skills these tests measure.

Sessions are one-on-one, at your home or online from anywhere.