When schools accept both the ISEE and SSAT, the choice should not be based on reputation or rumor. Begin with each school’s requirements, then compare the tests through the student’s actual performance, preferred format, and application calendar.

This fall’s SHSAT will be computer-adaptive for the first time. The content remains recognizable, but students will need to prepare for a test that changes difficulty and generally does not allow them to return to completed questions.

The most useful back-to-school preparation is not a last-minute attempt to relearn an entire grade. It is a short, deliberate reset of the routines, tools, and academic foundations a student will need when real work begins.