The admissions results for rising 9th graders in the NYC public school system were (finally!) released and the results are all over the map. As in past years, many families received multiple offers, and are now happily choosing among them. However, for a significant number of families, the news has not been so rosy.

Many families received an offer from one of their lowest choices (11th or 12th) or received NO offers and were assigned to a school. Unfavorable admissions outcomes are challenging for both parents and children alike, especially coming out of a very hard pandemic year. They can cause anxiety, self-esteem issues, and unnecessary stress.

While there is no way to guarantee a positive admissions outcome, there are takeaways from this year’s process that will help families put their child(ren) in the best admissions position possible!

2020 / 2021 NYC High School Admissions Observations:

This year, the SHSAT cut-off scores went down across the board, but we should not expect those same low cut-offs for next year. For MANY reasons, this was a strange year, and the cut-offs from spring 2020 will be a more reliable indicator of what to anticipate for this coming year.


The relief from families that were accepted into SHSAT-based schools was tangible! Even if it was not a top choice, it allowed families to breathe a bit easier about what next year will look like for their child.


Changes to the admissions process introduced more chances into the mix than in past years. In addition, increased diversity set-asides and the expansion of school availability (no more district priority schools (and, as of this upcoming year, no more borough priority schools!)) -- both important developments -- mean less predictable outcomes based on past years’ data.

NYC High School Admissions Tips for Success & Common Admissions Mistakes:

DO seriously consider applying to the Specialized Schools and ensure your child is preparing rigorously for the SHSAT. SHSAT Prep usually starts in May / June of 7th grade. Ivy Tutors Network offers popular 

. Both paths start with the all-important diagnostic exam, which not only gives you a baseline score, but also important information about the student’s current strengths and improvement areas.


DO include the two lowest cut-off schools in your specialized school application – 

.They are both terrific schools, and even if they don’t seem like the perfect fit for your child, they may well be better than your general education offer.


 if your child is interested in the visual or performing arts. There is no harm to it, and it will give your child another potential offer which they can then accept or decline.


DO cast a wide net for the general education schools. So much is still unknown, but there is a general trend away from iterative screening and this part of the process is going to be much less predictable than in past years.


DO consider private schools, Catholic / Jesuit schools, and/or Charter Schools when crafting your list of schools (if this is an option for your family).


DO pay attention to fit when researching schools! Your school list should not necessarily look like your friends’ school lists.


DO ask smart questions at the school open houses! You are interviewing these schools as well, and you need to make sure their priorities match your own.


DON’T wait until the fall to craft an initial school list. The fall gets very busy and you will want a smart, tailored list to work from.


DON’T rank schools until you absolutely have to. And even when you do finally rank them for the application, think of them internally in 3 tiers of 4. The top 4 should be equally good fits, and so on. This takes the pressure off the “first choice” school.

DON’T include a school on your list that you would not send your child to.

DON’T include only the most competitive schools in your child’s list. Include schools that have different admissions metrics and that have fewer applicants per seat.

IN SUMMARY, keep an open mind and cast a wide net. And start early! Learning NOW about schools you may not have thought to explore, honing in on schools that are good fits for your child as opposed to just strong in reputation, and having the confidence that your school list is balanced and thoughtfully constructed, will give you peace of mind and put you in a great position for the fall.

Written by Katie Miller, Admissions Consultant


Reporting from the Trenches: NYC Public High School Admissions Results 2020-2021

, we introduced the four main learning styles--Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Reading and Writing--and discussed how knowing your learning style can help you study more efficiently. But many of you asked, how can knowing my learning style help me study for the SAT and ACT?

 taps into your power to pay attention. When information is presented in a style that matches your strengths, it makes it more engaging and easier to process and retain!

Neurons that Fire Together, Wire Together


Neuroscientist Donald Hebb had the idea that “

neurons that fire together, wire together

.” What does this mean? Learning in a style matched to your strengths builds strength in other modes of learning too!

This is great news for kinesthetic and auditory learners since standardized tests tend to favor visual and reading/writing learners. Use your learning style to build neural connections during the study process! Once you have those connections, even your less preferred learning styles can tap into your newfound knowledge. Those neurons that were fired together during prep, are now wired together for optimal performance on test day.


Does it sound too good to be true? Recent fMRI studies provide evidence. Participants were asked to visualize themselves playing tennis. Brain scans revealed that this activated cortical regions involved in motor movement. Even though they were only 

, their brains were acting like they were actually moving!

Code your learning. You can use colors to code question types on practice test sections. For example, in the Reading Comprehension section, code main idea questions yellow and detail questions blue. If you don’t like using colors, try using symbols instead. A magnifying glass can be for “detail” questions and a lightbulb for “main idea” questions. You can also use these symbols to annotate the readings!


 is a great way to visualize sentence structure, especially when it comes to pesky grammar questions. And, it’s a surefire way to improve your writing skills!


Use and create visual aids. For example, the 

 is a great tool for those pesky trigonometry questions n the math sections. Charts can also be a great way to visually organize related information, like all those many 

Move when you are studying. When you are studying, try pacing the room, or using a bouncy ball chair. Even subtle movements like chewing gum or moving your toes will help you concentrate.

Act it out. Reading one of those pesky historical speeches? Try acting it out like you are giving the speech. You can also act out math word problems. For example, when Jim is building that house or Kayleigh is racing that car, use movement to demonstrate what is happening. (Reading out loud works too!)

Get a white board, black board, or easel. Using a white board increase the physicality of studying. It’s great to use for solving math problems or pulling key information from reading portions. On the day of the test, if you can’t visualize your whiteboard, then you can replicate your notes in the margins.

Explain how to solve a problem. Explaining the difficult material you have been learning and practicing is especially helpful for those difficult math problems. If you have a younger sibling, put them to good use! No one around? A recorded explanation that you can watch later can also do the trick.

Pair readings with audio. Practice reading a passage while listening to the audio recording. You can use subscription services, but there are also a lot of recordings in the 

. While you might not be able to do this for your practice tests in particular, this extra-work will show when taking the test!

Find a study partner. Listening and talking about the test is a great tool. Don’t know someone else taking the test? One-on-one tutoring can give you the benefit of both listening to someone explain something you're having trouble with, and then recalling what you just heard by explaining it back.

Take notes. Not only will this help you learn, but you’ll have material to review later. Annotating your test, particularly in the reading portions will be very important. Writing a key word or two for each paragraph in a reading passage, and underlining what you’re looking for in the math section will keep you from making mistakes.

Read study materials. Reviewing math concepts? Rather than watch a video, try 

 followed with practice problems. Many videos now come with transcripts for you to follow along--these can also be very helpful for these learners!

Turn on the captions. Watching one of those useful 


Remember, learning styles are just one way to approach studying. No matter your style, practice is key. And the more ways we practice, the more chances we have to learn something new. So even if you know your learning style, I encourage you to try all of these tips. Who knows what will stick? The more you can fire those neurons, in whatever way, the more you will learn!

SAT and ACT Study Tips Based on Your Learning Style

Have you ever heard someone say: “Sorry I did not have time to write you a shorter letter?” This seemingly ironic saying aims to teach us the lesson that concise, effective language and composition requires more time and effort than sloppy, long-winded writing. Well, the good news is that while we have endless effort at our disposal, time must be managed carefully for the 3hrs 15mins-long AP English Language & Composition exam you will take in May. So, how can you use your months of classwork, years of writing, and strong effort to perform well on the exam?

Comprehending composition and writing essays under time pressure can be overwhelming. Knowing the game (the format) inside and out will help you. First, know the two sections: Multiple Choice and Free Response. Second, familiarize yourself with the exam format, both paper and online, by visiting and reviewing the official

For example, on the AP English Language Digital Exam, the format for multiple choice questions is: Writing, Reading, Reading, Writing, Writing. Free Response, in turn, is: Argument, Synthesis, Rhetorical Analysis. This is important to note because this is different from the paper and pencil exams! Knowing this ahead of time, will keep you from being thrown on the day of the exam, especially if this is a different order than how you’ve been taking your practice tests!

Now that you #KnowtheGame, it is time to make a study and practice plan. It is best to attack the section of the exam with which you are least comfortable. Don’t know? Take a practice exam and time yourself! Try this 

You’ve now knocked out two birds with one stone. You have a whole practice exam under your belt. You also know which areas you need to target in your studying before the exam. Tripped up on poetry? No problem! Find poems, read them, and break them down: identify the meaning and find literary devices. Had a hard time with prose? No worries! Visit 

 and randomly select three articles everyday to read and comprehend.

Did you run out of time on one of the essays? That’s ok! Ensure you are comfortable with each question type, Synthesis; Rhetorical Analysis; and Argument by practicing them and timing yourself. Click this 

 to learn more about each question type. Make a plan to practice as many of the past questions from exams made available 

Tip 3: Empower Yourself with Rhetorical Devices

It is super helpful to study all the literary devices not only to answer multiple-choice questions well, but also to feel more confident on the essays. That is, if you have 5-10 rhetorical devices that you know inside and out, you can feel ready to use them in your analysis needed for the essays. 

 of rhetorical devices. It may be too short or too long, but it is a strong start! Now, let’s select 5 rhetorical devices we know are comfortable to use. Mine are anaphora, imagery, syntax, tone, and voice. I know that no matter how tricky or surprising an essay prompt may appear, I am empowered with my 5 devices that I am ready, willing, and able to employ!

. The guide is full of helpful resources to brush up on your grammar before the exam. The graders of the exam want you to “use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.” By brushing up on your grammar, you are helping yourself avoid silly mistakes when you are under the time constraints of the exam. Hopefully, you can brush up so well that you won’t even have to think of the comma rules or about parallelism. Your strong grammatical foundation will boost your confidence and impress the graders!

Strong writing is a lifelong skill. You will need it forever. So, have fun and know that you are building a toolbox of language and composition that you can use in almost every realm of your life!

Cruise to a 5 on the AP English Language & Composition Exam

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