Anonymous wrote:Or do kids from public school just study on their own?

Take the prep class. Other applicants will be taking a prep class - or will be prepped by their current Catholic school's closely aligned curriculum.

Take a prep course. I wouldn't expect anyone to perform well on a test they know nothing about. Everyone can succeed if they have prep.

We came from public school and had no idea what HSPT exam was...never heard of it until about a week before needing to take the test. Catholic school kids are definitely at huge advantage. My kid just showed up and took the test without studying or knowing the format. Scored average in math and in the 90s for reading/writing part. Accepted into 1st choice so all worked out. Non athlete too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a shot at SJC Scholars or some of the other scholarship money at other schools, you should have your kid prep with an HSPT course.

This. Our kid got many scholarship offers - scored in 98th percentile. You have to be at the tippy top - ie, 97-99 percentile to get the scholarships though, so if you want your kid to be considered for that, a prep course might be a good idea.

Thanks. I’m not expecting any scholarship, but I’d like for my kid to get accepted. Since coming from public, I think it will be harder.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a shot at SJC Scholars or some of the other scholarship money at other schools, you should have your kid prep with an HSPT course.

This. Our kid got many scholarship offers - scored in 98th percentile. You have to be at the tippy top - ie, 97-99 percentile to get the scholarships though, so if you want your kid to be considered for that, a prep course might be a good idea.

This was our strategy too. The small investment in time and money for the prep course got my daughter $4000 off tuition each year. It does not sound like that much, but for a total of tax free $16,000, we’ll take it.

We found the self-paced at-hone practice books (with several practice tests) to be sufficient to prepare for the HSPT.

Anonymous wrote:It’s worth it for the “muscle memory” of filling in the little circles, being comfortable with the different times/lengths of the sessions etc. Fair or not, the score plays a big role in the school’s decision, particularly for kids not already in the catholic school system. You don’t have to go crazy, but finding an option that provides multiple practice tests, feedback on weaker sections etc really helped.

Agree with this. Coming from a non Catholic school, you need to do something that will leapfrog your kid over those kids coming from Catholic feeders, some of whom are not always the strongest candidates but benefit from have a leg up during the Catholic school admissions process because they are already part of the system.

Anonymous wrote:If you want a shot at SJC Scholars or some of the other scholarship money at other schools, you should have your kid prep with an HSPT course.

This. Our kid got many scholarship offers - scored in 98th percentile. You have to be at the tippy top - ie, 97-99 percentile to get the scholarships though, so if you want your kid to be considered for that, a prep course might be a good idea.

It’s worth it for the “muscle memory” of filling in the little circles, being comfortable with the different times/lengths of the sessions etc. Fair or not, the score plays a big role in the school’s decision, particularly for kids not already in the catholic school system. You don’t have to go crazy, but finding an option that provides multiple practice tests, feedback on weaker sections etc really helped.

What kind of test taker is your kid, OP? Have they taken any standardized tests lately? My oldest got a 95 without any prep, but he’s a conscientious student, and good test taker. I will start prepping my youngest this summer.

Have your kid take a practice test or two and see how it goes. Self-study with test prep books or online materials, free or paid, may be fine if kid is self-motivated. If the practice results are really poor or your kid has trouble without some outside accountability, then you could try a service.

If you want a shot at SJC Scholars or some of the other scholarship money at other schools, you should have your kid prep with an HSPT course.

Yes, be aware of what the competition is doing. Some Catholic k-8s do test prep during school or after school as a prep course. Some also offer essay help after school; a few do it as a part of the eighth grade English class. Know your student’s capabilities and plan accordingly.

Kids from Catholic schools have it built into their curriculum during their 8th grade year - it's either a class or 6-8 week session including practice tests. We came from an independent school and did an HSPT course that was held at Mater Dei School. Coming from public, I think if you've done Algebra, you should do okay on the math parts but you may want to take a couple of practice tests to get up to speed on the other portions of the test.

All in all I don't think the HSPT course is necessary but many do take them and those who do tend to fare well.

Or do kids from public school just study on their own?