Through the late fall and early winter it seems there is an ISEE administration at one or more of the independent schools in NYC every other week.  As January rolls around that is about to change.  There are only two ISEE exam dates left before a hiatus until mid-April.  These will be the last opportunities to take the ISEE for admission to New York independent schools in the 2010-2011 academic year.   So, if you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to register.  Below are the two remaining ISEE dates in the New York area.

January 9^th, at Caedmon, Chapin & Spence (Register by December 19^th)

January 23^rd, at Caedmon & Poly Prep (Register by January 2^nd)

Reminder!  Tuesday, December 15th, is the SAT registration deadline for the January 23^rd administration.  The cost is $45 for the SAT and $29 for SAT Subject Tests (add $20 for language tests with listening).  This will be the last opportunity to take SAT Subject Tests until May 1^st, since the March 13^th administration is for the SAT only.  You can sign up at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/reg.html

So you, or your child, or your child’s teacher, have decided that extra help outside the classroom is in order.  How then do you go about assessing the many options for tutoring in NYC: peer tutoring, resources at the school, referrals from fellow parents, individuals who specialize in a given subject, tutoring companies that send out a variety of candidates with different skill sets.  Any of these options can result in a positive tutoring experience but if you know what you are looking for, the odds of success will be greatly increased.

Here are the things that we, at Partners With Parents, look for when hiring tutors and selecting candidates to meet specific client requests:

• Knowledge of the Subject – Obvious?  Well, yes.  You should certainly make sure that your tutor is knowledgeable in the subject he or she is about to teach your child.  Beware, however, that credentials alone do not tell the whole story.  I had a Nobel Prize winning chemistry professor in college who couldn’t convey the basic concepts in Chemistry 101.  He was one of the worst teachers I have ever had. (more…)

Reminder!  Friday, November 20th, is the SSAT Registration deadline (by fax/mail) for the December 12th administration.  You can still sign up for the SSAT online until the late registration closes on November 27th.   The cost is $110, $140 if registering late.  You can register here.