Texas Secondary Schools Among Most Sought After For College Prep

Austin TX

29 December, 2020

6:19 PM

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AUSTIN, TX — Six Texas independent schools made the top 50 list of the most "sought after" in a new compilation. Over the past eight years, Test Innovators has helped more than 135,000 students prepare for the SSAT and the ISEE — the admissions tests required by the most competitive independent schools in the country. Every year the group reviews data from thousands of test takers to determine the most popular schools. The reckoning yielded six schools in Texas among the most popular — including three in Houston, two in Dallas and one in Addison, Texas. In compiling its latest list, Texas Innovators officials acknowledged the degree of difficulty given the trials and changes resulting from a pandemic-suffused 2020. "The challenges that arose with remote learning in the spring compelled many families to reevaluate where their students would be going to school this fall," officials wrote. "Many independent schools have had success with bringing students back on campus this year. Small class sizes and large campuses are a few factors that have enabled many independent schools to make social distancing more feasible, and the ability to provide COVID-19 testing, among other safety measures, have made independent schools incredibly desirable." The increase in independent school appeal is sure to evoke many changes, officials continued, including potentially increasing the competitiveness of these already highly sought-after schools. The 50 most sought-after independent schools of 2020 rankings are based on the number of students who stated their intention to apply this year, officials noted. "Keep in mind that there are many wonderful schools not included on this list that may be perfect for you," analysts offered. Three Houston Schools made the cut: St. Agnes Academy, The Kinkaid School and St. John's School — the latter being the highest-ranked, in the 17th slot. A pair of Dallas schools — The Hockaday School and St. Mark's School of Texas — also were included among the top 50. A school in the outskirts of Dallas, Greenhill School in Addison, also made the most sought-after list. Below are the top 50 most sought-after independent schools, in descending order, as assessed by Test Innovators. 50. University of Toronto Schools (UTS), Toronto, Ontario49. St. Agnes Academy, Houston, Texas48. Peddie School, Hightstown, New Jersey47. San Francisco University High School, San Francisco, California46. The Rivers School, Weston, Massachusetts45. Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, New Jersey44. Hong Kong International School (HKIS), Tai Tam, Hong Kong43. The Potomac School, McLean, Virginia42. Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey41. Greenhill School, Addison, Texas40. Windward School, Los Angeles, California39. Eastside Preparatory School, Kirkland, Washington38. Flintridge Preparatory School, Flintridge, California37. The Bishop's School, La Jolla, California36. Marlborough School, Los Angeles, California35. The Overlake School, Redmond, Washington34. Crystal Springs Uplands, Hillsborough, California33. The Hockaday School, Dallas, Texas32. Ransom Everglades School, Miami, Florida31. Boston Latin School, Boston, Massachusetts30. St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas, Texas29. St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire28. Concord Academy, Concord, Massachusetts27. Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia26. Urban School, San Francisco, California25. Menlo School, Atherton, California24. Brentwood School, Los Angeles, California23. Polytechnic School, Pasadena, California22. Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco, California21. The Harker School, San Jose, California20. Stanford Online High School, Redwood City, California19. The Kinkaid School, Houston, Texas18. The Loomis Chaffee School, Windsor, Connecticut17. St. John's School, Houston, Texas16. Groton School, Groton, Massachusetts15. The Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, New Jersey14. The Dalton School, New York, New York13. Buckingham Browne and Nichols, Cambridge, Massachusetts12. Lakeside School, Seattle, Washington11. The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut10. Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Massachusetts9. Horace Mann School, Bronx, New York 8. Riverdale Country School, Bronx, New York 7. Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts6. Noble and Greenough School, Dedham, Massachusetts5. Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, California4. Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, Connecticut3. Trinity School, New York, New York2. Phillips Academy Andover, Andover, Massachusetts1. Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire Analysts provided snapshots of each school, including Texas profiles: St. John's School, Houston Mission: "[St. John's] seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated, and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge." (St. John's School) Notable Alumnus: Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, 1964— Sarah Hrdy earned her Ph.D. at Harvard for the research she conducted on langurs in India, which made notable contributions to the field of sociobiology. Her work modernized our understanding of evolutionary psychology, particularly for female behavior. Hrdy was presented with a Lifetime Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution in 2013. (Reflections on Papers Past, This View of Life) The Kinkaid School, Houston Mission: "Kinkaid's mission is to promote educational excellence, personal responsibility, and balanced growth, and thereby to help students discover and develop their talents and fulfill their best potential." (The Kinkaid School) Notable Alumnus: David Hornsby, 1994— David Hornsby was born in Newport News, Virginia. He is well-known for his work as an actor and producer on shows and films, including It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present) and Good Girls (2018-present). (IMDB) St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas Mission: "St. Mark's School of Texas is a nonsectarian, college preparatory independent day school for boys in grades 1-12. The Charter states that the school is 'designed to afford its students well-rounded physical, intellectual, moral, and religious training and instruction.' The St. Mark's Board of Trustees intends for the school to be a diverse community of teachers and students who share a love of learning and who strive for high achievement in whatever they undertake." (St. Mark's School of Texas) Notable Alumnus: Tommy Lee Jones, 1965— Tommy Lee Jones attended Harvard College, where he played as a guard on the 1968 undefeated football team. After graduating from college, he moved to New York to begin his acting career. He started off in theater, both on and off Broadway, and soon began working in television and film. He is well-known for his roles in Men in Black and The Fugitive. (Texas Monthly, IMDB) The Hockaday School, Dallas Mission: "Believing in the limitless potential of girls, Hockaday develops resilient, confident women who are educated and inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact." (The Hockaday School) Notable Alumnus: Lisa Loeb, 1986— Lisa Loeb is a singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas. Her first hit song was "Stay (I Missed You)" from the film Reality Bites. She has since produced a huge variety of music, including a great number of children's albums. (Hockaday, lisaloeb.com) Greenhill School, Addison, Texas Mission: "Greenhill School is a diverse community of learners that strives for excellence; values individuality; fosters a passion for learning; promotes the balanced development of mind, body, and character; encourages service; and instills a respect for others." (Greenhill School) Notable Alumnus: Karen Rupert Toliver, 1984— Karen Rupert Toliver has worked on a variety of well-known animated films, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Meet the Robinsons, and Chicken Little. In 2019, she was the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for her animated short film Hair Love. (IMDB) St. Agnes Academy, Houston Mission: "Rooted in the Dominican tradition, St. Agnes Academy provides a Catholic college preparatory education that encourages young women to develop intellectual curiosity, to work for social justice and to act with integrity and compassion." (St. Agnes Academy) Notable Alumnus: Hanan Alattar, 2000— Hanan Alattar attended the University of Texas at Austin and later moved to New York to go to the Juilliard school. She is an operatic soprano singer who has performed in a host of concerts and operas domestically and internationally. (Houston Chronicle, Hanan Alattar) To see the full Test Innovators study, click here.