Private School Prep Classes Vancouver
If your child is applying with one of Vancouver’s private preparatory schools*, Pear Tree Education can help your child!
Pear Tree provides a combination of SSAT / entrance exam preparation, as well as coaching for the student interview.
Our Private School Prep team are equipped with Masters of Education degrees from UBC and SFU.
The Student Interview practice is led by experts in Vancouver’s private preparatory schools, who have worked for such schools and understand the academic / social requirements and the admissions process.
The SSAT / Entrance Exam preparation is led by an experience SSAT tutor with a Masters of Education degree.
While we do not guarantee that your child will be accepted by such schools, we offer the ultimate preparation for your child to ‘put their best foot forward’ (全力以赴).
*We consider preparatory schools as traditional schools that include Crofton House, St. George’s, York House, etc.
OPTION 1) PRIVATE SCHOOL PREP (Small group: 16 students max)
4 x 1.5hr SSAT group sessions + 1.5hr (1-to-1) Interview Practice = $600 + GST
(Middle Level SSAT Only)
*The number of students can vary depending on the session dates + SSAT level.
**The interview practice is booked separately from the small group course using the private class link in option 2.
OPTION 2) ONE-TO-ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL PREP
4 x 1.5hr (1-to-1) SSAT sessions + 1.5hr (1-to-1) Interview Practice = $950 + GST
SSAT Levels
Elementary Level SSAT – for grades 3-4 applying for admission to grades 4-5
Middle Level SSAT – for grades 5-7 applying for admission to grades 6-8
Upper Level SSAT – for grades 8-12 applying for admission to grades 9-PG
Parent Testimonial:
I wanted to let you know [my daughter] was accepted at Crofton House… Thank you so much for your advice and expertise in preparing her for the SSAT and the interview process. I have no doubt the coursework she did with you was very helpful to her on both the application and the SSAT.
We found out yesterday evening that our daughter got accepted into Little Flower Academy. Thank you so much for the training.
Paul has been working with our son on his preparation for an overseas school entrance exam since September 2015. The test demands strong writing skills and comprehension ability. Our son has been improving due to Paul’s strength in encouraging and guiding our son’s critical thinking and analytical skills. Equally important is Paul’s ability to connect with our son by engaging him with good questions and seeking smart responses. Finally, as a consummate educator his willingness to listen to parents’ concerns and effecting the desired outcome put us as parents at ease. We are pleased with our son’s progress and we look forward to more of Paul’s positive input to our son’s preparation for the exam.
It occurred to me that I never got back to you about the boys’ admission. They were both successful in getting into Southpointe Academy in Delta, BC. Thanks again to you and Laura for all your help.
My son relates to you and your teaching method.
Thanks Paul. He was telling me about the vocabulary in the car. We appreciate all the techniques you’ve shared with him. You were a great match for him, and I know he learned a lot.
My son still treasures your assigned readings from last year. I can’t begin to express how much impact your sessions have had. I think he was little disappointed he couldn’t continue the sessions but he’s been lucky to have awesome teachers in the program this year to keep him engaged with school.
Class Format
Although our SSAT tutoring classes are often tailored to the specific needs of the child, the general format of the 4 x 1.5hr lessons is as follows:
Class 1: Math section 1
Class 2: Math section 2
Class 3: Reading / Vocabulary / Writing Review
Class 4: General testing
The order of these classes may change depending on the needs of the students.
In terms of SSAT exam strategies, these are taught in context rather than as a lesson. After each SSAT lesson, we will provide you with written feedback (by email) on your child’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Average Success Rate?
A common question from parents is ‘What is your success rate?’
The problem with this question is that it assumes that a child’s success is entirely determined by which SSAT tutoring company you choose.
However, this would be a wrong assumption.
SSAT exam preparation is about optimising your child’s existing academic abilities and familiarising them with the specific requirements of the exam. It isn’t about transforming them into top students, and it isn’t about guaranteeing their success.
If you child struggles with reading, for example, there is little we can do to change that through a couple of 1.5hr lessons. It takes years to change a child’s reading ability.
If Pear Tree were concerned about our so-called ‘success rate’, we would only accept students who were already guaranteed to get top marks. However, that’s not how we operate.
We’re hear to help every child reach their full potential, even if that means that they only get an average score.
How Do I Know If My Child's Academics Are Too Low?
There is no easy way to know if this until you try. Clearly, if you are pursuing private education and the SSAT exam, you must have some belief that your child already has academic abilities.
However, if you would prefer to do a pre-course test (created by the SSAT organisation). This would cost $60 + GST. The test takes 30 minutes and is done on a computer. Note that the results of this pre-test likely won’t be amazing, because your child won’t have any prior familiarity with the exam. However, it will give us some indication of your child’s strengths and weaknesses.
If you decide to proceed with our exam preparation classes, this $30 would be deducted from your course cost (i.e. the pre-course test would ultimately only cost $30)