Student Online Assessment

Our admissions process prioritizes getting to know each student as an individual—their personalities, interests, and the unique way they think about questions. Through recorded interview responses, students can express this in their own words, providing an authentic insight into each student’s identity and personality for our Admissions Committee.

Through the Student Online Assessment, Eastside Prep hears from students directly in their own words. Three recorded videos and two typed responses are part of the assessment. It’s like an interview that can be completed at any time.

Click on the boxes below to learn more about each of these online assessment frequently asked questions.

What does the online assessment process look like?

Section One: The assessment starts with three (3) video questions for which you’ll provide recorded video responses.

Students, you will watch a pre-recorded video of an EPS community member asking you a question.
Before you record your video response, you will have a minute to think about your answers. If it helps your thinking process, you can jot down notes about what you’d like to say when the recording begins.
You’ll see the question appear in writing on the screen if you need to refer back to it as you respond.
You’ll see a time clock elapse during your preparation time, as well as during that time you have to answer each question.
Middle School applicants have one minute to answer each question; Upper School applicants have two minutes to answer each question.
You can hit submit as soon as you are done responding to the question, even if there is still time remaining. You don’t need to wait for the timer to end.

Section Two: The assessment concludes with two (2) questions requiring recorded written responses.

You’ll watch a video of an EPS community member asking you a question. Then, you’ll see that question written on the screen.
Once you receive this written prompt, you’ll have two minutes to think about your answer.
You’ll type your answer directly into a text field on the online assessment site.
Middle School applicants have 10 minutes to type their responses; Upper School applicants have 15 minutes to type their responses.
You can hit submit if you finish before the full-time elapses. You don’t need to wait for the timer to end in order to move on to your second written question.

How should students prepare?

Each student is an individual and may require different mechanisms to feel prepared. Here are some ideas on how to prepare:

Be well-rested.
Allow time around the assessment, without the pressure of activities before or after.
Have water or a beverage beside you.
Have a notepad and pencil if it helps you work through your thoughts.
The assessment has a practice question section. You can refresh and practice as many times as you want or need before beginning the recorded questions.
Be yourself! We want to hear your thoughts. We are not worried about pauses or if you lose your train of thought; these can be a natural part of getting our thoughts out.

How much time will the assessment take?

Below are the approximate timeframes to plan for when scheduling time to complete the assessment.

Middle School applicants’ total time, from opening the online assessment to completing the final question, will be approximately 30 minutes.
Upper School applicants’ total time, from opening the online assessment to completing the final question, will be approximately 45 minutes.
For standard timing, Upper School applicants have a shorter window of time for their writing samples (10 minutes), as they will typically write less than Middle School applicants (15 minutes).
Time-and-a-half (1.5 x) and double time (2.0 x) writing accommodations will increase the total time accordingly for the two written questions.

How will students access and navigate the technology?

Beginning on October 23, 2023, all Ravenna accounts in “applied” status will receive an email with a link to access our online assessment platform, Kira Talent. After that time, links will be emailed out weekly as new applicants create accounts. This invitation email is sent to the Ravenna user account email.

Email sender: Eastside Prep Admissions no-reply@kiratalent.com.
Email subject line: Check in to complete the Eastside Prep online assessment for Middle School Admission (2024-2025 Entry) or Check in to complete the Eastside Prep online assessment for Upper School Admission (2024-2025 Entry).

Do students need to complete the assessment in one sitting?

Students will log in to the Kira Talent platform and complete a technology check for audio and video. They will see a welcome video and answer two practice questions (and they can refresh this section if they want to practice even more–totally optional!). Once a student clicks into the ‘Assessment’ portion, they will need to complete the three video questions and two written questions in one sitting. After that, they will see a video which completes the process.

How can parents/guardians support students before, during, and after the assessment?

Parents can support their students while they get set up on the platform, completing the technology check and practice questions. Since the online assessment is intended for us to get to know students directly in their own words and voice, we recommend giving students space once they are set up on the platform. If you are staying close by, parents, please consider if you will be a calming presence without influencing your student’s responses to our questions. Some students may feel more nervous in the presence of a parent, and instead, knowing that a parent/guardian is out of the room but close by could be most helpful.

How can students use their accommodations?

If students receive additional time for writing assignments based on their learning accommodations, please get in touch with admissions@eastsideprep.org with the accommodations time details (e.g., time-and-a-half, double time). We will send you an accommodation link with the extra time built into the assessment. You do not need to send along a learning accommodations plan to receive accommodations—this is an honor system.

If more than one student is applying, can they use the same link?

If you have more than one EPS applicant in your household, we will require an alternate email address to connect each student’s online assessment to a unique email address. Please email admissions@eastsideprep.org with the names of all your applying students and which email to send each link to. (e.g., “Sylvan should have their assessment sent to parent.email.one@family.us and Arbol should have their assessment sent to parent.email.two@family.us” )

What should we do if we have questions?