SSAT November

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Hi. I'm taking the November SSAT. Although I can always take it again in December if I am not content with my score, but I want to get the test over with first, so I can focus more on my essays and art portfolio. How much does the SSAT score really count toward your overall evaluation and profile? My primary concern is that my score will not meet the standards of the schools that I am applying to. I've been extremely busy ever since school started, for I have to maintain my current school's grades first. I know it's about 4 weeks away, I'm cracking down on the books whenever I actually have time and finding that there is really not much to study.</p>

<p>Any tips for the verbal and reading section? I've been memorizing some SAT vocabulary and the vocabulary from the SSAT, but none of the myriad of words I've taken the time to memorize have even appeared on practice exams and exercises, and as for reading, I've been trying some harder level passages and such, but having trouble with my time management. Any tips for timing?</p>

<p>Thanks so much!
From a ninth grade applicant.</p>

2

<p>ALWAYS CHECK THE CLOCK! Bring a watch with you, even. Also, make sure that during the reading you write little notes and underline important dates. Often for reading they ask you to talk about the mood of the piece–my help is to look at the adjectives, because those most nearly describe the tone of the piece. </p>

<p>Hope I helped!</p>

3

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>I’ll be mindful to bring a watch. I’m deciding on different methods to approach the passages, but I’m not finding any of them to be especially time efficient. Should I read the passage first, then answer questions? Or, should I read the questions first? Either way, I’m finding that I have to go back to the passage for those minute detailed questions that they throw in occasionally. How was the SSAT for you? Any specific sections that I need to spend more time timing?</p>

4

<p>The SSATs for me were fine. I took them twice, and was happy with my results both times. I think that either way works for you…it’s subjective–whether to go and read the passage or answer the questions first. I preferred reading the passage and highlighting minute details, to save me some time when answering the questions. There’s no “quick” way to do that. And there aren’t any specific sections that you need to time. Every SSAT they choose one section to make especially difficult–for me that was the reading comprehension, which consisted of several tough paragraphs and a couple of poems. The reading comprehension is very subjective, so I struggled with that. I think that if you continue to work hard in the practice tests and the review books then you should do great! I had a tutor, which helped me a lot. Not only did she review my work, she also gave me a ton of tips on how to tackle this monstrosity of a test.</p>

5

<p>I would start studying vocab from quizlet. I started using it 3 days ago and I already learned 141 worlds from the Princeton Review book.</p>

6

<p>There’s a bunch of different SSAT sets on quizlet. Which one are you using?</p>

7

<p>Which SSAT set on quizlet is best for someone taking the uper level test?</p>

8

<p>I just made flashcards out of index cards (word/definition and sentence) using the SSAT hit parade and back-for-more lists in the princeton review book from the library. Then I did the SAT hit parade (the words should be similar…right?) and now I’m studying from word smart junior…I don’t think it really matters what list you study after the two princeton review books…</p>

9

<p>I’m using ones I made myself just search up my username and you’ll find it. Anoter one that is good on quizlet is SSAT Hit List set it’s usually the first or second one you’ll find when you search up SSAT on quizlet</p>

10

<p>thanks for the replies! I recently joined quizlet. anyway, now that we’re talking about quizlet, I just made index cards of the words I didn’t know, while perusing the Barron’s and Kaplan sets. A lot of recurring words in those lists from the upper level exercises in the SSAT prep books. Probably a good idea to memorize those…that is, the ones you don’t know.</p>

11

<p>I just printed out the biggest set of cards from quizlets on SSAT vocab ( it has 499 words). A good thing you can do ( atleast it is helping me) is to print out the words, then rewrite all the definitions on flash cards. I learn better when I write things down, and many of the vocab words I learned last year, so re-writing them refreshed my memory of them, and gave me a mental image of the definition (I HAVE A WEIRD BRAIN!!! LOL). Best of luck to you guys :)</p>

12

<p>I haven’t had time to study at all. I’ve booked all my interviews from December through January. I know the schools like the SSAT score recorded in the app, but any tips on speed studying? It’s only 2 weeks away!</p>

13

<p>Don’t speed study, you’ll just confuse yourself more. But, i read an article in WSJ: study the hardest parts the night be4 the test, it helps you lock in that part if you go 2 sleep rite after.
Good luck. Don’t freak yourself out 2 much, I thought I failed but I got 2 eight hundreds.<br>
So, really, anything could happen. Hope your test scores r really good :)</p>

14

<p>

It’s important. It’ll let admissions officers help get to know you better. They can see your academic strengths and weaknesses through the SSAT.</p>

<p>

VERBAL:[SSAT</a> Hit List flashcards | Quizlet](<a href=“http://quizlet.com/1211168/ssat-hit-list-flash-cards/]SSAT”>http://quizlet.com/1211168/ssat-hit-list-flash-cards/)
Know this list. If you have an iPhone/iPad, you can study from that. Just spend a few minutes each day reviewing this. </p>

<p>As for the analogies, review the Kaplan’s SSAT section on analogies. Once you’re done with that, review the Princeton Review’s Section on analogies. Once you’ve done that, review the practice test book sent by the SSATB, and do the section on Analogies. I did this, and did very well on the Verbal Section.</p>

<p>My other advice for the Verbal Section (and in general), is it’s better to omit than to guess. If you can eliminate a few answer choices (2-3), then by all means guess. But NEVER randomly guess, or guess because you feel you have to fill in space.</p>

<p>Also, don’t bother memorizing SAT words. Although some of them will be on the SSAT, the 141 from Quizlet are the only 141 that you will need to know. Don’t kill yourself because you cant’ memorize the 1,000 words that commonly appear on the SSAT.</p>

<p>READING: Read a bit every day. Idk how much you read for pleasure, but make the time to do so. Reading is fun. Find something that you like, and read about it. It’s tough with school starting, but do it. Don’t take too many practice tests, or believe in the “decoding” BS they tell you in test prep books. If I were you, just take 1 or 2 Reading practice tests. Any more than that will make you paranoid/anxious. If you read, you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>Also, if you do poorly on the Reading for the November SSAT don’t freak out. The Reading Section is scored weirdly. On some tests, you can miss 5 problems and get in the 70’s. On others, you can miss 7 and get in the 90’s. </p>

<p>

For the Verbal Section, start off with the Synonyms. I know in the test prep books they tell you to start with Analogies, but I think that’s dumb. Start with the Synonyms you know easily to boost your confidence. Then, do the Analogies you can do easily. Come back to the Synonyms you missed, and then come back to the Analogies you missed. Always look over your test when you’re done. Make time to do that.</p>

<p>For the reading, don’t skip around. Read through each passage, and if you can’t get one question, skip it and come back to the passage after you’re finished. </p>

<p>Also, don’t over-study for the SSAT. This will:

  1. Make you anxious. Anxiety will make you do worse. Don’t over-study.
  2. Won’t actually help you. Honestly, after a certain point, there’s too much else you can do. Don’t spend 4 hours a day studying. It might help you as much as 15 minutes could.
  3. Will take away your energy from the real world. There’s a big great world out there. Don’t spend your precious time in it over-studying for the SSAT.</p>
15

<p>“My primary concern is that my score will not meet the standards of the schools that I am applying to.”</p>

<p>Relax. When you look at a BS’s average SSAT score, remember that it’s an average, not a cutoff. For every uber high score above the average, there will be lower scores to balance it out.</p>

16

<p>Thanks a lot for your replies :slight_smile:

  1. How many points does omitting an answer cost as opposed to guessing and getting the question wrong? A wrong answer costs you 1/4 of a point, correct??
  2. And how were the essays? Anything I need to be worried about?</p>
17

<ol>
<li>Omitting= no points off. Yup, wrong is 1/4 off.</li>
<li>Essay: write small. You only get a page. Write neatly. Prewrite. Bring a pen, you need one. But I don’t think it’s that important. Is it?</li>
</ol>

18

<p>This is going to sound stupid, but, if I omit an answer, it will not deduct points off or affect my score in any way, right? But how were the essay prompts? Manageable? I guess it’s just like the books- defend your case type prompts. But some in the practice books had strange idioms and adages lol</p>

19

<p>Yeah, the books had the annoying :When theres a will theres a way, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, blah blah blah. Just don’t stress out and u’ll b fine.</p>

20

<p>@98beebee, thank you.
How much did you study for it (The test in general)?</p>