<p>How was it for everyone? Was it just me or was verbal extremely difficult? There were a lot of words I've never seen in my life before. Anyway, how was your experience. Discuss.</p>
<p>My friend is taking it on the 16th, but I took mine in November.</p>
<p>Where do you live? If you lived in my town, you would still be taking it (it's only 11:11 AM).</p>
<p>aleex1, did you decide to retake the ssat or ?</p>
<p>It's too bad that you can't wait until you get your scores to decide; well, you could, but then you would have very little time to prepare.
Where I am, the test just started. 9:15. My friend's taking it today.
Do remember any words from the verbal section? I want to see if and how many of the words are the same as the Nov. test.</p>
<p>The test was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I think I did pretty well. Maybe 75 - 80 percentile in each section. I did much better in the verbal and math section than I thought I would. I omitted four questions from the reading (I ran out out of time to go back), ten questions from the verbal, and five questions for the math sections. My essay topic was "A person's future is by choice not by chance." I agreed with the statement. I think I could have written more and done a little better. I was nervous, though. I wrote about successful leaders and how they chose to become successful. (Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa). I also talked about how it was the terrorists choice to hijack planes on 9/11. Actually, first I wrote that it was not the choice of the people who lost their lives on 9/11, excluding terrorists. This completely went against my thesis, so with a little rewording and a LITTLE crossing out I fixed the problem. lol</p>
<p>I met a lot of interesting people there. I was really surprised that when I asked some of the kids where they were applying they didn't even know, and when they checked in and the proctor asked where they are applying some kid asked his dad to tell him. </p>
<p>The admissions officer at Greenhills went to Lawrenceville. Some of the other kids taking the test were applying to Culver Academy (He came down all the way from Marquette, about 6-7 hours away. There were a few other people from Grand Rapids, Lansing, etc.) There were also kids applying to Andover, Groton, Exeter, Western Reserve, and Greenhills of course. It kind of made me sad to think that those kids are working on their boarding school applications and I would be too if I wouldn't have changed my mind about waiting a year. Hopefully I have made the right decision, though.</p>
<p>If I did decide to apply to another school, would I just call the school and tell them my SSAT score and give them a copy? Or do schools only count it if SSAT send it to them? I only put one school on the list. (Greenhills)</p>
<p>Most schools would not let you send a copy, and I doubt that there is any that would have you tell them over the phone. If you want to add a school, go to the SSAT website, and go to "manage my account".</p>
<p>Yeah, I saw that. </p>
<p>After SSAT sends the scores to the first school, will it send it to another school after the score release date?</p>
<p>Yes, I'm pretty sure they will, but I believe it costs extra. Reconsidering apply to St. Paul's?</p>
<p>Nope. Not this year. I'm visiting the boarding school in the city where my dad lives over Christmas Break. </p>
<p>Hopefully I'll apply to SPS next year. We'll see.</p>
<p>My 8th grade daughter took the exam today. Found the verbal sections to be EXTREMELY difficult. Do others agree? She omitted at least 10 questions in the verbal sections that she had never heard before. NONE of the practice book (Kaplan, Princeton and SSAT) words that we studied were used. She also said that the root word and other strategies were not helpful. </p>
<p>On the bright side ... she felt very good about the Math section and felt confident that a score somewhere in the 90's was probable. In this area, we feel that working with a tutor for 2 months was well worth the investment as all she was prepared for all of the math. She did not finish a few questions due to time. </p>
<p>She also found the reading to be more difficult than expected. We did not prep much for this section because she is naturally a talented reader and had done well with the practice tests. This was a bit suprising, but the test was not meant to be easy. </p>
<p>Wondering how others feel they did. When are scored rcvd? Is this enough time to register for the January exam in case her scores are a total disaster? Out of curiousity ... did everyone in the country rcv the same exam today .. or is it a mixture of exams?</p>
<p>I believe everyone in the country takes the same exams, because I've heard of a form of cheating (yet again I reference The Overachievers--excellent, I swear) where West Coast students call East Coast students and ask for words on the verbal section to look up, because of the time difference.
Does anyone remember some of the words on the verbal?</p>
<p>Prepparent- I decided to take the SSAT again. The math and reading were a lot better than expected but the verbal was outrageous. I remember Herculean as well. I also remember stealithy.</p>
<p>
[quote]
NONE of the practice book (Kaplan, Princeton and SSAT) words that we studied were used
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Nope. I remember at least four words that I saw that I remembered from PR. </p>
<p>The words I remember are herculean, stealthy, and pacificst. I think stealthy was used in PR. I don't remember.</p>
<p>Princeton Review helped me A LOT. I'll definitely buy it again when the SAT comes around.</p>
<p>
[quote]
She also found the reading to be more difficult than expected. We did not prep much for this section because she is naturally a talented reader and had done well with the practice tests. This was a bit suprising, but the test was not meant to be easy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I agree. I omitted four because I was going to go back to them because I didn't have enough time. I was surprised that the questions were as difficult as they were.</p>
<p>
[quote]
My D tells me that at her testing center a certain group of kids were using text message devices while taking the test. one student was told they couldn't use the bathroom anymore. Apparently she was leaving frequently during the verbal portion of the exam.
[/quote]
As I remember when my D was taking the exam they told them to put all electronic devices away (in a backpack/purse/etc) and that they were not allowed to access such devices until the end of the exam. </p>
<p>Where were the proctors for this test?</p>
<p>As to leaving the test during the verbal portion several times, do you think the time away from the test was worth the answers she was trying to obtain? I am going on the assumption that she was using the breaks for things other than stated.</p>
<p>The proctor was seated at the back of the room.</p>
<p>Herculem wasn't on the last test, nor was stealthy or pacifist. So I guess they do change it. I wonder if they change every single word. Herculem is really hard, I don't know what that is, but pacifist and stealthy are all right. Those were probably beginning words, though.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Herculem wasn't on the last test, nor was stealthy or pacifist.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I knew Herculean because I thought of Hercules. When I got home I looked it up and it means of extraordinary power, extent, intensity, or difficulty. I'm pretty sure I got it right.</p>
<hr>
<p>Before the exam, the proctor took everyone's cell phones and put them in a bag with their name on it. In the verbal section of the test, someone's phone went off in the box that he put them in, even though he specifically asked for everyone to turn off their phone. He spent a long time holding each phone up to his ear to see whose it was. It turned out their the girl's mom called her. lol</p>
<p>"the girl's mom called her"</p>
<p>hmmm...you'd think her mom would know she was taking the test</p>
<p>At D's site they asked for all devices. Three boys apparently did not hear the direction.</p>