<p>Yes .</p>
<p>I think Bama’s right Pulsar. I’d guess that schools want to see that you can write a reasonably coherent and organized essay in a limited period of time (as you might have to do on a test), but mostly it’s a good way to check to see if the voice in the application essays is the voice on the SSAT.</p>
<p>I think the voices will be different or hard to compare as the application essays are mostly personal and the SSAT essays are more like answering a question they pose (not necessarily personal, often not).</p>
<p>Weren’t the SSAT essay questions asking you how you felt about a quote that they provided? Personally, I think that’s pretty personal. But it’s just my personal opinion.</p>
<p>I see many posts from people saying they are stymied by SSAT analogies. Any suggestions from analogy masters as to how to ace analogies, in terms of prep? I’m sure Cmama has some ideas being a classics master.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I was saying how the questions on the math section are weighted more PER QUESTION than the english. Plus they’re all weighted by age group and gender anyway. 8th Gr. Boy > 8th Gr. Girl weight for math.</p>
<p>Rad–right, that makes sense now.</p>
<p>Pulsar–best way to study for analogies is to study vocabulary because you have to know what the words being compared, or at least their roots, mean. Second most important thing is to get a good test prep book (I think Princeton did the best job with this) and read through the section on different ways the comparisons are structured. Some of those buggers are tricky…it’s very helpful to know the typical analogy patterns. Once you’ve done that…always go with your first answer.</p>
<p>Cmama, Thank you. :)</p>
<p>Analogies are weird. The relationships between the words aren’t always obvious. I often (back when they were part of the SAT) could find better links between “wrong” answers. To do them quickly, in a test situation, relies on a “feel” for words, in my opinion, because you just don’t have the time to carefully reason out relationships.</p>
<p>If you want to do online practice, look for “GRE analogies practice.” The GREs still have them, and the vocabulary I saw on a brief glance at a couple are certainly in line with what I’d expect an 8th grader destined for a top boarding school to be able to handle. Here are a couple which look appealing:</p>
<p>[Number2.com</a> :: Free Online Test Prep](<a href=“http://www.number2.com/]Number2.com”>http://www.number2.com/)
[GRE</a> Analogies : Practice tests and explanations](<a href=“http://www.majortests.com/gre/analogy.php]GRE”>http://www.majortests.com/gre/analogy.php)</p>
<p>Just for fun, here’s a long essay which attacks the SSAT: <a href=“http://www.numbertwopencil.net/pdfs/ssat.pdf[/url]”>http://www.numbertwopencil.net/pdfs/ssat.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thank you Periwinkle. These websites are cool. 
</p>
<p>I think it’s funny, I love finding synonyms on tests. It’s what I do anyway, lol. Analogies, I do that to, but could live w/o. :P</p>
<p>But seriously, I could do better on the SAT. The SAT made changes in like the 90s and cut out their antonyms and analogies. I think the SSAT should do the same.</p>
<p>No, bad 2010!</p>
<p>pulsar, I know you won’t like this, but I honestly think boarding school is not good for you. There’s a lot a cliche going on there and you are too creative or cynical to be happy there. Think about it.</p>
<p>Also, CC allows posts of less than 10 characters now? That’s something new.</p>
<p>I think BS’s are looking for a diverse group, including the cynical and the creative and the…</p>
<p>Benley, No worries. I’ll know if BS is right for me when I visit them. I am good at spotting trouble and seeing through marketing shows. I have done enough research to know that one doesn’t need to go to BS to accomplish one’s goals or be successful. Moreover, we have plenty of good public, magnet, and private day schools to worry too much about BS. It seems to me that the BS fever is mostly confined to the NE, just my opinion. I agree with RBG2 that if you ain’t got fire in your belly, BS ain’t going to do something for you.</p>
<p>pulsar, what grade are you applying to？Of course, it never hurts to visit some schools and feel them for yourself, but conceptually private schools in general are more structured and except a few are more homogeneou than the average public schools. Schools like A/E are markedly diverse in ethenicity and maybe socioeconomically as well, but because they can hand pick their students, the students are actually more similar than you’d expect in many other aspects. From what I have learned about you on this board (unless you have a very different personality in real life), I think you’ll take pain to conform and compromise in a private school. You should stay in a public school and be the free you as long as possible. I hope this makes sense to you.</p>
<p>I don’t live anwhere near the NE and I know many people who know about boarding schools…pulsar, pulsar,pulsar.</p>
<p>Benley, Thank you for your advice. Knowing you from your CC posts, I’m sure it is very valuable.</p>
<p>Urban, Knowing about BS is different from going ga ga over them. :D</p>
<p>People in NE do not go ‘ga ga’ over them. Thank you, that is all.</p>