Friends called us recently to ask us about applying to boarding schools. Their child was just recently contacted by a few schools (being recruited) and will take the SSAT this Saturday…crazy I know. Any recs for highly efficient last minute review tests and tips? Obviously they have no time to tutor etc. Clearly this would largely be to familiarize the kid with the test and work on some strategies. They are brand new to this…thanks in advance!
Given the timeframe, a place that does general test prep (like Huntingdon, Sylvan) might be worthwhile as their normal process, if I recall properly, is to have the kid take a practice test (which is what you’re looking for in terms of familiarity). The results are used to determine what the tutoring strategy should be. They could use that for a session or two – because that’s all the time available – to go over strategies and deal with any quick fix problems. At the risk of stating the obvious, the test center should understand the timeframe upfront so that they can turn around the results quickly.
So…today is Wednesday (at least, in my time zone). Today, I would get a book (I recommend Kaplan’s blue book for SSAT and ISEE) and read about the format and the scoring system.
Thursday (I assume he/she has school): after school, take a few practice tests. After each test, look back and see where (s)he needs improvement and go read the book’s (again, recommend Kaplan) chapter on the section that (s)he needs to work on. The books usually have strategies for questions (I doubt (s)he could learn any new material in that time frame).
Friday: Don’t do too much work. This seems counterintuitive, but people do better on tests when they aren’t cramming last-minute. Given the circumstances, I would do some light practice problems (on the problematic subjects discovered in the practice tests). When I was studying, I found a free app on the App Store (iPhone, iPad) called SSAT (I believe), made by Varsity Tutors. They provide lots of practice problems to work on. Make sure the student gets enough sleep the night before and packs pencils and snacks beforehand (preferably Friday night).
Test Day: Get there early. This minimizes stress (which helps with overall performance).
TL;DR: Get the Kaplan blue book and the SSAT app by Varsity Tutors. Find the problematic sections and work on them the most (learn strategies). Minimize stress the night before and day of the test.
Hope this helped! Good luck!
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Ignorance is bliss. My daughter took it without prep and without ever seeing a practice exam. She was so relaxed. Not so when it came to SAT/once she realized the importance. Plus, the kid is being recruited.
Bsalum. What is your point? What does being recruited have to do with it?
It means that they want the kid - so will likely not pay much attention to the last minute SSAT
I assumed that wS the implication but the test still matters. How much depends on the school
Were these schools apart of TSAO? Because if so, they don’t necessarily recruit, if students have any contact at all with any of the TSAO schools (such as looking at their websites and giving them your email or phone number) and I would not necessarily take that as recruiting.