Ugh! Should have hired a tutor for SSAT :(

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Community College and Manager of McDonalds it is then!

Just kidding OP. But seriously, it will be fine. Go take a walk and relax!

LOL

OP here. Thanks for the laugh! A walk sounds like an excellent idea.

NP.

Breathe.

Most kids do better on the actual test than the practice test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Community College and Manager of McDonalds it is then!

Just kidding OP. But seriously, it will be fine. Go take a walk and relax!

LOL

OP here. Thanks for the laugh! A walk sounds like an excellent idea.

NP.

Breathe.

Most kids do better on the actual test than the practice test.

Actually that is incorrect for the SSAT. Most kids do better on practice tests. The real thing is always harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Community College and Manager of McDonalds it is then!

Just kidding OP. But seriously, it will be fine. Go take a walk and relax!

LOL

OP here. Thanks for the laugh! A walk sounds like an excellent idea.

NP.

Breathe.

Most kids do better on the actual test than the practice test.

Actually that is incorrect for the SSAT. Most kids do better on practice tests. The real thing is always harder.

Oh the joys of an anonymous internet discussion board. Two conflicting statements without a shred of evidence to support either one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where can I find an SSAT tutor?

I would suggest Advantage Testing. We used them and they were very professional and helped our daughter incredibly. They're expensive but for our daughter delivered!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call Eagle Eye Tutoring - [phone] - ask for Garrett Lowe.

He is a co-owner, has kids of his own, grew up in DC privates, and is really good at getting kids ready for the SSAT. He may not be able to work directly with your kid but will have a great person who can. They can squeeze in multiple session in a couple of weeks. He worked with both of my kids and lots of other kids I know and helped them all tremendously. If your kid is a good student and smart, that is great but the SSAT is more about strategies and knowing the best approach. Garrett and the Eagle Eye folks are GREAT at teaching that.

Also, consider having your DS take a - FLEX TEST!!!! He would take the December test (good to get first sitting under the belt) BUT also go ahead and sign up to take a flex test (Garret/Eagle eye can explain how to do this) at the end of December regardless and focus more on preparing for that flex test (basically testing at a private location on date of your choosing). Flex tests get scored much more quickly. The dates for Flex Test fill up quickly so go ahead and book one now so you get the scores back in time. Flex Tests are common and dont indicate anything to a school.

note: You might not be able to take a flex test at this age. They're usually for older kids. Just confirm because when I asked for my daughter applying to fifth grade they said she was too young.

[Anonymous]

We used PrepMatters in Bethesda for SSAT tutoring for my 5th grade DD last year. She really bonded with the tutor who helped her a lot not only with math problems, etc. but also with test taking strategies, pacing yourself, etc. Also, your kids will listen and learn to this stuff if they hear it from someone who's not you! Tutoring was expensive but worth the money. I couldn't imagine letting her go in blind for that test. It is over the top for a ten year old!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or you can let him test as the kid he really is, not the kid you've prepped him to be just to see if a school will take him. Perhaps if they don't accept the "real" him, it's not the right school after all . . .

And, thus, OP, you can free up a spot for the ^PP's kid, who is a 'real' kid. Sigh.

Actually we are freeing up two spots for you all because my 'real' kids are heading off to college this year and one more 'real' one shortly thereafter. By all means prep to take their places though.

[Anonymous]

DS bombed - big time - the SSAT. Admissions at the school we were looking at said it's much better to take the ISEE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or you can let him test as the kid he really is, not the kid you've prepped him to be just to see if a school will take him. Perhaps if they don't accept the "real" him, it's not the right school after all . . .

And, thus, OP, you can free up a spot for the ^PP's kid, who is a 'real' kid. Sigh.

Actually we are freeing up two spots for you all because my 'real' kids are heading off to college this year and one more 'real' one shortly thereafter. By all means prep to take their places though.

Not my kids--I just didn't like your condescending tone to OP. But I do hope that OP has his/her kids prep. Being prepared is not a bad thing although why s/he would want her kids at a school with you and yours is beyond me.

[Anonymous]

The schools my DCs applied to only accepted the specified SSAT test or the specified ISEE, or performed their own test. But, none of them accepted both the SSAT and the ISEE.

[Anonymous]

OP here again-

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies. DS just took the ISEE practice test and did amazingly well, so we're signing him up to take it in a testing center (online, middle of the day). Fortunately both of the schools to which DS is applying accepts both tests.

No matter what happens, I'll be so happy when this process is over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS bombed - big time - the SSAT. Admissions at the school we were looking at said it's much better to take the ISEE.

Did they say why the ISEE is better?

[Anonymous]

Not 21:19 but from I can tell, the biggest reasons are:

-No penalty for incorrect answers (SSAT deducts 1/4 of a point per wrong answer).

-More straightforward questions. The SSAT seems to have more "gotcha" questions. It seems like instead of getting you to show what you know, the questions are designed to prove what you don't know.

-Four answer options instead of five (so fewer possibilities to eliminate if you're unsure).

[Anonymous]

This is all true, but both are still scored based on the results across test takers. So the ISEE is easier for everybody and how you do compared to everybody else (i.e. what percentile you land in) doesn't change. That's the only thing that matters--the percentile you are in. You are scored compared to your peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not 21:19 but from I can tell, the biggest reasons are:

-No penalty for incorrect answers (SSAT deducts 1/4 of a point per wrong answer).

-More straightforward questions. The SSAT seems to have more "gotcha" questions. It seems like instead of getting you to show what you know, the questions are designed to prove what you don't know.

-Four answer options instead of five (so fewer possibilities to eliminate if you're unsure).

PP captures it well here. Bottom line is that the ISEEE is more similar to other standarized tests our young kids are given, testing what they have been taught/what they know, and is designed for younger children. The SSAT is most similar to the SAT and designed for older kids and tests apititude and reasoning ability not just what information you have retained. The SSAT is a very challenging test for most kids (except the few who naturally think in this style) and truly requires the same kind of prep that everyone does for the SAT because it is so strategy based. Sending your kid in to take it is cruel and stupid since so few kids do it that way. My suspision, the SSAT is specifically designed for use by applicants to top private schools, they are the only ones who use it. That cohort has money so its a test designed to extract money for the testing industry. Of course, that screws those who cant afford expensive prep but want to get their kids a top notch private education.