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What You Need To Know About the SSAT

An Introduction to College Admissions Tests

STRESS FREE GUIDE

SSAT

An Introduction to High School Admissions Tests

Achieve Tutorials, LLC is not affiliated with the Educational Records Bureau (ERB), the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), The Scholastic Testing Service, Inc. (STS), the High School Placement Test (HSPT), the Secondary Schools Admissions Test Board, or the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT).

Copyright © 2012 by Achieve Tutorials, LLC

All Rights Reserved

Permission to reproduce this document in its entirety without any alteration is expressly granted. Reproduction of only part of this document, or alteration thereof, is expressly forbidden.


What admissions tests do private schools give? 4

What are these admissions tests all about? 4

What do these tests measure? 4

Which test(s) do you need to take? 4

A culture of testing 4

Get to know the SSAT 6

What does the SSAT test? 6

How is the SSAT scored? 7

When is the SSAT offered? 7

How do you register for the SSAT? 7

What official practice materials are available for the SSAT? 7

Which schools require the SSAT? 8

Other Resources: How can I find out more about private schools? 10

What steps should you take to pick the right school? 11

10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress and Test Anxiety 12

Short Term Stress Relief 12

Long Term Stress Reduction 13

The Science of Stress 13

Achieve Tutorials Test Preparation 15

Achieve Tutorials Tutors & Academic Mentoring 15

Rates 15

A Parent’s Checklist: Junior High and High School Applications 16


What admissions tests do private schools give?There are several tests available for junior high and high schools to choose from. In the Los Angeles area, many schools use the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam). Several area Catholic high schools use the HSPT (High School Placement Test). Elsewhere in California, the SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) is common. Other schools use their own material, and some don’t require testing at all.

What are these admissions tests all about?The theory behind standardized admissions testing is fairly simple. Schools want to level the playing field. Since educational and grading standards can vary widely, standardized testing allows schools to compare students from different backgrounds with respect to a few basic skills.

Standardized testing also makes the admissions process easier for schools. Instead of spending lots of time and resources actually getting to know each individual applicant, they can rely on a quantitative measuring stick: test scores.

What do these tests measure?We believe that, primarily, the ISEE, HSPT and SSAT test how well you take the ISEE, HSPT and SSAT. Performance on these tests is not an indication of education, intelligence or worth. These tests are simply obstacles for students who want to attend certain private schools.

Which test(s) do you need to take?The only way to definitively determine which test a school requires or prefers is to find out from the school itself. We have included lists of some schools that require or recommend the ISEE, HSPT or SSAT. While we try to keep these lists as current and complete as possible, don’t use them as your only resource. Contact the schools directly.

A culture of testingWhether we agree or disagree with the idea of standardized, multiple-choice testing, we live in a culture of testing. The current focus on “accountability” in education has put even more emphasis on standardized tests. By the time students leave college, they will have taken many of the following standardized tests: CTBSs, ISEEs, HSPTs, SSATs, Stanford Tests, Iowa Tests, CATs, PSATs, SAT Is and IIs, ACTs, APs, GREs, GMATs, LSATs or MCATs. And this is not an exhaustive list.

So, in light of this culture of testing, it is important for students to learn how to take standardized tests. While each test offers unique challenges, there are significant similarities in content, structure and methodology, and the student who can avoid the common pitfalls will do


significantly better. In other words, learning techniques for attacking one test often translates to other tests as well.


Get to know the SSATThe SSAT, or Secondary School Admissions Test, is used by very few private schools in the Los Angeles area. Most of the California schools that use the SSAT are in the San Francisco area. In addition, several schools in Ojai /Ventura use the test. Many of the schools that use the SSAT are boarding schools. The test is given by the Secondary School Admission Test Board.

The SSATB can be reached at (609) 683-4440 or on the web at www.ssat.org.

There are two levels of the SSAT:

The Lower Level is used for students currently in grades 5 through 7 who are applying for admission to grades 6 and 8.

The Upper Level is used for students currently in grades 8 through 11 who are applying for admission to grades 9 through 12.

What does the SSAT test?The SSAT includes a 25-minute writing sample and four 30 or 40-minute multiple-choice sections. The test sections break down as follows:

Section * Questions Content Time Limit

Verbal 60 30 synonyms and 30 analogies 30 minutes

Quantitative I 25

Concepts from arithmetic, elementary algebra, and basic geometry that require doing “math computation similar to what

you do in school or what is useful in everyday life.”

30 minutes

Reading Comprehension 40

General and specific questions on 7-8 short passages of varying styles on a

range of topics.40 minutes

Quantitative II 25 Same as Quantitative I 30 minutes

Essay 1A short response to a range of topics designed to show writing ability. Not

scored, but sent to schools.25 minutes

* The sections may appear in a different order.

Total test time: approximately 2 hours 35 minutesTotal questions: 50 multiple-choice plus an essay


http://www.ssat.org

http://www.ssat.org

How is the SSAT scored?Lower Level test scores are reported for each subject on a scale of 230 to 320.

Upper Level test scores are reported for each subject on a scale of 250 to 350.

Before calculating your scaled score, the SSATB first computes a raw score by adding up all of your correct answers and then subtracting 1/4 point for each wrong answer (blank answers have no effect on your score). (Since students are penalized for wrong answers, students should only guess if they can eliminate at least one answer choice!) The SSATB then converts raw scores to scaled scores using a standard deviation, normal distribution curve.

When is the SSAT offered?The SSAT can be taken on any of seven annual test dates, usually in November through June (except May) ,or a student can schedule a time to take the test at an independent testing center (ITC).

How do you register for the SSAT?The SSATB allows for registration by mail, fax, and online at www.ssat.org. You may also download a student registration guide online or call (609) 683-4440 to have a registration form mailed to you. Regular registration typically ends about three weeks before the test date. Late registration (additional fee applicable) ends about two weeks before the test date. Students may also be able to take the test as a walk-in for an additional fee. You can write to the SSATB at: SSAT, CN 5339, Princeton, NJ 08543.

What official practice materials are available for the SSAT?You can purchase a copy of “Preparing and Applying” from SSATB for $30. The easiest way to order is to set up an account online and order from the www.ssat.org website. Alternately, you can call (609) 683-4440 or download an order form from the website. The book contains a limited number of sample SSAT tests, so use it wisely.


http://www.ssat.org

http://www.ssat.org

http://www.ssat.org

http://www.ssat.org

Which schools require the SSAT?The following list of California schools was obtained from the SSAT website in 2010. Many are boarding schools in central or northern California.

Schools that use the SSAT:

All Saints' Episcopal Day School (Carmel)

Army & Navy Academy (Carlsbad)

The Athenian School (Danville)

The Bay School of San Francisco (San Francisco)

Bentley School (Lafayette)

Besant Hill School of Happy Valley (Ojai)

Brandeis Hillel School (San Francisco)

The Branson School (Ross)

The Buckley School (Sherman Oaks)

Castilleja School (Palo Alto)

Cate School (Carpinteria)

Cathedral School for Boys (San Francisco)

Charles Armstrong School (Belmont)

Children's Day School (San Francisco)

Chinese American International School (San Francisco)

The College Preparatory School (Oakland)

Convent of the Sacred Heart Elementary School (San Francisco)

Convent of the Sacred Heart High School (San Francisco)

Crane School (Santa Barbara)

Crystal Springs Uplands School (Hillsborough)

Drew School (San Francisco)

Dunn School (Los Olivos)

Fairmont Private Schools - Preparatory Academy (Anaheim)

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy (La Canada Flintridge)

Hamlin School (San Francisco)

Harker School (San Jose)

The Healdsburg School (Healdsburg)

Idyllwild Arts Academy (Idyllwild)

International High School (San Francisco)

International School of the Peninsula (Palo Alto)

Jewish Community High School of the Bay (San Francisco)

Katherine Delmar Burke School (San Francisco)

Kehillah Jewish High School (Palo Alto)

KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy (San Diego)

KIPP Bayview Academy (San Francisco)

KIPP Bridge Charter School (Oakland)

KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy (San Francisco)

KIPP Summit Academy (San Lorenzo)

The Laurel School (San Francisco)


http://www.ssat.org/membersearch/info/member/1209






































































































Lick-Wilmerding High School (San Francisco)

Live Oak School (San Francisco)

Marin Academy (San Rafael)

Marin Country Day School (Corte Madera)

Marin Horizon School (Mill Valley)

Marin Primary & Middle School (Larkspur)

The Marin School (Sausalito)

Menlo School (Atherton)

Midland School (Los Olivos)

Monte Vista Christian School (Watsonville)

Mount Madonna School (Mount Madonna)

Mount Tamalpais School (Mill Valley)

The Nueva School (Hillsborough)

Oak Grove School (Ojai)

Ojai Valley School (Ojai)

The Phillips Brooks School (Menlo Park)

Presidio Hill School (San Francisco)

Ring Mountain Day School (Mill Valley)

Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School (Foster City)

Sage Hill School (Newport Coast)

Saint Mark's School (San Rafael)

San Domenico School (San Anselmo)

San Francisco Day School (San Francisco)

San Francisco Friends School (San Francisco)

San Francisco University High School (San Francisco)

Santa Catalina School (Monterey)

Sonoma Academy (Santa Rosa)

Sonoma Country Day School (Santa Rosa)

Southwestern Academy (San Marino)

Stevenson School (Pebble Beach)

Stuart Hall for Boys (San Francisco)

Stuart Hall High School (San Francisco)

St. Matthew's Episcopal Day School (San Mateo)

The Thacher School (Ojai)

Town School for Boys (San Francisco)

Urban School of San Francisco (San Francisco)

Villanova Preparatory School (Ojai)

The Webb Schools (Claremont)

Woodland School (Portola Valley)

Woodside Priory School (Portola Valley)






























































































Other Resources:How can I find out more about private schools?

BooksThere are several books available that offer further information on private schools in Los Angeles and the nation. You may find the following books helpful:

The Whitney Guide - The Los Angeles Private School Guide 7th Edition by Fiona Whitney

The Los Angeles Guide to Private Schools by Victoria Goldman (not recently updated)

Private Secondary Schools 2010-2011 by Peterson Guides

Game Plan for Getting Into Private School by Peterson Guides (not recently updated)

The Best Private High Schools and How to Get In by Frank Leana (Not recently updated; this books focuses mostly on schools in the northeastern US)

If you choose to buy these books, try to get the most up-to-date versions. Not all are updated annually. All should be available from Amazon.com if you can’t find them in your local bookstore.

Websites Most schools have websites with varying degrees of information. There are also thousands of websites that list school information. The following are just a few:

www.ed.gov The US Department of Education. Public school lists and information are available under the Parents section.

nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch The National Center for Education Statistics. You can do fairly sophisticated searches for private schools. (This is a government run service. There is a lot of education information available from NCES’s main website www.nces.ed.gov.)

privateschool.miningco.com/cs/usschools/ Private School Information from About.com. Find listings of schools by state, city or specialty with links to the schools’ websites.

www.boardingschoolreview.com Selected Boarding School Information.

www.nais.org National Association of Independent Schools. Find information about member schools. The Parent’s Guide is especially useful.

www.eschoolsearch.com A huge database of schools searchable by various criteria with a limited amount of information about each school.


http://www.ed.gov/

http://www.ed.gov/

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/

http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/

http://www.mces.ed.gov/

http://www.mces.ed.gov/

http://privateschool.miningco.com/cs/usschools/

http://privateschool.miningco.com/cs/usschools/

http://www.boardingschoolreview.com

http://www.boardingschoolreview.com

http://www.nais.org

http://www.nais.org

http://www.eschoolsearch.com

http://www.eschoolsearch.com

What steps should you take to pick the right school?Choosing the right school for your child is not an easy task. You need to do your homework and research the individual schools. Talk to parents, students, teachers, school counselors, friends and professionals. You should consider all of the following and more when choosing which schools to apply to:

• Educational Philosophies

• Admissions Requirements• Difficulty Level (for your child)

• Class Size• Sports and other Extracurricular Opportunities

• Student Body Makeup

• College Admissions Success• Campus Facilities

• Cost

Do remember to set reasonable goals. Choose schools that might be a reach, but also have some back-up schools.

Do keep organized!

Don’t overburden yourself with too many applications.

Don’t procrastinate!


10 Easy Ways to Reduce Stress and Test AnxietyIn some sense, the title of this guide is a misnomer. Virtually everyone feels stress on high stakes standardized tests. What is different is how people handle stress. Here are some great techniques for reducing stress in the the short term and the long term.

Short Term Stress Relief1. Be Prepared

Practice and preparation reduce stress. Studies support what our intuition tells us: lots of preparation reduces our stress levels. So take practice tests, learn the material, practice some more!

2. Stress can be Beneficial

Tell yourself stress and anxiety make you a better test taker. Say it out loud, because it’s true. People who feel anxious during tests actually do better, so when you fell anxiety, don’t worry. Remind yourself that it will help you do well.

3. Strike a Pose!

Stand for two minutes in a “Power Pose”. We recommend the “I just won the race” pose, with arms victoriously extended up in the air, head tilted slightly back. Or you could choose the “Wonder Woman Pose”, legs wide, hands on hips, elbows out. Standing in a powerful pose for just two minutes significantly improves test performance. Really!

4. Pretend to be an Expert

Tell yourself stress and anxiety make you a better test taker. Say it out loud, because it’s true. People who feel anxious during tests actually do better, so when you fell anxiety, don’t worry. Remind yourself that it will help you do well.

5. Breathe

Deep breathing, and we mean breathing down into your diaphragm, has long been shown to lower stress, so if you’re feeling that stress and anxiety is bogging you down, take a short 20 or 30 second break, close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. Picture your breath entering you body, relaxing your tight muscles and focusing your mind. Practice to make sure you’re breathing correctly by putting a hand on your stomach and a hand on your lower back and pushing them out with your breath without puffing up your chest or raising your shoulders.


Long Term Stress Reduction6. Exercise Regularly

Daily exercise reduces stress and helps you feel better. 30-45 minutes of exercise is about right, but even a daily 20 minute brisk walk can have great stress reducing benefits.

7. Reduce or Eliminate Caffeine Intake

Even one cup of coffee can raise your cortisol level by 30% and keep it elevated for more than half a day, and increased cortisol is associated with increased stress.

8. Keep Blood Sugar in Balance

Snack on healthy food with protein and healthy fats throughout the day and reduce high sugar intake. Don’t skip meals, which can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels.

9. Sleep 7 1/2 to 8 Hours a Night

Deep, long sleep reduces stress and actually increases learning and information retention. ‘Nuff said.

10. Drink 8-10 8 ounce glasses of water a day

Drinking enough water not only helps you avoid dehydration, but also reduces cortisol levels.

The Science of Stress

Dopamine.There are lots of factors that contribute to stress. As reported recently in the New York Times, one of those factors is genetic, and it involves dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects the brain. In short, dopamine in the proper levels in the prefrontal cortex stimulates brain activity, particularly processing speed. But too much or too little dopamine and our brains don’t function as well (extremely low levels of dopamine even contribute to diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease). Enter COMT, a gene that regulates the production of an enzyme that removes dopamine from the prefrontal cortex. It turns out that there are a couple of different variations of the COMT gene... one produces an enzyme that removes dopamine slowly, the other produces an enzyme that reduces dopamine rapidly.

It turns out that in normal, non-stress situations, people with the COMT variant that removes dopamine slowly have superior high brain function and better concentration. This is in part because they maintain consistent levels of dopamine in the brain. However, in stressful situations, the slow acting enzyme can’t keep up with the flood of dopamine entering the prefrontal cortex. The balance of dopamine gets elevated way out of its efficiency zone. This results in LOWER test scores for normally high-performing students.

Likewise, students with the fast acting enzyme tend to be less proficient under normal conditions (too much dopamine is removed from their prefrontal cortex), but do very well under


stress (because their enzyme can remove excess dopamine efficiently). We all know those students who seem half-hearted most of the time, but excel on tests—in many cases the result of the fast-acting enzyme.

The good news is that people can actually be trained to handle the stress, even if they have only the slow-acting enzyme. By repeated exposure, preparation and stress-reducing techniques like those above, almost everyone can learned to manage the stress.

Cortisol.Cortisol is the primary stress hormone. It’s the “fight or flight” trigger that increases certain body and brain functions, but shuts down others that are non-essential in the short term, including memory and higher reasoning function. The cortisol stress response is great if you come face to face with a mountain lion in the wild, but too much cortisol can be detrimental in testing.

Under normal conditions, once a the source of a stress is removed, ie, the mountain lion has gone it’s own way, your body’s cortisol levels return to normal, as do your other body processes. But most of us don’t live in a world in which mountain lions threaten us. We may be stressed almost all the time by demands of school or work. This can keep cortisol levels elevated to an unhealthy level. Long term elevation of cortisol can increase your risk of sleep problems, memory impairment, skin conditions such as eczema, digestive issues, depression, heart disease, and obesity.

Fortunately, there are many ways of controlling cortisol levels. Our favorites are include in the stress relief techniques listed above: regular exercise, eating healthy snacks regularly (every 2-3 hours), and drinking plenty of water.

The Power of PerceptionInterestingly, people’s perception of the value of stress can alter how it affect them. In a recent Harvard study of students who were studying for the GRE, large group was given a sample test. All of the students were told that the purpose of the study in which they were participating was to study the effects of stress. But half of the students got an additional instruction, which basically said, “Don’t worry. Feeling stress in a test may actually help you perform better.” The group with the additional instruction telling them that stress might be beneficial scored 50 points higher on the 200-800 scale. So when in doubt, just remind yourself that feeling stress could actually make you a better test taker!


Achieve Tutorials Test Preparation Obviously, we’re in the business of helping students improve their test scores. Our Academic Tutors are highly experienced, effective, nurturing and adept at adjusting our focus and techniques to best suit individual students. We understand the intricacies of each individual test and are experts in standardized testing techniques in general.

Achieve Tutorials offers individual tutorials tailored to fit our students’ schedules and individual needs. We come to your home, provide all necessary materials, and give detailed feedback on practice tests, student progress, and our expectations on test day.

For more information, please visit www.AchieveTutorials.com or call (310) 850-2616.

Achieve Tutorials Tutors & Academic Mentoring We also offer academic tutorials covering most elementary, junior high and high school subjects from regular classes through challenging AP courses. We thrive on developing creative, intelligent, long-term relationships with our students.

Rates For current rates, please see our website: http://www.achievetutorials.com/get-started/rates/

We don’t package a specific number of hours because individual students need different amounts of assistance. In special circumstances, when students are well-matched, we will work with small groups. If you are interested in rates for small groups of 3 or more students, please call us.


http://www.AchieveTutorials.com

http://www.AchieveTutorials.com

http://www.achievetutorials.com/get-started/rates/

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A Parent’s Checklist:Junior High and High School ApplicationsPlease note: This is a general checklist. Each school has it’s own specific admissions requirements.

School Name:

Address:

Phone:

Contact:

Website

School Visit:

DateDid you schedule a school visit? Y / N

Did you schedule an interview? Y / N

Application:

DateWhat is the application deadline?

Did you receive an application? Y / N

Did you complete the application? Y / N

General Information? Y / N

Student Responses/Essays? Y / N

Application Fee? Y / N

Photograph? Y / N

Other: Y / N

Other: Y / N

Did you submit the application? Y / N

Did you get teacher recommendations? Y / N

Did you get administrative recommendations? Y / N

Did your school send an academic / school record report?

Y / N

Did your school send a transcript? Y / N

Did you submit financial aid forms? Y / N

Other: Y / N


Other: Y / N

Admissions Test:

Is a test required? Y / NWhich test is required? ❏ISEE ❏HSPT ❏SSAT ❏OtherDid you register for the test? Y / NIs there a test deadline? Y / N Date: What is the test location?What is the test date?


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