We have been podcasting The Education Doctor Radio show since December 2010. Our most popular shows have been on standardized testing and, much to our surprise even, boarding schools. In the Midwest, there is a growing trend of boarding school applicants from the Chicago area. Another interesting trend in boarding school admissions is that many students are learning about this option on their own and asking parents if they can visit or apply.
One of the admissions criteria for boarding school is the Secondary Schools Admissions Test. The first test administered this year will be coming up on October 15 (which happens to be the same day as the PSAT). The PSAT, of course, is offered by College Board, while the SSAT is offered by a totally separate organization. Because the acronyms are so similar, many people may mistake the SSAT and SAT. On our radio show today, we focus on the SSAT – we discussed why thousands of students take this test each year and how students can best prepare for the SSAT.
Our guest today is Aimee Gruber, Senior Director of Outreach, at SSATB. She joins us on the eve of the online registration deadline, which is tomorrow, September 30. Registered students are now preparing to take the test on October 15, so she joins us at a time when it will be most helpful for our listening families. Aimee gave us her insight and practical tips to taking the SSAT so that students can score well and get in to their best-matched schools.
In the taping of this show, we covered each section of the SSAT – Quantitative, Reading Comprehension, Verbal – and practical tips that students can apply right away. Next week, on our show, Aimee Gruber returns to discuss how the school admissions offers use the score reports, SSAT-related questions that students should ask in their interview, and how students and parents can interpret their score reports. Please remember to join us on October 6 at 8:30 pm EST or you can listen live by calling (714) 333-3356.
