99% on SSAT?

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

Hi everyone,

This is my first time on the forum, so please be understanding if I mess something up while replying or posting.

Recently, I applied for Lawrenceville, Choate, Hotchkiss, and Peddie, and, seeing all this interesting but frightening competition, was wondering what my chances were.

Although I understand that luck is still a key factor in the admission process, I still want some feedback on how my portfolio stands currently.

SSAT Score:

Although I had only one or two, thick SSAT preparation textbooks and a maximum of a hour each night, I was indeed able to clench a 99th Percentile score. (I took the test on the day before my birthday…coincidence?)

Total Scaled: 2319
Total %: 99
V %: 98
Q %: 97
R %: 98

Furthermore, I’m Asian American. With the following in mind, I would like to know where I stand among this group.

  1. I am a straight-A student with a GPA of 4.0. Also, I take all advanced classes offered at my current school, including Honors Geometry, Honors Literacy, and Honors Social Studies.
  2. I'm bilingual. I speak Mandarin and English fluently due to my background. Also, I have 3 years of experience in the Spanish course offered at my school. (I am also a candidate for Spanish II and III as I am at the top of my class.)
  3. As far as extracurriculars go, I tend to try everything, but have narrowed them down to the ones most critical to myself. Math: I am part of my school's Math Olympiad Team and have participated in a multitude of contests. I also participate in AMC 8 and 10.

Awards:
Spring 2015 Noetic Math Contest National Honor Roll, School Distinction in the 2015 7th Grade Math Contest,
School Distinction in the 2013-2014 6th Grade Continental Math League, School Distinction in the 2012-2013 5th Grade CML League (I have more but are beyond the time span/limit allowed [3 years])
[School Distinctions are only awarded to the top 3 scorers in the school.]

Boys Soccer: I have played travel soccer (on the same team) for over 5 years now, and I mainly play defense and midfield.
(Team is now in the top flight of our league [MNJYSA], and if possible, are looking to advance to the next league [e.g. MAPS])

Awards:
2013 U12 MNJYSA League Champions, 2013 U12 Spring Flight
Winners, 2014 U13 Fall Flight Winners

Science: I am part of my school’s Science Olympiad Team, and just to note it, I also participated in Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth program. (Course: Introduction to Biomedical Sciences)

Awards:
Although I am passionate about science (stressed in my application essays), I have had little opportunity to receive rewards. Little regretful about that now.

Others that are Notable [Privacy]:
Cross Country (1 year), Basketball (5 years), Violin (3 years), Art (4 years), Chess (3 years)
(Note: Once again, these are not all, but I have limited them also for the sake of privacy.)

  1. I am a Domestic Applicant and do not require Financial Aid.
  2. Finally, in my humble opinion, my interviews went well, and my essays definitely showed a critical and essential part of me.

Thus, although I know the journey will be stressful and packed with twists and turns, I’m definitely happier now that the application process is over for me (except results of course :P)!

THANK YOU FOR READING! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, but I cannot guarantee that I will be around to answer it. Good luck everyone.

2

I am also an 8th grader, hoping to enter as a Freshman for 2016-17.

3

It seems like you have a solid chance to me. Are you only applying to 4 schools?

4

+krvin12 Yes, although I’m boarding, for safety precautions, my parents are forcing me to stay close to the Tri-state Area. Anyhow, it is also easier to focus on a few schools as opposed to several.

5

Although high school admissions are quite unpredictable, from my perspective, you’re more than likely to get in.

For SSAT’s, you’re higher than the averages (by a great amount) of the schools that you’re applying to.

Your grades are good, so this is definitely also a big plus.

EC: You seem pretty dedicated.

Overall, I’m sure you have a good chance.

6

+krvin12 Thanks! Just looked at your profile. Seems like your chance is as good as mine (yours is probably better).

7

@iMagine21 Thanks for your comment! I really appreciate it. However, I’m still pretty sure you stand a better chance (I think your EC’s are very unique). Who knows, maybe I’ll see you in boarding school next year.

8

@iMagine21
I think your profile looks strong enough to get in (especially because you don’t need FA)

9

I think your profile looks very strong and that you will most certainly get into at the very least one of those fine schools you listed… I got into Peddie with a 55% on the SSAT…

10

@dckx15 @preppyhenry Thanks!

11

I think that you are a very strong applicant, and have a high chance of getting in! I’m also applying to Choate, but as a 10th grader.

12

You also have a chance at schools like Phillips Academy Andover, Groton and Phillips Exeter Academy.

13

You have a strong chance of getting into all the schools that you are applying to- and in my opinion it’s safe to say you’ll get admitted to Peddie (as I have known people who have gone with much lower stats). However, all these schools are trying to build a community and are looking for students to round out the community. I believe that instead of joining lots of clubs or participating in many activities, they are looking for someone who excels in something in addition to academics.

In your case, the travel soccer might fit that bill. Are you in an orchestra and have you expressed an interest in continuing to play in one?

Good Luck!

14

Thanks for your input @bobtheunicorn @Linchonham34

15

@bsalum I’m grateful for your response, and your words are definitely true. At the Peddie open house (+ the other schools), it became obvious to me how much community played a role in the overall success and moral of everyone (teachers and students alike). Coming from an overpopulated public school of around 600-800, that was definitely different.
Anyhow, I’ve played the violin for 3 years now, and I just started the piano.

16

Keep us updated on your results!

17

@bsalum Sure!

18

Update: got accepted into Peddie, but was waitlisted from Choate + Hotchkiss, and was not accepted into Lawrenceville. Still pretty satisfied with my results.

19

I’ll be applying to Hotchkiss (8th grader) What school did you decide on?

20

@Laura003 I decided on Peddie (for two main reasons). First, I won’t ever know if I had been removed off Choate and Hotchkiss’ waitlist - as my parents wanted me to go to a NJ-based school (I live in NJ) from the start, and they’d promptly removed me from the waitlist after being put on it 0_0. Second, through a set of strange coincidences, Choate and Hotchkiss set pretty unpleasant first-impressions (for my parents) as soon as we arrived on campus. For Choate, our tour guide seemed to be half-asleep with incredibly dark and saggy eyelids. For Hotchkiss, aside from it being an especially dismal day from the start, we eventually found ourselves face-to-face with a graveyard immediately after parking in the first parking lot…(p.s. my Chinese parents are SUPER superstitious).
Anyhow, humor aside, Hotchkiss is a great school, nonetheless. In order to maximize your chances (since you seem to have it as your first choice), I would focus on acing the interview (IF you take it since I think it was optional) as much as possible. For Hotchkiss, specifically, they seem to highly regard personal conversation (hobbies, interests, building upon these topics, etc.) - communicated in a rather intelligent fashion. I noticed somewhat of the opposite for Peddie, where more relatable and enthusiastic notions were valued.
Nevertheless, I hope this gave you - at the very least, some incite/advice towards your application process. Good luck!