Hi. I am thinking of applying to Choate, Kent, St. Georges, The New hamptons school, The holderness school, Middlesex, Cantebary, Peddie, Loomis Chaffe, and others.
Here are my stats and details:
Africain American (Ghanian)
Parents were immagrants for Ghana
Piano for 4 years
Gymnastics for 3 years (discontinued)
Volleyball (One Year)
Had a cousin attend Choate Rosemary Hall. Had another cousin attend Kent. I took my SSAT last fall and I did really bad and got in the 44th percentile. I’m going to take it again this fall and hope to make a 70th percentile and up. Im going into 9th grade and applying thi fall. I have a gpa of 3.8, because I took a few highschool classes in the 8th grade. I will most likely have to apply for financial aid becuase we probably won’t be able to pay all 4 years for me and my brother,which I also have a little brother who will be applying next fall. In 8th grade I was in many clubs like first priority ( a religious christian group at my school which I was a group leader in), Reading Bowl, Yearbook Club, and I was in my school Choir. I also won the STEM award last year too. My last years grades werent so great however, I made A’s, and B’s in every quarter. I was in Physical Science which was highschool level science that I was taking in 8th grade and I was in Advanced maths. I really would like to attend boarding school becuase I think it would be an amazing oppurtunity and I would really be able to make lifelong friends and learn great skills. Boarding school has been in my plan for a longtime and Im really excited im finally able to apply. I did apply to A Better Chance but I was unable to get in mostly becuase of our income, we can’t pay all of it, but we also don’t need full support. I will most likley put in my SSAT scores and aim for a very high score since my grades weren’t very good, which is also the reason im applying to schools that aren’t too selective so I have a decent chance of getting in to some of them. If you also have any other hidden gems of tips and tricks, please let me know!
Also I am Located in ATL, Georgia and I go to Public school.
If you are casting a wide net, I’d look into Concord Academy, Millbrook, Proctor, Mercersburg, Lawrence Academy, and Northfield Mount Hermon
Okay thank you!
For schools closer to Georgia, there is Christchurch, Episcopal, and St. Andrew’s.
You also don’t need an ssat score so don’t sweat that.
your right, but I feel like mu grades weren’t that great as they were not all A’s so I just want something to back me up when it comes to academics. thanks for the reply!
I get it… but it had better be high. Anything lower than the high 80s won’t cut it imo. Start studying now. I’m confident you can get it up with practice!
For your post you wrote in a very casual style - make sure any communication to the school is spell checked, uses proper grammar and proof read several times. Easy to get in the habit of not doing these things with texting, but important when communicating to schools.
I think a wider net than that would be advisable.
It’s not clear from your list what you’re looking for. These schools all are very good, and any can be excellent for the right kid. Holderness and St Georges are 2 really different places, for example.
You will have the most success with your applications if you can demonstrate that you understand what the school is and how you will contribute and thrive. I’d add George to the list to consider too as you’re working this out.
I disagree with this. I would say high 70s and up. I and many other people I know got in the high 70s and got acceptances and waitlists from top schools. It’s just a benchmark. If OP went to a prestigious private day school, maybe high 80s. But AOs think differently when it’s a public school: especially when it’s not ranked high.
The averages for schools like Peddie and Mburg are ~70. OP does not need an 88 SSAT to get in.
I did not know that about Peddie/Mercerberg… I only know kids who got in the 90s so my frame of reference must be skewed. If there is a question about not doing well, I say just don’t take it. Many kids do not and get in. I just found out that at a top BS, there were 1200 freshman girl applications for 60 spots… this is not hearsay, this statistic was told to me directly from an AO (believe it or not…). I’m sure it’s probably the same for the boys or close to it. My only thought is to do everything you can to do well to get in if that is indeed what the OP wants.
Just pointing out that 1200 for 60 spots sounds far more competitive than it is. I just don’t want the poster to get scared off by that! Schools give way more offers than “spots” because yield isn’t figured in. Anyway all that to say – sure some highly rejective schools are in that 10-15% admit rate. But there are also many that are higher admit rates and fantastic. Mercersburg, for instance, has floated in the 25-30% range in the past couple of years. Yes, competitive, but not impossible. You sound like you have a really cool background and like you would be an asset to a school community! :).
Regarding SSAT – My daughter had an 80 SSAT and got into a bunch of highly rejective schools like Andover, Deerfield, etc. (And as many folks know here, she started at Andover and transferred to Mercersburg for fit reasons, and has thrived.) And I’ve also had daughters not take SSATs at all and have numerous acceptances.
So – all that to say – if you get a solid score, then great. And if not, then also you’ll be fine. It might remove a couple of schools, but there will be PLENTY of options that will make sense to apply to!
I’ll echo what was said upthread which is: you might want to get a little clearer on what you are looking for in a school because you have a real mix of vibes in your list. :).
I’m cheering you on from afar!! :).
oops @DrPrimo – my reply above was meant to be general thread reply – sorry for tagging you!! 
I know a kid who got a 36 on one section. A BS took a chance on them, and they just finished a degree in Physics at Harvard.
Just want to be sure anyone reading this understand that schools are good at assessing applicants and many see it as their mission to shore up those weaker areas.
No prob! I’m just speaking from our experience.
If you’re worried about testing, I would consider taking the PSAT.
Personally, I did significantly better on the PSAT compared to the SSAT, especially without having to complete a difficult verbal section. (I also didn’t study that much, but you really should try studying even a little!! I get upset looking back at it! It can make the difference in your score.)
It really depends on the person, but you may do better on the PSAT, too. You could always take both and see which score feels stronger.
Yes I totally agree, Im just wondering if most of the BS take the PSAT.