Does anyone know for a fact if the TSAO schools super score? If not, how do they select a candidates SSAT score?
Yes, they superscore. We were told at a TSAO open house to send all scores and they would look at the highest scores for each subsection. Of course, if you send them all of the scores they can see the lower scores as well. Overall if you benefit from super scoring, then I’d go ahead and send them along.
Thank you for your response. When was this meeting?
This was the TSAO open house event in my city in September or October. Reps from the schools come together to a city further away from New England and have tables with school information, a Q&A session and opportunities for interviews. The question about super scoring was asked as part of the Q&A and all of the schools said they’d look at the highest subscores and to send all scores.
I also have some questions about scoring: Do schools see it as an advantage if you only took test once? During the interview, we did not discuss score but was asked about what prep was done for test. Do they take into consideration if a class or tutor was used to boost score? Do they like to see students who score very well without a class/tutor? Or does it not really matter in the end?
my daughter interview to 5 of the 10 Tsao schools.
No one ever asked her this. I’m sorry I don’t know the answer.
do either of you know if the percentile matters in any way shape or form?
The percentile is pretty important, because it shows how well you do compared to the rest of the students in your grade.
At the risk of offending, if you are truly concerned about presenting the “best” set of scores for your student, many of the TSAO schools are going to be a far reach.
That said, my daughter who had 99s across the board was accepted by one TSAO school and rejected (not even waitlisted) at another. So even strong scores aren’t going to be some magic bullet.
I feel I’ve written some form of this post every year I’ve been active on the forum…which probably explains why I’m not so active anymore.
… and I keep hearing SevenDad’s comments in the back of my head every time I think about this. Our kid is a 99 percenter (no FA needed) and just got waitlisted at the two non-religious private day schools within decent commuting distance from our home.
At none of the schools we interviewed at (local day schools or the TSAO schools) did any discussion of test prep, number of times taking the test etc. come up. We received our kid’s scores halfway through the week we were back east visiting schools and interviewing, so had them for some of the interviews but not the others.
I’m afraid that we’re going to be this year’s example of the 99th percentile “curse” on this board…
And hopefully I’ll be the example of the kid with relatively low scores who gets in. 
hi, you did not offend me. I would like you to know that the reason why I’m asking is because the scores fluctuated. Mmy daughter is a very strong student.
@mathman1201 - not meaning to scare anyone, just a dose of reality. We spent the weekend in a bit of shock - we really had thought that our kid would be accepted at one of the two schools and getting a “waitlist” from both was a blow. I guess it’s a good thing though because we’ll have lowered our expectations for M10, and can keep all of this in better perspective. It’s just school, and like another thread has mentioned, our kid will have a great year next year no matter where she ends up.
The great thing is that the public high school she’s slated to attend won the state championship for girls swimming with all of the top swimmers returning next year AND they train in our LSC pool. It will be a great team to join and a great way to start high school.
I think the reality is that it really all depends on the competition.
One recurring theme that I’ve harped on for the past few years is just how competitive the BS admissions thing can be Especially for kids who apply exclusively to the “usual suspects” (the super-selective acronym schools).
For about a year after my first daughter went through the process (with successful admits to 2 of the 3 schools she applied to, including one of the “usual suspects”) I went on a virtual crusade trying to convince parents/kids to expand their scope…to essentially browbeat people into the realization that, in the applicant pools in which they were competing, they are most likely just average applicants.
To put it another way, if a school has an admit rate in the teens…that means over 80% of applicants are going to get a slim envelope on M10. So all applicants should ask themselves…do I think I have a stronger application profile than 80%+ of some of the smartest kids in the US (and the world)? I can’t imagine that a majority of people who come to the forum can answer “Yes” with a straight face. Better still, applicants should ask themselves “Am I really a good fit for this place/is it a good fit for me?”
Look back at the thread about my older daughter’s process. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say she was a strong applicant (2380+ on SSAT, minimal prep, no superscoring needed…one wrong answer away from perfect, strong grades at known private day school, future NMF, etc.) Yet even she was REJECTED from a school.
So when I see people come on the forum with any weaknesses in their app profile combined with a focus on only the most selective schools — because, apparently, those are the only ones “good enough” — I just shake my head.
Yes, I understand that some people have a “go big or stay home” mentality. But for many of us, the local option isn’t the best option. And I think this POV leads to an unnecessary limiting for one’s choices.
Well, I’ve got to go to work. I will step off my soapbox (for the moment).
Another thing we’ve found all the way through school in our area that may also be a factor this year - there seems to have been a mini baby boom in 2000-2001. These class years always have the fullest classrooms, additional sports teams added, etc. there just sem to be more kids in this year class. The admit rates at our local private schools where our kid was wait listed seem to have tightened up this year, and it will be interesting to see if it appears to be the same with the boarding schools.
@soontobeprepmom if you are of the belief that the only thing that matters is the competition, then yes its all about the %iles that is the competition……some of these schools are accepting less than 15% of applicants, and the rates are lower if you are international, or need FA etc. Even if you do have the scores, there is so much more that goes into an admit, as pointed out over and over again by @sevendad among others
I think some of the problem often lies in kids who are big fish in the small ponds where they are from. Everyone of those fish is not getting into Andover and Exeter and it is difficult as parents to recognize that your very bright student may not be quite as exceptional in the applicant pool to BS as they appear at home at your LPS
Regarding how many times to take the test…I personally think 2 is a reasonable number. Any more than that, and IMO, it looks like you were “chasing” some threshold score.
In terms of disclosing any prep done…again IMO, it does (and should!) matter if a kid gets a tutor and/or actively preps vs. taking it once, cold, and crushing it. I don’t think my older daughter was asked that question in any of her interviews, btw. Very strange that they asked it.
Not everyone agrees (and there are many anecdotal examples to the contrary), but I am of the opinion that one’s scores are what they are and — barring some very anomalous condition or situation — will not change that much from test sitting to test sitting. Older daughter took SSAT twice (as former middle school division of K-12 school paid for one sitting as a screening for high school merit aid) and scores were very similar. Younger daughter took it only once, and we all agreed that her scores were A) fine for the schools to which she was applying and B ) In line with her academic record.
I think that parents can put an undue stress on students by having some “target” score in mind. Maybe your kid isn’t a 99th-ile standardized test taker…and you know what? That’s okay. Furthermore, if some “target” score is only possible with a lot of tutoring/prep…ask yourself if the schools that might look for scores like that are the right fit (again with the fit) for the student. It could be that they are gain admittance to a school at which they will be average or worse. Regardless of one’s college aspirations, how’s that going to feel to be working your tail off and still never making honor roll? (And yes, I understand the value of resilience and hard work…no need to tell me about it.)
@jmtabb Yes, indeed there seems to have been a mini baby boom for the “millennium” babies born in 2000 and 2001. They will face similar issues for college applications, yikes.
I believe that the schools will superscore. I was specifically told that by a number of admissions officers. In our case, we sent two sets of scores. Child’s superscore percentile was about 3-4% higher than best one sitting score. Child was accepted at the 4 TSAO schools where we applied. Child’s scores were in mid-low 80%, but had other hooks that may have pushed child into the admit pile.
The challenge is that if you have a really strong score in one section coupled with a weak score in another section. Is it potentially damaging to show a weak score even if it was higher in another sitting? That was the part we struggled with.
Best of luck.