Ok, thank you for your advice. I’m applying to 2 schools that my chances in admission will be high because of its acceptance rate (61%) and the other (40%). I’m just going to hope it’ll be fine.
I’m just going to retake it just incase, because I’m feeling a bit more confident in my Reading/Math.
Thank you!
Also I have to mention, I just checked my Google Sheet on how much Community Service I did in the past 3 months and its roughly 40-50ish hours. I have more service hours including last school years, but I only have around 40-50 hours this school year. The community service is tutoring students in my school district, both younger and older than me with violin, math, and swimming.
How should I show proof to the schools? The google sheet is linked to a google form I made where the people I helped fill it out for feedback on how I helped and how long I helped, etc. Should I screenshot the google form? Or should I attach a link to the google form?
You don’t; it’s unnecessary
No one asked for proof of my daughter’s community service during applications last year. She did, however, provide a link in the “multimedia “ area to an article published by her school about a large individual service project she undertook which inspired others to do similar work and had a profound impact on the local community here. For other things like trail maintenance, food bank, and general service, she just did an activity that was “Community Service” and in the description, named a few of the different types she does on a regular basis.
I suggest you retake. I know everyone says SSAT doesn’t matter but you are an Asian male applying against very similar profile Asian males at these schools and applying for financial aid. Yeah, I know they can’t account for race and take a holistic approach, yadi yada. For those in your “bucket” for admissions purposes, you want to be on the higher end for standardized test scores.
Also, I would not submit your current scores to the test optional schools. You are an outstanding violin player so no need for them to have your SSAT scores. I know several very talented but not so great test score kids who got into HADES this fall without their SSAT scores.
At least for Hotchkiss, I disagree with the advice not to submit. Pre-covid, their SSAT average was in the 86th percentile – just where the OP is. I think AOs are inclined to assume a below average score if an applicant doesn’t submit. So to me, submitting dispels the “below average” thought. Once the benchmark is hit, I truly do not think Hotchkiss cares about SSAT scores. I.e. a higher score is not going to be the thing thatvmoves the needle.
Theres no TO schools as far as I know anymore. Or at least in the schools I’m applying to, its not TO.
Out of your reaches Andover, Choate, Hotchkiss, and St Paul’s are still TO. Choate especially was very adamant during our visit and interview that they don’t care about SSAT scores and not submitting them will not hurt in the admissions process. I think being “test optional” means that you will not be penalized for not submitting SSAT scores.
Andover’s avg precovid was 94%. I know three kids - all Asian - there now who did not even take the SSAT. But they are outstanding in their extracurricular.
My son is submitting his SSAT but he is in the 98% for 10th grade admissions. I suspect most kids who submit are similar and my kid is multiracial.
The thing with TO in my school area is that theres kids who TO for most schools last year and they all got rejected. And for the schools I TO last year I got w/l from that school. So I’m not sure.
I’m currently studying for the SSAT currently and on the practice tests I’m currently getting minimums of 90 so I’m feeling confident but I’m just worried on the vocab section since its luck whether the vocab I studied or not comes up on the test.
And most students who TO have excellent EC’s but I’m not sure if my EC’s can compare to them since I’m not super confident.
Thank you, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to go TO.
hypothetically if you and another you…one with your current ssat and one TO apply, i think you with ssat gets in….your scores are great.
Thats what I was thinking. I don’t think my scores are amazing especially as a asian male.
I forgot to mention one thing that I find really important for my application since it’s a central theme I try to convey during my essays and interviews. The important aspect of my application is that there was never someone to push me to do the things I did. My parents were always in financial struggle, and still, to this day, they kind of are. They were never there to push me to learn math or play the violin; I had to push and motivate myself to do these. If you ask my parents about any of the math competitions, such as achieving top 1% worldwide, they would say they didn’t even know I studied. They could never afford tutoring for math or anything else, except for violin. The basic idea I’m trying to convey is that I had to push myself on my own to achieve these, and unlike my peers, I never had the support to do so.
Being self motivated is a given for being successful at boarding school so it’s good you are emphasizing it: Also, great executive functioning/time management and being able to self advocate. They are also looking for nice kids who care about their community and can contribute.
My son attends a JBS and while there are plenty of tutored to death rich slackers, they don’t do well academically or elsewhere. Being propped up only carries so far….
Good luck! For vocab study, I recommend the wordy wise 3000 books, specifically grades 9-10.
I finished the worldly wise books a long time ago, so I just started memorizing words. I memorized 4000 words but sadly I didn’t get most of them on the SSAT I took.
Thank you so much for your advice and time!
Let’s break this down…
" Asian male" isn’t a special category of applicant. There will be international students from China, Korea, Taiwain, Vietnam, etc. You aren’t in that bucket because you are a domestic student.
You ARE in the MA resident pool. There are lots of students in that bucket because a) most families look for schools with 2-3 hours of home, b) they are familiar with BS because they are local and they have friends and family who attended. Just like you! This will likely be the context in which your score is evaluated. Why? Because your schooling, your access to resources, your “world” is that of this group. But then, SSAT scores aren’t used to rank applicants, but to screen them.
Don’t make excuses for yourself. Just get those apps and interviews done! Everyone is evaluated for what they will add to the community - not just what they do but who they are. Make that part of your application shine.
More important, make that part of you shine now, not for an application but for a fulfilling life.
I’m not quite sure about how big a role the SSAT plays a role, but from what some admissions teams told me is that they have a minimum cutoff. For example the Miltons admission team like I mentioned before said they wanted a minimum of a 90+ SSAT percentile so I am not sure about whether a 87 will affect me, especially since none of my other parts of my application is strong enough to cover for both the SSAT and grades (math grade this year spanish grade 7th).
Also, taking everyones advice I added my community service hours (total 60 hours this year by teaching violin + teaching math to older and younger kids). Not that much I know but I try to help out with violin and music in general with anyone who reaches out to me.
I’ll try to show the admissions team who I am and how I will contribute to their community. Thank you for your advice! and if you have any other advice to like strengthen my application I would really appreciate it.
According to Boarding School review, their average score is 90%, so it’s unlikely that that’s the cut-off.
They said they wanted at least a 90 percentile in their email to me.
Doesn’t mean it’s required to have at least a 90%. Although Milton is a great school, there are academically better ones that accept applicants with lower scores. It would be a bit reckless for them to require a 90% to get admitted.
Well its not like a cut off but to have a higher chance they told me a 90% or higher.