<p>I will be signing off after the New Year to start reading Hogwarts applications. Last chance to ask anything you want. Make it good. Ready set go.</p>
<p>How do you view an applicant with decent ECs, good essays, and very good recs, but has a lopsided SSAT score? For example, percentiles 99; 96; 48 and a composite of 92. Would you immediately eliminate from the pool of admissible applicants? Also, how much more competitive is it to apply for 10th as opposed to 9th? Thank you for taking the time :)</p>
<p>heps: No, I do not “immediately eliminate” him or her.</p>
<p>The question you’re really asking is, how do we view a 48?</p>
<p>The answer is: it depends. Everything is taken into context; the SSAT score is not just viewed in and of itself. It is viewed in the context of the applicant’s entire profile. A lopsided score just makes us ask more questions, including but not limited to, the following. </p>
<p>1) Which section is it on? Verbal is arguably least important, as it tests vocabulary. We can and will teach you new vocabulary. We cannot teach you to read faster (much of the reading section tests for SPEED, not just comprehension) or the basics of arithmetic (you should have already gotten that). High reading and quantitative scores/skills have shown to correlate more to academic success at Hogwarts. Nevertheless, sometimes a lopsided score can indicate a preparation gap or learning disability of some sort. </p>
<p>2) What kind of school do you attend? Do you attend a private “feeder” school or junior boarding school where the SSAT is given every single year in order for you to practice? Are you homeschooled with plenty of free time to prepare for the SSAT? Or do you attend a public school or parochial school, with no prior experience with the SSAT? </p>
<p>3) Are you a non-native speaker of English? Are you an immigrant to the US? Does your family speak another language at home? If you are a non-native speaker of English and the 48 is on the vocab section, that 48 might be easily overlooked if the 99 and 96 are in math/reading.</p>
<p>When looking at the SSAT, do you factor the score into consideration and not just the percentile ? For example, I got a 743 on the Math section and that gave me a 67%. I was rather shocked because a 743 is not a low score.</p>
<p>swiss, Hogwarts only looks at the percentile. I know that some of the other schools do look at the raw score, though.</p>
<p>What are the “dealbreakers” at Hogwarts? Just how do you get through all the applications? Are there obvious possible piles, and obvious not possible piles?..Any and all information would be appreciated! Also, what is something that remains a “CC rumor” that you wish parents and students would not buy into. Thanks!!!</p>
<p>Hi Gemma, we are struggling with essays. On one hand, I want them to be genuine representations–my child has a unique voice and I want that voice to come through in the responses. On the other, my child hasn’t developed a full understanding of academic writing, so the essays are highly “conversational” in nature, and more informal than I am comfortable with, not really knowing what AOs look for in the essays. </p>
<p>Can you say anything in broad strokes about what makes an essay “stand out” for you, or also what kind of problems you’ve encountered with essays that you’d advise applicants to especially attempt to avoid? Also, any general thoughts about how the essays factor in as a facet of the application process?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The 48th (695) was in math 
I tried to answer too many questions because I was trying for an 800… That certainly didn’t work out. The 99 was in verbal and 96 in reading.</p>
<p>GladToBe:</p>
<p>Dealbreakers? Um. Not sure how to answer that question.</p>
<p>How do we get through them all? We work very hard. </p>
<p>Different piles? There are many piles that we make after we read them, but not before.</p>
<p>CC rumor that I wish would stop? We do not ask what other schools you are applying to because we “trade horses.” There is no time to trade horses (we make decisions up until the very end, and so do our competitors), and furthermore doing so would violate several anti-trust laws. I ask what other schools you’re applying to because I want to know if the student is only applying to Hogwarts, or if his search is broader–i.e. is Hogwarts the specific goal, or is boarding school the goal? I ask because if I like the candidate, I want to know who the competition is, so that after she is admitted, I know how to try to yield her. </p>
<p>I also wish the “Chances” forum would cease to exist. You really have no idea unless you’ve been an AO somewhere…and I would hate to have a CC parent/student discouraged from applying because ANOTHER parent/student told him/her the chances were bad…</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity why does Hogwarts only look at the percentiles in the SSAT. Is Hogwarts unaware that Math scores are very skewed ?</p>
<p>@heps: Two quick things. You still have time to retake the test.</p>
<p>Also, we would look at what level math you’re in now. For instance, some parochial schools only teach pre-algebra in 8th grade…so students have not had experience with the algebra/geometry questions on the SSAT…</p>
<p>Parents probably won’t pay for a retake. They remain convinced that my other scores cancel the bad one out. I’m taking algebra but I started geometry midyear because I was supposedly a good math student… Ahahaha. :|</p>
<p>Prep: I actually prefer conversational writing, as long as it does not venture into “text messaging” level of conversation. </p>
<p>Essays that stand out are usually very personal. My favorites over the years have ranged in scope from a young man’s shoe size (hard to find), to another young man’s height (or lack thereof), to another young man’s parents and the effects their family-run business have had on him, to a young woman’s struggle to uphold the values of her traditional non-American parents and still fit in with her very liberal American friends. </p>
<p>Problems: Not using spellcheck. Using a thesaurus too much, even at all. Trying to be someone you’re not. Letting your parents write your essay. Saying how much you want to attend Hogwarts’ archrival school in the Hogwarts essay (oops, you didn’t proofread). </p>
<p>Most essays are fine. You write well, you have some nice thoughts you want to share. Fine is fine, and certainly admissable. A really good essay can allow us to get to know you better and make you stand out in a sea of "fine"s. A really bad essay can make us question (a) are you ready to take on Hogwarts’ curriculum and (b) what kind of writing instruction have you gotten at your middle school?</p>
<p>Gemma, thanks for addressing my question. I guess what i mean by dealbreakers–obvious red flags that surprisingly a number of students/families don’t, or won’t, consider.
If that is still too vague, here’s another question. If you truly go by fit, and not just this whole “HADES” & “tier” nonsense, usu. the fit is felt by both sides I imagine? Do you know how many students/families, would kill to have a cup of coffee with you right now?!</p>
<p>Glad, I’ll pass on the dealbreakers question. Don’t want to go there, if you don’t mind. </p>
<p>And yes, fit is usually felt by both sides. But sometimes folks need reassurance, post- March 10 and pre-April 10, that it really is a fit. That’s why revisits are so important. </p>
<p>It is, after all, a big investment. </p>
<p>And…I love coffee.</p>
<p>Gemma, can AOs spot a diamond in the rough and do they stand a chance with admissions against the more developed, well prepped student? Particularly with 8th grade boys, you can probably sense when they are smart, and what their interests are, but they may not yet be as fully developed students or as mature as their girl counterparts (to say the least).</p>
<p>grinzing: Absolutely. That’s why I have a job, and it’s not a machine that’s doing my job. I love diamonds in the rough. </p>
<p>Re: boys vs. girls and their varying maturity levels. No doubt about it. Many admission offices read the girls’ applications separate from the boys’ for that very reason; and yes, we’ve all read enough about adolescent development to know that this entire process is easier for girls at this age (interviews? writing essays? hello!).</p>
<p>How sensitive are admissions officers when looking at applications from applicants who need financial aid and thus simply cannot have all the opportunities that a non-FA applicant can have? (Like skiing or something like that)
Also, I know that in this economy it’s hard to support students on FA. How much will this effect the chances of getting into a school?
Thanks!</p>
<p>sid the kid or ovechkin?</p>
<p>Do admission officers look at a student coming from a modest background differently than a student who appears to have came from a rather wealthy background? Or are expectations the same for both applicants?</p>
<p>How much weight is given to interviews?</p>
<p>What do you look for in terms of extra-curricular activities? </p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>