<p>If you have great academics, good EC's, and extremely outstanding sports/leadership, rec's, and app, but your SSATs are below 60 (and above 40) how badly will that affect you</p>
<p>The general consensus on this board seems to be that SSAT's can be viewed PRIMARILY as gate-keepers but a high score does not ensure a spot. However, a low score can keep the admissions committees from looking at you further. I really don't know how low too low is, but it is most certainly going to vary from school to school. I will go out on a limb here and say that if your overall SSAT is more than 15-20 pts lower than the school's average SSAT score, it will be a big negative that can only be overcome with a strong preference for you as an applicant because of some specific talent or skill you would bring to the school that the school needs. In other words, being an all-around great kid with the usual great academics, ECs, leadership, etc., might not be specific enough.</p>
<p>What school is this for?</p>
<p>Deerfield, Taft, or Groton</p>
<p>Yes, I think it will be a problem to have an SSAT score of somewhere between 40 and 60% for those 3 schools. For all 3 schools, their average SSAT score is around 90%. If you use the formula MomtoanUndecided suggested, it is still below their "cut-off" (which would be around 70-75%).</p>
<p>Of course, you may be able to overcome this if you are an exceptionally strong applicant in every other way. :)</p>
<p>am I on trouble, a lot of schools I'm applying to have acceptalce rates in the 90's I have a score in the lower 80's</p>
<p>walto444, what were your scores in each subject? For example, during my Taft interview, the interviewer said my verbal and reading scores were fine (78, 70), but my math seemed a little low. (35) I told her I'm starting tutoring at Kumon and she said it was a great idea, so as long as you're trying to fix the problem I don't think it will hurt a ton. My SSAT score (64) is well below the average of all the schools I'm applying to (Taft and SPS - 82, Groton and Andover - mid 90s). I'm sure it won't help in admissions, but we'll see.</p>
<p>Dazzlezzz, 80s are definitely in the range of the top schools. Kids get accepted in the 50s at Andover, but there's probably something REALLY special about them.</p>
<p>Walt: With a score of between 42 and 58 on the SSAT, admission to Groton, Deerfield & Taft is unlikely. Taft states in Peterson's that the minimum SSAT score considered is 50. If you are an amazing athlete and are an URM, then you have a reasonable chance if your SSATs are above 50, in my opinion.</p>
<p>If i did get in then yes, it would be due to the sport i play. Its very rare, played among boarding schools, and i am nationally ranked so it may be my hook if i do get in, which i am not sure at all about.</p>
<p>Rare: Badminton, Gymanastics? Figure skating? :D</p>
<p>Seriously, is it squash? Most of the sports played at boarding schools are the same ones played at most high schools. Squash and Water Polo are the only two that come immediately to mind.</p>
<p>Crew and fencing also. I bet its fencing.</p>
<p>Could be--I was hoping it was gymanastics though... I love to see a boy in a unitard :)</p>
<p>I don't know that there are any bs with gymnastics teams, though. And...if he was nationally ranked, it would be quite a thing to give up for bs. There would be no way to maintain that level in bs. A national level gymnast trains approximately 24 hours/week, year round.</p>
<p>Yeah, there are only 4 according to BSR and one is an all girls school. Oh well, maybe it is fencing.
You can play squash, fencing, and crew at all the schools he's applying to.</p>
<p>And remember, you can't always trust BSR. I know they had NMH listed as having gymnastics, which they do not.</p>
<p>BSR rectified that error.</p>
<p>haha, I am trying to improve my vocabulary! can you tell?</p>
<p>Yes, good job, proper context!</p>
<p>:D:D Why thank you keylyme!</p>