Our son is in 8th Grade at a NYC K-8 private. We live in NYC and our son got 60% across the board on her SSAT. He has mostly As and a few Bs. What choices realistically will he have if we do not want boarding school.
Meant on HIS SSAT. Have my daughter on my mind.
It also depends on the rest of the package: Teacher recommendations, extra curriculars, etc…
I’m not really sure what you are asking with this question: “What choices realistically will he have if we do not want boarding school.”
So you are saying you do not want to send him to boarding school? Or was that just a typo? If not boarding school are you asking about private day schools in NYC?
I agree with @dramakid2 . Perhaps you could reword the question for more clarity?
What I will say is this: Last year, I had a 60%-tile on my SSAT. I am still in public school. I am reapplying this year to all the schools I applied to last year. Hopefully with a better score. If you want any good school, I would try to get your son to retake it and maybe study a little harder. He could have simply gotten a test form he didn’t prepare for well. There is a certain amount of luck to it in my opinion, at least in the reading section. Math seems very consistent. Verbal is pretty good too.
For any of the boarding schools within the Ten-Schools consortium, a score of >90th percentile would be competitive. The higher the better. But I know plenty of 99th percentile students who get rejected everywhere.
But, if there is something else in the kids application that is a hook (legacy, development, athlete, URM) a relatively low score can be overlooked.
One point for serious consideration though: Do you really want your son to be in an environment where he is struggling academically to keep up? Wouldn’t it make sense to shoot for other schools where his scores are a better match?
@planetx I think your best strategy would be to talk to an educational consultant. This professional could guide you and your son to schools that would be a great match and would consider your son as a whole student, not just from an academic standpoint.
@sgopal2 I think the thing that often happens with those 99th percentile kids is that they put on their applications:
“I got a 99th percentile on my SSAT.” and nothing else. I’m sure many people who do not score that high on their SSATs are capable of a 99th percentile if they did nothing but study and take the SSAT–but instead, they do sports, clubs, community service, etc. I think that is the problem with those 99th percentile kids who get rejected, its all they have.
^^not necessarily! Those kids with the 99% may not have prepped and may have other things going for them but appear to the AOS as kids who simply are not a good fit. Perhaps they seem young, not sufficiently independent, not excited about the challenge, or simply not the type who would fit in socially or in a classroom requiring a lot of participation. Different schools tend to be good for different kinds of kids and they try to admit the kids who will flourish. Sometimes, in retrospect, a kid will realize why the fit would not have been the right one and even be grateful to have been rejected.
My kiddo got 99% and perfect score in math. Didn’t get into all schools. Had a couple of wait lists. Perhaps some sussed out the interest wasn’t there. Or they just didn’t see a fit. Also, some kids are applying for financial aid and that can make a difference. And for what it’s worth, not all 99%ers study. Some just take tests well. Also, there are many kids in top boarding schools in honors classes who did not get even in the 90+%. Some may have other attributes or they just don’t test well in that area. There are many 90+ plus SSAT kids who do it all-athletics, theater, art, community service etc. We know of several kids who were very high scoring and had the complete package. Most got into only the schools where they had a hook. It’s a sad reality but there are loads of top quality kids applying to BS. This turns into something great once you get in. I had no idea kids were this high performing. That makes for stiff entrance competition but a great and high performing class once the class is assembled.
This might make for an interesting application. 
This is our son, one and done, but definitely not all he brought to the table. Also full pay and still two outright rejections, no waitlists. Don’t waste your time trying to figure out what your chances are or why some are admitted and some aren’t. As we say over and over on this board, target schools where your research shows you’d be a good fit and where your scores are at or above the average, then put together the best application you can and let the chips fall where they may. That’s all anyone can do, yet kids and parents continue to come here trying to figure out some magic formula or workaround that will compensate for obvious weaknesses in applications to reach schools.
@coppii, last year Exeter was your dream and Taft and Choate were also on your list, none of which were realistic for you. Not to hijack this thread, but you got some excellent advice from @PhotographerMom here:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21373518/#Comment_21373518
I would encourage you to take the SSAT again, and then apply only to schools where that score is at or above average or you will face the same results this round especially as you said you would be re-applying as a repeat 10th-grader which is a much smaller pool than 9th. I wish you good luck with a better targeted list.
@ChoatieMom Agree with your assessment. You should really only apply to schools who match your application. If you have one stretch and one easy one that’s great. But having a list of schools which doesn’t match sets an applicant up for a sad March 10th. Even if it appears that a student will get in, there are a lot of candidates with super high stats and abilities. When my kiddo was applying, if a school no longer fit, it came off the list.
@ChoatieMom Thanks for the advice! Feel free to check PMs when you get a chance 
Don’t worry about the ssat. It covers what they have been taught where they are, not their potential. If you are from a desirable geographic area that is underrepresented or a top athlete it matters less. The key is a good interview that is not rehearsed. Essays that are with their own voice and not their parents, that gives an idea who they are…how they approach learning, goals etc. Don’t ever feel like a low score is a no. Always try. And yes take the test a second time as well.
Some places even outright say that the ssat is not the most important part but like the others on this thread said yours should look at the different schools and factor in the acceptance rates and average ssat scores. i will link a great website for doing so below! GOOD LUCK!!!
Try taking it again, too. Our daughter’s score increased pretty dramatically when she took the test again. You only need to send the highest scores.
I have 2 that are great test takers and 2 that are not. The poor test takers - one is now in his second year of BS and the other is applying. And I’m not stressing. My son got into all but one of the 6-7 BS he applied to. He is now on the honor roll as a 10th grader at his BS (that was always his 1st choice) although he was a good 15 -20 points below his school’s average SSAT. But he went to an academically rigorous K-8 school and decent grades (not stellar but good), strong recommendations, he interviews well, and he is athletic (but not recruited) - but most importantly he “fit” the idea of the kind of kid they wanted. And he has thrived there. If you have a kid that naturally gets the 99% - awesome. But don’t try to prep a kid so hard to fit into a mold that isn’t really right for them. I was happy that aside from the schools I “know” just cut off below a certain score - that the admissions process was really as holistic as the AOs told us. They want the kid who is going to find their place and shine.
I would be curious to know if you were FP or needed FA.
I think a kid coming from a private school with a known “pipeline” into said BS will be fine with lower SSAT scores. A completely unknown kid from a completely unknown school won’t get the same read. I have not seen kids we know with scores that low go to any of the more competitive schools except two ( there was one a with strong athletic sports bent and another whose family is worth more than a billion dollars (not a typo).
Guess it really depends where you live ( geography), if you are legacy and all the rest. The idea that a school accepting 10% or less of candidates is going to be fine with scores that low and just decent grades means there is likely a bigger picture. Why would they go 20-30 points below their average? Yes, not every student is going to meet all metrics. But many candidates who don’t meet the metrics won’t get a slot anywhere. That’s why it’s a good idea to apply to a number of schools and to have safeties.
I have seen CCers post data that there kid got into X or Y school, or got into all they school they applied to and they were not in the normal stat range. What they fail to mention is they are from a state with few candidates ( across the country for example or from SD or AK) and are URM or big legacy or some other hugely hooked candidate. That’s the in. That’s the way the kid makes up for the low scores in another category. It’s not that admissions is truly holistic it’s that you aren’t getting what hooks your kid has. (Some schools even mention them in the acceptance letters).
Yes, there are some kids with amazing personalities. But most 8th graders are nervous and shy and most kids will get decent recommendations as well ( otherwise they’d ask someone else). I just think it’s important for people who are new to the process to understand that they need to be within the range of a school to have a chance. That’s it is important for students applying to spell out what makes them unique and to apply to a large range of schools.
Even with hooks the chances are still quite tough. My second DS had decent SSAT scores and is an URM, but got all rejections or waitlists on March 10 '16. Hoping for better results for DS #3!