<p>Did anybody else receive a low SSAT score and still get into top boarding schools. I think I did.</p>
<p>I had an 84 overall and still got into Choate, St. Pauls and Groton. So for all kids who are applying this year, theres still hope if you bomb it. =)</p>
<p>i did. i got a 77 overall and was still accepted at andover,lawrenceville and hotchkiss. for this reason i think that ssat score isn't really that big of a factor when applying to top boarding schools.</p>
<p>I wouldn't call an 84 a "low" ssat score- not the highest but not out of range also.</p>
<p>Perhaps some of your success can be found in your choice of login - "hockeykid" :)</p>
<p>But I agree - IMO, high SSAT scores are not as an important factor as other factors.</p>
<p>I think your SSATs vary in importance depending on what they are looking for in you particularly as a candidate. If they are not interested in your for athletic or extracurricular reasons, but pretty purely because of academics, I'd bet SSATs are pretty important. If you've demonstrated your passions and intellect in areas outside of testing, like through athletics or extracurriculars, or they realize that your socialeconomic status makes it harder for you to score well (i.e. finances, your parents can buy you prep like other families can, stuff like that) then it is probably not as important.
By the way, 84 is not a low SSAT score. It's excellent. Even for the top schools, it's at least within range.</p>
<p>84 is by no means that low...when I applied in 2003, Choate's mean was 86th percentile and I got in with a low 90's score, so 84 really isn't that terrible.</p>
<p>yes, and just want to add you can have all 99s and not get in.</p>
<p>Not everyone at boarding schools are great test takers- I have several friends at my prep school who can't focus during standardized tests and require extended time. As long as you can show academic potential in other areas, the SSAT's are not usually a make-or-break part of the application.</p>
<p>I got a 97 and I was accepted at Choate (WLed at first) but WLed at Andover.</p>
<p>There are people on this board who got less-than-90 SSAT scores but still got into great schools: dancer (with an 83) and tennisgirl (a 69, going to SPS). </p>
<p>I agree with J, but I also think it's one of the least important factors. Basically, your GPA correlates with your HS GPA, and your SSAT score correlates with... what? Your SAT score? What's more important is the tangible work you've put in.</p>
<p>i had an overall of lowwwwww 80s & am going to andover.</p>
<p>Don't worry about low SSAT scores. A low SSAT won't keep you out, nor will they open their gates and roll a red carpet into the school for you if it's a high score. I promise. ;)</p>
<p>i got a 99 and i didn't get into exeter.. i don't think it's a big deal</p>
<p>Especially for internationals, I would advise you to have 95+ SSAT to be in a competitive pool. Remember, there will be about 200+ kids applying for something like 15 spots.</p>
<p>I agree with the advice warning international applicants to be prepared for enormous competition applies to most foreign applicants who come from countries/regions that typically have large numbers of applicants to the schools applied to.</p>
<p>But I don't think that translates into having to have 95+ on the SSAT. That score isn't used so much to differentiate among otherwise highly competitive candidates as it's used as one of the measures to determine the threshold question as to whether the applicant has the aptitude to succeed at the school.</p>
<p>Once your score establishes that your capable of succeeding, your application will make or break you on other areas, such as teacher recs, actual performance in school, extracurriculars, special talents, and the like. Only if all things are equal with the meat of the application -- and, as someone pointed out recently, they never are -- would the SSAT be used to differentiate between applicants.</p>
<p>That's why you have 99%ers not getting in to some schools and 80%ers getting in to those same schools. All those scores indicate an applicant who can succeed. It's the rest of the application that makes the critical difference.</p>
<p>For the ssat, I concur that you need to be in the range of accepted students to demonstrate that you have the aptitude to do the work. Beyond that, I don't think it has great importance. If a school has a 90% average, and you have 99%, I don't think that is an important factor. If you are above or below the range, then I think the ssat is a factor. For example, if you have a 99% ssat and are applying to a school with a 70% average, I think the ssat score would be a plus -- but all other other parts of your application would have to be strong. The ssat score alone would not get you an acceptance.</p>