<p>My son and I are very new to the whole prep school scene - but he's tired of learning strictly from text books and wants a real challenge. He just got back his ssat scores. But we don't really know if they're any good.</p>
<p>He's always been a striaght A student (4.0) in all honors classes in a very good public school. </p>
<p>Just this semester, he took a college history class for the extra challenge (earned an A). He took SATs last year for the Johns Hopkins gifted program and scored a 570 math and 470 verbal.</p>
<p>He has had leading roles in plays for the past four years and sings in both male and mixed select (auditioned choirs).</p>
<p>So - like many of you - he's pretty accomplished by public school standards. He would need a scholarship to be able to attend prep school, so we're looking as some schools that offer merit based money. </p>
<p>I'm not sure about these SSAT scores. This is his ssat percentil - not his national percentile. Can anyone out there tell me what they make of all this?</p>
<p>If I got an 89% I wouldn't consider too strongly to retake it. An 89% is a very good score and is definitely qualified to apply to many of the top schools. If your son however, is somewhat disappointed he didn't get the extra 1% and thinks he's capable of doing better than I don't really discourage you from retaking it.</p>
<p>jamesk06, the percentiles are compared with other kids your own grade so a freshman could do "better" than a sophomore but that's only because freshman are only supposed to get a certain amount right and sophomores have to get a higher amount right. it's hard to explain really, you just need to know that your scores are being compared to other people in your own grade</p>
<p>89 SSAT percentile scores are very good. I don't think it is worth the time/effort to retake them in January. Spend time on applications/essays. Have you made appointments for interviews?</p>
<p>I'm really not sure if it's worth trying. There's so little info about what kinds of scores the various schools are looking for. </p>
<p>Can someone suggest schools that might make sense for my son. He plays intramural sports like soccer and tennis - but he's not going to get into a school based on his athletics. He's mostly interested in strong academics and good extra curricular activities.
Thanks for any help</p>
<p>tlcmom: your son's scores are fine for many schools. Scores are only one part of the admission process. He sounds like he has the potential to be a great candidate.</p>
<p>What are you looking for in a school? What region of the country? Big or small size? Single sex or co-ed? Must it have certain sports or clubs? These are some questions that can help you narrow your search. Have you visited any schools?</p>
<p>I must warn you that it seems like you are a bit late in the process. Many applications are due January 15th. However, with a lot of work over the holidays, you can still have a successful outcome. Good luck in your search and application process!</p>
<p>He's already applying - but I'm not comfortable listing all the schools and telling everyone all the reasons why I think he's special ;=} </p>
<p>We're looking at boarding schools in the mid-atlantic (PA/ NJ) and north-east. He needs financial aid or a merit scholarship to attend. </p>
<p>He has everything going for him - top grades, top leadership skills, excellent interviews, distinguished extra curriculars, well rounded - but not a varsity athlete. </p>
<p>I just want to know if the 89% score is going to hurt him and if he should take the test again in january. Does anyone know if you can do that? how do the schools look at scores? Do they take the highest one?</p>
<p>we're new to all of this - but he's not late. He's in the middle of writing essays for his apps and the interviews are underway.</p>
<p>TLC: That's great! Glad that you are further along than I thought....you were asking about additional schools, so I misunderstood.</p>
<p>I don't think there is anything wrong with the 89%. He could take it again in January (late registration by now, I think). It seems like it would add unnecessary stress for him as another task to do. I think spending his time on essays would be best.</p>
<p>I'm still not sure about these scores. Can someone tell me if they know for certain if these scores are "in the acceptable range" for admission to a top school:</p>
<p>Verbal 78
math 94
reading 82
total 89%</p>
<p>He's disappointed with the scores - but I don't want him wasting time retaking the test if these are still good enough to be considered for a top school.</p>
<p>They are good enough. Don't sweat it. It sounds like the rest of his application is very strong as well. The schools use the ssat in a variety of ways. I really think they are just a way of "combing out" the end of the bell curve and giving the schools an idea of where the applicant falls in relation to the kids they generally admit. Don't be intimidated by the scores you see posted here. I don't think the average CC poster represents the average applicant. (I'm a parent.) 89% overall puts him with the "best of the best". There is very little difference in the scaled scores of 89%tile versus 95%tile. It could be a matter of 2 questions omitted. I think we all tend to get hung up on the percentiles. The schools are well aware of how little difference there is between 85% and 95%.</p>
<p>They are good enough. Don't retake them...if he insists you have to register today anyway so you would have to make up your mind quick. Registration closes today...but ya, its not worth taking it again.</p>
<p>TLCMOM: Another parent here. I agree with neatoburrito. If those are his SSAT percentiles (not national percentiles), his scores are perfectly fine for all schools. I think trying to take them again in January would be stressful. While his scores would probably go up somewhat, I believe his time would be better spent working on applications and essays.</p>
<p>Also a parent. Your son is a very strong candidate for admission. The only thing which might hold him back is FA. As a parent, I have no idea how competitive the pool of financial aid candidates might be. </p>
<p>I'll swim against the tide, and recommend that he take the test again in January. His scores will probably stay in the same range. It's interesting that the SAT also produced higher math scores than verbal scores. If he has any time to devote to preparation, try to focus on vocabulary, synonyms, and analogies. </p>
<p>Again, his score will probably remain stable. If it's not significantly better, you don't need to send the scores in. If it's better, though, you can send it in to the school. There's a greater reward, and not much risk, other than the lost money and time reviewing for the test.</p>
<p>There may be factors which make this worry about scores unnecessary. If his voice is superb, send in a tape of him singing, and ask the choral directors to write him a letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>do schools have certain requirements for there schools... i know there is no set percentage and they tell you not to worry, but if you just dont have good enough percentages should you not bother applying?</p>
<p>To tell you the truth, an 89% has a pretty low chances of going to in example, UPenn, Harvard, Yale or any other top university or colleges. Your son may stand out for his current school, but he is actually belove average for top colleges. Unless he has a special talent like sport, music, art etc. But good luck!</p>