<p>par-3 -- I think you are giving a little too much importance to high scores. The total application is important. Read some of the college discussions on cc. Applicants who score 2400 on the SAT do not all go to colleges with exceptionally high SAT score averages. It's the same thing here. I think Exeter can probably fill its class with 99% SSAT test takers, but they don't because other components of the application are also very important. </p>
<p>If you are thinking about applying to a school with a 75% average SSAT and you are a 99% SSAT, you will find competition at your level. Naturally, you won't find as much competition as a you would at a school with a 92% average.</p>
<p>Par-3: I think that it does happen that School A might waitlist/reject an applicant that they know is applying to a "higher level" set of Schools B, C, and D, if they think that he/she stands a good chance of getting into B, C, and D. The student might very well still be happy at School A (perhaps even happier in some respects due to slightly less pressure). Not that this just comes from SSAT scores, but from the overall picture of the applicant. </p>
<p>See this link for how it relates to colleges. I think it also applies to some extent to boarding schools.</p>
<p>BrooklyGuy is right, that is possible. But it is also possible that the school will really want you and if you need financial aid, it's usually good to be above the "average." </p>
<p>I think it depends on what schools you apply to. For example, if you apply to AED and one clearly much "lower" school and they know they are your safety...they may waitlist you knowing you'll likely get into one or more of the others. </p>
<p>On the other hand, they may really want you and do whatever they can to get you. </p>
<p>You WILL find classes to challenge you - but to be sure you don't "course out" in a subject, check out the course catalog online at any school.</p>
<p>Yes, I believe that Linda S is also correct. It is better to be above the average if possible. So, either a school wanting you more or wanting you less can happen. </p>
<p>No one ever said the process of choosing schools was easy! :)</p>
<p>How does the reporting of multiple SSAT scores work? For instance, if a student takes it twice, and wants results sent to a given school, does the student get to opt to send only the results of the second test, or are all scores from both tests sent to the school?</p>
<p>I ask because I seem to recall that being the case for the SAT when I was applying to colleges way back in the day--if you took the SAT twice, all scores were sent from both tests.</p>
<p>Straight from the SSAT folks when I called a year ago: Schools will receive only the scores from one test based on your selection of score recipients for that particular test.</p>
<p>Yes, you can contact SSAT to have an old score sent to a school or add a school to a recent score report recipient list. BUT, old scores are only available for a limited time, just over a year, as I recall. Once a new test cycle begins, the old test scores' clock begins to run out. </p>
<p>I remember I had to call them to have an old score sent and just made the cutoff.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks again, baseballmom. I was wondering about two sets of scores from two tests only a month apart, so I guess we're good to go if that's what we decide to do.</p>
<p>We lost a lot of sleep over SSAT scores, but forced ourselves to let go of the list of schools where my son was highly unlikely to be admitted. It was the best decision we made in the entire admissions process.</p>
<p>Scores seem to be the most important part of the process, but are in fact close to the least important part of the school selection process once the child begins school. Once he/she is accepted it's all about living at the school and feeling and being part of the community. Or NOT!</p>
<p>In the long run, just make sure the school you apply to is a good match for your kid! A good match = happy kid!</p>
<p>everybody here is thinking about retaking the ssat when they got in the 90s? i completely understand if you want to do better but everybody here NEEDS to remember something:
if you got in the ninetys..
you scored higher the NINETY PERCENT of students that have taken the ssat. think about that. if you got a 99%, just think how good you did on that test. if there were 10 people, you would have scored the highest. these high scores are something to be proud of and everybody here should feel accomplished :)</p>
<p>99% is very good, but I still feel unsatisfied with it since I don't have many ECs, thus I'm trying to get in on mainly academic ability, and since I had 1 percentile (math-93) below 95, my goal being all 3 scores above 95, I still feel a bit unsatisfied.</p>
<p>Verbal=99%
Math=99%
Reading=96%
Overall=99%
My parents want me to retake it. I tried to say no, but then I'm wondering if they're right, should I retake it?</p>
<p>Lollipopluvr, what grade are you in? I took the upper SSATs as an 8th grader in November and got a total of 2299 with a 96 total percentile, but you got a 2295 with a 99 percentile. How does that work? Just wondering...</p>