SSAT bad scores

Prep School Admissions
21

Do you have any test-optional schools on your list?

22

yes of course

Hii, I am currently in 8th grade and applying for 9th grade 2022-2023 fall at Exeter and quite a few other schools like Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Groton, Milton, Andover, St.Paul, Concord, Lawrenceville, Choate. I think my chances are pretty low looking at other people’s stats. However, I have not taken the SSATs and finished all my essays yet. What do you think can higher the chances for me in getting in?

I compete competitively in piano over 7 years (international competition as well)
my hobbies are songwriting and cycling
English club: speech festivals, writing (with awards but not a great amount)
Tennis: (beginning to learn it) trying to challenge me to have a career in it
The gifted Program at my school also does Model UN
I ballet + Figure Skating for over 7 years but quit, unfortunately (might continue but I accidentally pressed NO on the Candidate Profile)
Acting experiences
Mostly As
Know Chinese and French

23

Berkshire also

24

Nice - my daughter isn’t applying to any of those, so I didn’t know which were test-optional.

25

do you think this will be ok? @RoonilWazlib99

26

Sounds like they are okay with it. If they are requiring a test, you have no choice but to submit it, but if they are not requiring it, I would wait the extra day to get the score yourself and see if it is something you want to submit (that’s what my daughter is doing).

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27

@Pharmingturtles @Calliemomofgirls

28

School application is a two way process. Besides worrying if you could be admitted, you can also use information from the score to check the fitness. Do you really want to be in an environment of average 94% SSAT peers? Can you handle the pressure?

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29

Hi @landscapeeveryday I see your tag but don’t see a question?

30

Do you think i should take the ISEE early or later as in in feb 10? or feb 1?

31

Assuming you have the bandwidth to do it without making something else suffer, then sure why not. I would probably choose Feb 1 over 10th if all things are equal.
But also: I’m not super pro-standardized test so if it’s not your natural strength, I would skip scrambling to try to cram for a good score altogether and have zero stress over that. The schools that it might remove from your list are pretty high stress schools anyway which I’m not convinced is a direction I’d direct my own kid to. My personal approach would be: add another test optional school or two since it sounds like you are thinking your SSAT score might not be great. If you have a pleasant surprise then great! All set! But if scores are weaker than you hoped, then I think your time is better spent falling in love with some test optional schools (there are GREAT ones out there!!) over trying to speed study the ISEE. But just my two cents — do what feels best for you.

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32

Take it later, study a lot.

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33

How do you know the percentile of your estimated marks for the practice tests?

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34

there are charts that convert raw to scaled to percentiles, but they aren’t always accurate.

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35

should i take middle or upper level for 8th grader appplying to 9th grade cuz I took 9th grade percentile for ssat then I noticed some are taking 8th grade

36

take the upper. they won’t accept middle scores if you’re applying to 9th

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37

8th graders take the Upper. You indicate the grade you are currently in, not the grade to which you are applying. That way, you will be scored against other 8th graders.

38

Hi! I just took the SSAT as well yesterday, and I prepared for it for like, 5 hours the day before. I didn’t really get a chance to study previosly because I registered a week or two before the test. How did it go? For me, I found it to be pretty difficult and I remember skipping 8 of the questions on the first math section. Plus, I didn’t get to finish my essay.

39

For me, the essay was fine, and the math was ok as well, I skipped around 4-6 questions, but I’m probably going to mess a lot up. My concentration spam is trash that day so when it was the reading section, I sort of dozed off with the verbal. But you’ll never know what to expect.

40

That was my daughter’s approach last year. I used SSAT scores to try and create a pool of schools where she’d be (hopefully) middle of the pack.

1 Like