ssat percentile rankings

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Hi</p>

<p>I'm new here. My daughter turned 13 in July and is in the 9th grade - Canadian system. We live in the Caribbean and she started school very young, having learned to read at the age of 3. She moved over from the local to the Canadian system in Sept 2005, and in doing so, skipped a year it seems, based on the tests she was set, and the school not having space in the 7th grade where she would have been more with her own age group. Have tried to keep her back a year, but the work has not been very challenging at her school, even in her current year, so it would not have made sense.</p>

<p>She is/we are keen for her to come to an American boarding school next September - 08 - she is applying to some very good ones, and we hope to go for interviews in November. </p>

<p>We feel this would be the perfect opportunity for her to repeat 9th grade, so she will go in at age 14. Is this a more usual age for 9th grade? Also, if she is applying for 9th grade, should she ask to be scored against 8th graders to get her percentile scoring, or against 9th graders? Doesn't seem to make much sense to be scored against those going into grade 10, if you have already decided you want to go back into grade 9. Or is this a question to take up with the schools she's applying to?</p>

<p>If she is ranked against other 9th graders, I think this will be a big disadvantage, since half the reason she wants to move on is that her school is not particularly challenging - she has just started studying for the ssat - to sit on 8th december, and has to do maths on her own, since the maths in school is much too babyish for what is required for the exam. the school supposedly follows the ontarios system but seems a little elementary - the other kids in her class are 14 and 15.</p>

<p>So, 2 questions really -</p>

<p>1) Will repeating grade 9 next year, entering at 14, put her at the right age with other kids that year </p>

<p>2) Can she indicate grade 8 on her ssat form, even though she is actually in 9, since she intends to repeat.</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>marathonmum</p>

2

<p>Answe to #1 - Yes, repeating 9th grade will put her at the right age with most other kids (except the ones repeating 9th grade that were already 14 when they did 9th grade the first time. LOL</p>

<p>I don't know about #2.</p>

3

<p>as far as #2 goes -- I would contact a few of the schools and explain her unique situation. I don't think they would have any issues with comparing her to other entering 9th graders at all, but it is best to get that straight from the horse's mouth.</p>

4

<p>hsmomstef</p>

<p>thanks.... i think that's probably the best thing. will find out from the schools and post the response, so if anyone faces similar, they will know the answer!</p>

5

<p>Hm...not sure about #2. But being 14 would put her at the average age for people at boarding school. I mean, there's one freshman in my math class who was 12 when he got here and turned 13 about two weeks ago, and people who are freshmen and 16-going-on-17, so it ranges. But most people are 14 when they arrive and turn 15 that year.</p>

6

<p>The proper age for a freshman is 14 so your daughter will be fine. About the SSAT's. All you have to do is talk to the proctor at the SSAT site. In 7th grade you are supposed to take the lower level SSAT but i asked my proctor and she said it was fine that i took the upper level. Just hope for a nice proctor:)</p>