<p>Just want to ask that if I'm dont have much extracurricular activities going on, but get a 90% or higher on my SSATs, what are that chances I'm going to get in at Deerfield, Groton, Choate, Philips, Hotchkiss...etc?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I’m serious in saying that the SSAT scores don’t count for much. They’re just a small part of the overall application. If you get a 99% on all 3 sections of the SSAT, but you have nothing else in your application, chances are very likely that things won’t turn out for the best.</p>
<p>To me, anything over a 80-85% score for top schools (lower for some less competitive) will put you in good standing. Also, it is not directly the quantity of the EC’s, but also the quality of them. If you just started piano, violin, cello, guitar, drums, Model UN, Debate, and some other sports all last year, they don’t look very impressive. You need to have the right mix of things that you have been doing for 3 or 4+ years, and things that you have just started (1-2 years).</p>
<p>Well I do have some stuff…
Piano: 4 - 5 years
Singing: 2 - 3 years
Swimming: 3 - 4 years
Acting: 2 - 3 years
French: less than a year
Basketball: 1 year
School Choir: 3 years
and a few more other stuff but does it qualify?</p>
<p>Is French an after school club? If it is I’d label it “French Club” or something like that. If it’s not, I wouldn’t include it. </p>
<p>It looks pretty good now as you have a good range of instruments/sports/art. What else do you have?</p>
<p>I think you can really try to emphasize your arts during your app or interview if you havent done so already especially with the Singing, Piano and especially Acting. You can say you have a passion for the performing arts. as long as you have some EC’s, any part time jobs? The admission people want to know that you do something productive with the 9 hours left over from the 7 hours of school and 8 hours of sleep other than academic work.
and as said already a good 85% on SSAT is definitely solid.</p>
<p>SSAT’s dont play that much of a role in admission. I got in the low 60’s and im going to choate in the fall. Application/interviews play a much bigger role than tests. they come into play for placement (and just to know your competent enough for private school)</p>
<p>^I second BronxKid’s comment. People get stressed out so much over the SSAT’s but not much over the interview. I personally think the latter is a lot more important as it shows your personality.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it is the percentile that scares everyone. I think I’d focus more on my raw score, to be honest.</p>
<p>@circle
I did 
I got a 725/800 in the math section. That’s pretty darned good!! But it only translated into a 68th%ile.</p>
<p>@Alex
Thanks for the back up I don’t want future applicants to have the same terrifying experience I did applying to prep school. Interviews are your chance to shine and set yourself away from the applicant pool as someone unique who the A/O’s would love to have in their community</p>
<p>@BronxKid, could you tell me a bit about your grades, ECs, sports, etc?</p>
<p>A avg student 8th grade A- average 7th B+ Avg 6th grade… I do alot of performing arts, as for sports only volleyball</p>
<p>but i went to public school so yeah</p>
<p>Some people noted that Ssat scores matter little… that is false. There are fee rare exceptions, but there is a reason Ssat averages at boarding school are high. Think about it this way, Exeter’s average is 90. That means more than half the kids scored pretty dang high. Every year a couple of kids are admitted with sup par, but that is a couple out hundreds.</p>
<p>I’m not saying the Ssat is the most important factor, but it’d more important than what ppl assume on this forum.</p>
<p>Actually, I believe that the recommendations are a lot more important. SSAT <em>does</em> play a role in admission, it’s just that people assume that the SSAT counts for a lot (especially on this forum). You’re just proving to the AO’s that you’re capable of handling some fairly basic work.</p>
<p>Sometimes, there is a question on a school’s website in the FAQ’s. It reads along the lines of “How much does the SSAT matter?” And there will be a little blurb saying the clich</p>
<p>I don’t understand why everyone is suddenly downplaying the significance of SSAT scores. They might not be the complete make/break factor in admissions, but they ARE important, so don’t delude yourself into thinking that a 50% will put you in good standing at admissions to Deerfield or whatever.</p>
<p>I view it as it can either be a big part, or small part. Say you’re the straight A student and you’re the top of the class and your teachers love you. You take the SSAT, get a high score. To the AO, they can already see from your rec’s and grades that you’re a fantastic student. So, the SSAT doesn’t really count for much. But, say there’s a student who has A’s and B’s and maybe a C or two. And then, he scores high on the SSAT (ex. in the 90’s). The 90 will play a big part in the AO’s evaluation of the student academically, but on the interview he’ll explain his grades (bad year, rough time, etc.)</p>
<p>The SSATs are important to the application, but it’s not the entire thing. In all honesty, you have to work hard in every single area of your application in order to get into the school. Your SSATs, for schools of that caliber, would be the most beneficial if at/above the 80th percentile. That’s what seems to work the best. Good luck!</p>