Standardized test scores applying to BS

DD took SAT twice before this summer: 620/600 and 610/680. ISEE Stanine on Oct is 8/9/9/9 or about 97.5% on average percentile. As of now, she is waiting for Nov SSAT scores. Which score would be better for her applications? I am considering to submit all scores for further consideration while her school counselor mentioned we need to choose one score. Any advice on this score reporting? I really appreciate in advance.

That ISEE score is quite impressive; I’d go with that one unless your DD gets 2350+ on the SSAT. Consistency in the stanines indicates a high 99% overall score (even though of course no composite percentile is reported).

Boarding schools tend to prefer SSAT, though, but at these levels I don’t think it’s a big deal.

About the SAT score, it is a pain to report, but at least a year ago you had to call the College Board and have a custom report directly sent to each school, as most don’t have reporting codes. (Also, if your child is under 13 she cannot do it online.) I’d just include a copy of the unofficial report in the application (thereby bypassing the school counselor). SAT score is impressive too - I’m guessing she took this as part of CTY or TIP - but I question how much the schools you mentioned in your other thread care. I do know of a kid who scored 1520 (730V 790M) at 11 years old and was still waitlisted by one of the schools on your list.

Regardless, if accepted, your DD will be one of the brightest kids at either of the schools mentioned, certainly within the top 5 or 10% of accepted applicants. Best of luck!

Thank you sincerely for your warm reply.
Since I could not find any comparison chart between ISEE and SSAT, I joined CC community to ask questions and get some nice advice.
Your guess is right. She has been a CTYer from 6th grade and took two times SCAT & SAT for challenges.
I hope she has good chances in her applications. Unlike my wish to cast a wide, wise net, her school does not allow us to do so. T.T

Her school cannot prevent you from applying wide. You can send copies of transcript and recommendation letters if you must.

Thanks @SculptorDad. I explained the situation in my other thread. As you know, this application process needs school’s cooperation because they have some decent relationship with upper school unless you go to public nearby.

Dear @SatchelSF and other CCers,
I have a question regarding SSAT 2350+ previously mentioned in this post. I think I could be well advised on this matter.

I got checked DD’s SSAT scores today. Luckily she did score high enough on her 1st shot.

SSAT Nov 2017
V 800 / 99P
Q 800 / 99P
R 782 / 99P
T 2382 / 99P

ISEE Oct 2017
V 911 / 95P
Q 918 / 99P
R 928 / 99P
MA 924 / 97P

To add my DD’s comment on this Nov SSAT, she mentioned “Reading a bit harder than ISEE.” Because I had no experience on this secondary exam, I just expected a lower percentile on this.

Anyhow, here is my question: Are DD’s SSAT scores better than the last ISEE ones? I do not like to judge which exam is much harsher than the other. My concern is somewhat which scores the boarding prefers or considers meaningful and discernable?

And if I choose to submit this SSAT, then is it okay to submit the other copies of ISEE, SAT, SCAT, or else for reference? Mostly DD got around 97> or more in her middle grades. Since we need FA, I like to do something for her but do not like to bother DD’s counselor on this matter.

Sincerely,

@knowmore - Fantastic SSAT performance for your daughter, and on the first try, which how it should be done.

I’ll give you my honest opinion here, and the basis for it so you can judge the advice.

In light of the new SSAT score available, I would go only with the SSAT score. Two perfect sections is great, as well as the very high reading score. No issues there, and the schools will simply see the scaled scores and percentile ranks. I estimate that there are not more than 30 or 40 scores higher than your daughter’s in any given year (making assumptions about the shape of the distributions within the top 1%).

On the ISEE, I’d omit it. If you look closely at the score report for the ISEE, it will give you a breakdown, for each section, of questions and answers. In most sections these are in order of difficulty. I bet with those scores, some of the sections were perfect, meaning every question answered correctly, none omitted. Yet, no scaled score is right at the top of the available range (940). Anyway, even if your daughter did not get a perfect section (all correct, none omitted), take it from me, even perfect sections often do not garner perfect scaled scores. (I’ve seen a report with three perfect sections, and none scaled to 940). This indicates to me that different administrations of the ISEE (different dates) have different difficulties, and that this particular administration might not have been the most difficult. In that context, and especially since you have almost a “perfect” SSAT (since I do not believe that the schools can see the actual breakdowns in the questions answered correctly, incorrectly or omitted), I’d go with the SSAT only. Which is good news, because the SSAT is preferred anyway.

(If anyone else could add to this analysis, or correct me, I for one would love to see further thoughts.)

On to the SAT. I would not submit that, but I only have limited experience (N=1) with specific results of SAT submission. The score (1290) is an excellent score of course, just missing the SET cutoff. But more importantly, I think the SSAT score that she received implies a higher SAT than 1290, but here is where my sample size is small. I know a kid who received a 1520 on the SAT (730V 790M) at 11 years old, so SET, 800 SAT Math Level II in 8th grade, and yet went on to receive a SSAT score a tiny bit lower than your daughter’s (again with the same “perfect” two sections that yours had, again first try). I’d leave the admissions offices guessing as to what her SAT would have been, and omit it. She no doubt has demonstrated a willingness to challenge herself in many other parts of the application, so the actual SAT score (especially in light of the superb SSAT), adds little and may even detract a bit.

Definitely confer a bit with your counselor if she needs financial aid. Even with such high stats, financial aid makes the task difficult. I would reiterate my recommendation in the other thread to consider Milton closely. I firmly believe that extremely high intelligence is not particularly desired at all boarding schools (perhaps not at most), because of the obvious cohesion problems that can be created. This is less of a concern at very large schools, and especially those 1 or 2 that have large percentages of obviously very high scoring kids on the way out (which can be judged by percentage of National Merit Semi Finalists and things like AIME/USAMO results in math). Of your choices, Milton is closest to that model of school from what I can tell (Exeter and Andover would also fit the bill here, but I’m not sure if those were in your list). Again, confer with your counselor and see if the counselor believes this analysis to be valid based on his or her experience.

Again, sincerest best of luck to you and your daughter!

Dear @SatchelSF Seems like an in-depth study to me, not an opinion on this secondary exam area.

Personally, I love to see the data, numbers, and trends before making a conjecture. So your reply is very insightful and makes me more considerate onto my DD’s applications.

You really help me to see these through, and I truly thank you for sharing your valuable information from your learning experience on this. I have read and read again your reply. I love pondering and savoring this moment.

And this is a great time of “Thanksgiving.”
Happy Thanksgiving all of you!

Sincerely,

P.S. 1.
For SET, lots of stories. I felt guilty for DD because she did all these by herself for short period of time about 4-6 weeks. She did not even complete a quick review. She got this with a three to four practice set. As you mentioned, I decided not to add this one. By the way, I did regret when the result came out regarding SET. I later realized that, given that some proper guidance on this course, DD would have been a list of SET. T.T

P.S. 2.
Both PA and PEA were there on her list. DD started doing online application by now except one last school. I will see her counselor after Thanksgiving.

All BS results came out by M10. Just a day has gone but seems like a month ago. I believed that DD got some valuable lessons from all her bs applications this year whereas I did learn a lot about bs application procedures from this CC.

Especially thank you all: @SatchelSF @Center @GMC2918 @SculptorDad @skieurope who replied to my threads. And I also thank all other CCers who share their bs knowledge here.

DD applied to PA, PEA, L’ville, CRH, Hotchkiss, and Emma Willard; initially, five schools but DD"s school allowed one more application simply because DD applied to all top-tier schools. Although I expected at least two admissions from this pool of six schools, DD only got one admission, three waitings, and two rejections.

For one admission, I couldn’t be happier than any moment of my life. For three waitings, I respected all their decisions based on her applications. Maybe she might not be strong enough to be a recipient of Full FA. For two rejections, I found myself and learned an issue of good-fit.

Congratulations to all students who got in, and I also give all my sympathy to all students who did not get in this year. There might be your times come next year!