His school is pretty good – based largely on socio economics, not so much on their concern for each student’s success.
Any comment on the 20th percentile?
I can’t comment about the 20th percentile, but I think schools do consider the “full package” when making decisions. I would think that your intention to have him repeat a year if he goes away, could help offset that, but I really don’t know. I would consider asking that question of your AOs… just flat out ask if that score is a deal breaker…and go from there.
@nickkomp27: School’s look at the SSAT score as an indicator of whether or not the applicant can do the work at their school. That’s why it’s important to look for schools where your child’s score is at or above the average. If the applicant needs FA, it is even more important to be bringing something “shiny” to the table. A score in the 20’s is not at or above any BS average and, coupled with lackluster grades, will definitely cause concern about your son’s ability to succeed academically. Even if your son is athletically gifted, schools require that athletes be able to successfully complete their academic programs as well. At this time, I think your son’s grades and scores make him a BS long shot.
As @Agincourt suggested upthread, it would be important to find out if there is a learning or test-taking issue that is hampering your son’s performance and work to resolve anything that might be discovered there first. Boarding school’s want their students to succeed and have programs in place to support them, but that support is more targeted to helping students with time management (probably the biggest stumbling block for new students) and adjusting to a level of academic rigor they may not have encountered before than providing remedial help. Remember, they have already used grades and SSAT scores to ensure that entering students can handle the work at their school. Your son’s current grades and scores seem to indicate that there are learning issues that either need to be resolved before assuming the challenges of boarding or that the type of BS you should target are ones that address such issues.
Besides the effort involved, there is no harm in applying and you will get useful insight from the process and decisions, but I am guessing that waiting a year will also give you useful insight into your son’s readiness for BS.
Take a closer look at Salisbury, TP and Avon. They are great schools, understand boys and have some of the best athletic programs in New England. They are especially good at providing structure and have well established tutoring centers. The academics are strong and the college matriculations, while they might not have a lot of ivy league schools on their list, are excellent. You son sounds like a perfect candidate for one of these schools. His SSAT scores are low, but at these schools the application is looked at in a number of different ways. They are looking for nice kids who will grow, make a positive impact on their campuses and benefit from an all boys experience. Salisbury has probably the best overall lacrosse and hockey programs with Avon not far behind. TP offers the most in terms of tutoring, but Avon and Salisbury have it as well.
The SSAT - was that your sons first time taking it? I would highly recommend taking it several times. I was quite surprised by the scores my son received over the course of 3 tests (Oct, Nov and Dec.) He had one overall percentage as low as 40% and his highest was 79%. He did do some prep between tests, but his best score was the 2nd test not the 3rd. It is not to late to take the Feb test. I would register him immediately, if he isn’t already signed up and buy a one of the prep books. Schools will take Feb. scores into consideration. You can also have him take the test privately. Admission departments can help you find someone who provides this type of testing. It costs more money, but if I were in your situation I would seriously consider this option. I think you get the results faster as well. If you can have him sit for the test 2 more times in the next month you might see a difference in scores. He will get to know the test better and maybe his nerves won’t get the best of him. Good luck!!
I think both @choatiemom and @chelsea1 are offering you very good advice. I think I suggested TP at the beginning of this thread. If it were my kid I would have him evaluated as a 20 is a pretty low score, if there is a learning issue you should find out about it. Also have him take the Feb test, see if he feels more familiar with it and does better, seek f a little bit of prep helps. But if you can afford it, get a good evaluation. For there record I do not think that a learning issue precludes one of those schools, but they need to understand what they are dealing with so as to help him. Good luck to you
My best advice is to pick up the phone on Monday and call the admission department at the schools you are seriously interested in and have a very candid discussion about your son, his grades, test scores, FA and your sincere interest in having him in a boarding environment. If you are considering an all boys school, the admission deadline is slightly later (I think Feb. 1st) and they might consider a late application from the right candidate. They all take the common SSAT app. so it is easy to apply. An evaluation for a learning issue is not a bad idea, but it won’t help with this admission cycle. The 20% SSAT score could very well be your son not knowing “how to take the test”; especially since he answered every question. I highly recommend him taking it again because test scores do matter to some extent. His drop in grades between middle school and high school is very common among boys and remember your son has only been in high school for a couple of months. Is his current high school significantly larger than his middle school? Is the class sizer bigger? Maybe he switched to a block schedule? Or maybe he is more interested in sports? Adjusting socially is often difficult; especially for a boy. There are number of factors to consider when trying to figure out why his grades have dropped a bit. You have put a lot of effort into applying for this year. Go for it and see what happens. If something inside you is telling you he currently is not in the right place for success, I would move him sooner rather than later. Good luck! Having gone through prep school admissions twice with 2 boys, I know firsthand how stressful this process can be.
Thanks All for the advice. We have since seen bettter results in school and continue to work with the teachers to identify ways to help him. The improved planning and organizing are leading to realization around time needed to adequately prepare. In addition, the high school hockey experience has been great for him. He started on the 4th line and is now on the 2nd line. Several girls are wearing his other jerseys to the games – social adjustment is not an issue. And this “fun” has him loving high school now and his enthusiasm for BS seems to be waning. Given where we are in the admissions window, I am thinking we will wait a few months and see how he ends freshman year.