What Matters The Most??? PLEASE HELP!

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
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<p>Okay I know that everyone says oh yeah there is no most important they look at the whole application. But, I was wondering what you guys thought. In my personal opinion(which means nothing), I think the SSAT's are the most important. Its the only honest way to compare kids head to head. I don't think they'd want to take a kid who says he's "just a bad test taker" since they want their kids to go to good colleges and if they do badly on the SAT its unlikely they will. I also think that the interview is very important. Its the only way they can see a kids personality. The Essay's, I doubt can hold much weight since many kids will just have their parents write them. I think the transcripts mean even less since I know kids that go to bad schools and get straight a's but sucked on the SSAT. I think the least important of all is the teacher recs. They can't help you since most kids will have very good ones. If their bad they can really hurt you though. </p>

<p>Oh yeah and I think good Ec's help too. They must have to discredit a lot of application padding stuff though. </p>

<p>So tell me what you think.
Sorry that was soooooo long:)</p>

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<p>I really don't know what matters most, but I do know that it is completely out of our hands.</p>

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<p>charpmike: you have it pretty backwards (I think): SSATS: not very important, most people who apply to schools are in about the same % range, so it is hard to tell how good someone is just based on that (oh and in terms of doing well on the SAT's, thats not necessarily the only thing that counts for college, just like the SSAT's don't hold all the weight for boarding school.</p>

<p>Interview: VERY important. the schools can see your personality and how you handle speaking to elders. Also, how you talk about a passion really shows just HOW passionate you actually are about it. </p>

<p>Essays: also very important. It is like a written version of a one-topic interview. Also, what you said about parents writing the essays: the SSAT essay is weighed a lot (I'm surprised very little people have mentioned it in any threads), obviously a parent wasn't there to help you so they compare that one and the one you send in (they do weigh the fact that you were timed on the SSAT's)</p>

<p>transcripts: so-so, it is good to have good grades, but you are right about some schools not being as good as others. The thing about the transcripts though is that it says what classes the student is taking, If one student is taking an honors course and has a B and another student is in the lowest level class but with an A, they would probably take the B student. Also, the (boarding) schools probably have information about which schools are better than others. If they are comparing a B student at a top private school to an A student at a slum public school, they would take the B student. </p>

<p>Teacher Rec's: again, so-so. The schools probably realize that the teachers want the students to get in so they write pretty good recs. The admission officers though are probably pretty good at reading into them and seeing "hidden" faults in the student. Also, if they find a student with HORRIBLE rec's, the school most definitely not want the student, because the whole point is to have good students that are liked by they're teachers. </p>

<p>Ec's: one of THE MOST important. Especially if the school is strong at your EC. If a school is known as a school with a good music program, they would rather take a B student who is an award winning musician, than an A student who is a jock. Also, if the school is lacking a certain person (sports position, orchestra seat, ect..) they will look for people who are qualified for that position.</p>

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<p>Yeah I agree with you in part. If you do so so on the SSAT then its not that important. If you do abominably or spectacularly I think it makes a big difference. Also I agree with you about the SSAT essay. That's completely honest so it should hold a lot of weight.</p>

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<p>It holds weight only for validation, and a 99% is no better than a 94% in their eyes...</p>

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<p>Mpicz, I don't agree with you that a 99 is no better than a 94. If you get a 94 they know you haven't mastered what's on the test. If you get a 99 they know you not only know the stuff on the test but could know lots more.
is a 89 the same as a 94
is a 84 the same as a 89
Is there some magic cut off line. Anything below it is not good enough and anything above it, no matter if its at the very top or right on the line is the same.
I also think that it is far worse to have a 96 with a 99 reading/verbal and a 70 math then a 94 with a 92 reading/verbal 90 math.
Just making those numbers up. Don't know if they're right.</p>

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<p>Mpicz, I don't agree with you that a 99 is no better than a 94. If you get a 94 they know you haven't mastered what's on the test. If you get a 99 they know you not only know the stuff on the test but could know lots more.
is a 89 the same as a 94
is a 84 the same as a 89
Is there some magic cut off line. Anything below it is not good enough and anything above it, no matter if its at the very top or right on the line is the same.
I also think that it is far worse to have a 96 with a 99 reading/verbal and a 70 math then a 94 with a 92 reading/verbal 90 math.
Just making those numbers up. Don't know if they're right.</p>

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<p>Ya well you wont have a 94 with 92 92 and 90, you will probably still e above 95 when the scores added up and compared. 99's no big deal...I got a 98. Does that mean I don't know a lot more than what's on the test? </p>

<p>If they want to know if you know more than what's on the test they can check what classes your taking and check your grades and recs.</p>

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<p>ssats play a large part but it's really your school transcript, interview, and essays</p>

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<p>Aagreeeedd</p>

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<p>Mpicz, first of all this is just my opinion. You have no reason to believe me or even listen to me. Just when I look at all the components of the application only three are completely honest(not including ec's).There's no way a different school or a different teacher could affect them.
The SSAT
The essay on the SSAT
and the interview.</p>

<p>Like you I too got a 98 on the SSAT.
I wasn't saying you have to get a 99 on everything but to have a 99 in one section leaves them guessing about how much you know.</p>

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<p>I think Exeter already stated 80%+ is very similar in their eyes.
Every component of the application is designed to measure something else. The SSAT is more important than transcripts for most people because that is the only way they can compare everyone head to head. Again transcripts are important but say you got a bad grade then the Teacher's req becomes exponentially more important...</p>

<p>Somewhat like checks and balances I guess, you screw up in one area you can redeem yourself in the other; that being said hades schools don't want you to blow anything, mistakes are fine screwing it is not. </p>

<p>That's my "2 cents" gl on your app.</p>

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<p>I think that there is no way to try and win this battle with the admissions officer/applications, and make yourself seem a better applicant than you are by stressing the "important" parts of the application. They're going to be able to tell, from ALL parts of your application, whether or not you're a good kid, and whether or not they think you're a fit for their school. Charp, I think that SSAT would only be most important in a case where the school simply wants "smart" students, and doesnt care about whether a kid has a desire to learn or is athletic or well-rounded or kind. And quite frankly, I'm not sure if a school like that exists, so don't put all of your eggs in the SSAT basket!</p>

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<p>Factors in the test don't just depend on how much you've studied or how productive you are in general, it can vary from people's interest, luck, hobbies, beliefs, etc. </p>

<p>For example: If I word like "entourage" happened to pop up, and the kid who spends a fair portion of his free time slobbing over his couch watching MTV, there's no doubt in hell they would know it's definition. Whilst some other kid who may have never heard of it, doesn't even watch T.V., and happened to not study from the Kaplan dictionary more or less likely wouldn't know.</p>

<p>Personally, I don't think the people behind the curtain are really not going to care who "mastered" (what is that even suppose to mean?) the SSAT more by a few points. This might be the case in some other countries (such as the one I'm studying in right now) but supposing that most of THESE boarding schools are willing to consider other factors (possibly alot more, maybe a little less, who knows...), I'm pretty sure the kid with an 87 won't get the spot over the one who got an 83 without the slightest regard to anything else about the applicant.</p>

<p>Just my opinion, feel free to disagree 0_000.</p>

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<p>SSAT's are not important at all...</p>

<p>Through personal and talking with friends, I think that Teacher Recommendations are the most important. I know a kid who got 99% on all subjects on the SSAT but his teachers don't really like him. He had applyed for Andover, Exeter, and some other top schools, but didn't get into any...life sucks...</p>

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<p>SSAT's are not important at all...</p>

<p>Through personal and talking with friends, I think that Teacher Recommendations are the most important. I know a kid who got 99% on all subjects on the SSAT but his teachers don't really like him. He had applyed for Andover, Exeter, and some other top schools, but didn't get into any...life sucks...</p>

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<p>well what about EC's, if he didn't have many of those then he may not have been considered well rounded enough for the schools.</p>

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<p>ec's are very very very important, though maybe not as important as the interview or essay.
the ssats are sort of important.
i know someone who went to deerfield. he got a 96% on his ssat but he didn't have very many ec's or anything that he particularly liked. his essays and interviews were ok (that is, according to him). as a result, he was rejected or waitlisted from every single school he applied to BUT deerfield but i think he only got in because his grandfather had gone and he was a big donor... [shrugs]</p>

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<p>had 98% on SSAT, great recs. some Ecs (like band, drama, and robotics, nothing athletic).
But I wasn't particularly satisfied with my essays, though my interviews (except at SPS) all went great. My grades are ok.
I still feel like I'm not good enough for these schools and have no chance in hell of getting in!!!!!!!!!!! Garrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr</p>

<p>No part of the app is more important than another.</p>

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<p>eh i agree with charpmike alot.... i feel that SSAT's are important in a certain sense. Nothing is more important than anything else, just looked at differently. All these kids who say SSAT's dont matter, dont think. If they didnt take the SSAT's, the kids could go to detriot public schools, have some guy write there essays, and just write out an amazing show for an interview. i believe for the top schools(exeter, andover, deerfield, hotchkiss, etc) i believe as long as your are above 80%, you'll be okay. i think they look at your scores first obvoiusly, and if you start off with a 56%, they kinda just drop you out for a while. some kids feel a 85% is bad, its not bad, but a 95% is clearly better. i think 99% is alittle bit ridiculous. they are looking for well rounded not people not crazy prodigy super study kids who have never had a childhood.</p>

<p>My friend had proffesional writers write his essays, he didnt get into any top schools. So essays are generally just checks that you can think somewhat, but they wont get you kicked out or get you accepted on any terms. </p>

<p>Interviews are tremendously important. think about it, so you write good essays and somehow filled in blind answers and got somewhere in the 90's on the SSAT. If they are talkking to you and your some half brained kid who cant sit still, they are going to know your just a rich kid that your parents are dropping off for a few years. Math scores may not show through, but being a fluent, well spoken person is a very important aspect to kids. </p>

<p>teacher recomendations i dont think are important. they can be though. its just the situation. for example, if you get horrible recomendations, then they think you were hiding something in your interview and you were being fake. that can be badddddddd. however, just an okay rec. wont really kill you or help you, its just another paper they have to read. however, a great recomendation is just more reassurance for them. I know its too late, but for example, getting an extra recommendation is always good. my language and math teacher wrote an extra page which (hopefully is good) should be an example of how much energy and enthusiam i put into class.</p>

<pre><code> its all an opinion though. good luck to all.
</code></pre>