Does retaking the SSAT hurt your chances?

SevenDad
Tue, 26 Aug 2014 20:34:54 +0000

Honestly, I think twice is reasonable (in cases where you totally bonk the first or if you just want to see if the first time was an fluke). I also do not believe in A) Excessive prep for these (or any standardized) test; B) Chasing some threshold that you have in your head as a target.

Having gone through this with two kids (who are now both at BS), I think an applicant’s scores are, for the most part, going to be what they are. If you are a 85% test taker, you are an 85% test taker (plus or minus a few percentage points either way).

What I’ve seen with some frequency on the forum over the years are people who think they “should” be applying to the most selective schools…but then they take the SSAT and have scores well below the average for those schools. To me, this is a message that perhaps you should not be applying to those schools — not that you should cram and prep to try and get your scores into the ballpark.

ALSO, I see a bunch of “I got a 92%-ile, but am taking it again so I can get a 99%-ile score.” This is, IMO, a big waste of your parents’ time and money. I was told point blank by more than one “CHADES” AO something like “Anything above mid 85% and the scores won’t be the reason the kid doesn’t get in.” Again, maybe you are a 92% test taker.



Note that I am not trying to talk anyone out of applying to any school. And of course, some kids do get in with lower than average scores (that’s why they are called "average " scores!). But if it was my kid? I would use the test scores to help shape the apply-to list…