For the schools that I am applying to have a test requirement. I took the ssat 3 times ( do not take it three times y’all, test burn out is REAL) and I submitted my best score, a 2031 (im not the best test taker but oh well). So basically what my dilemma really is is my writing prompt for that test i took wasn’t really my best work. I mean I am timed for around 30 minutes to write something just fresh like that, so i think thats why my writing was poor. But, for my actual applicant essays, I wrote amazingly. I took my time and planned it out and i think I did so well!! I don’t have that much pressure on me to write something good when I have lots of time to do it, but I’m just scared that the AO’s are not going to think that I wrote my essays even though I didn’t do well on the writing sample.
Summary: Do the admissions officers think that writing poorly on the writing sample is a red flag?
The admissions officer at PEA repeatedly reminded us that the writing sample of the SSAT is one of the most important things they evaluate. It is the only writing that cannot be influenced by adults or someone other than the candidate. The short time window is a challenge for all test takers, but you can get better at it with practice.
PEA and most of the other schools said that the SSAT writing sample is one of the most important part of the application, along with your school graded writing sample.
While I agree the writing sample is used (by everything I have seen/heard), the AOs do recognize it is a very short time and don’t expect it to be as perfect as your application essay…