<p>I think you might want to get an official SSAT score in early on (October?) so that there is time to react to it if there are differences from the “practice tests”. If the score is less than you’d like, you will have a few months to practice more intentionally before a retest, the latest date being January 2013. An actual score might influence your list. Another consideration is whether the persons writing recommendations have experience doing this. If not, you might be overburdening them unless you can use a common application form to cover several of the schools. (Presumably, they do not have too many other students to write for, but you should probably stay sensitive to who is writing, and to how much.) If you cannot whittle down the list by the end of July, maybe you should drive to see “bubble” schools in August to help eliminate some before fall visits that include an interview and students on campus whom you would hope to speak with. Ten seems a bit high to me; many kids can do fine with five to eight, but they often have a day school back-up, so . . . Not needing FA and not living in NE may mean that from your original list your son has a “good” shot at at least three of the schools, with the credentials as described, imho. (We went through the process last fall.) Three more good but not as ridiculously selective schools would be the Hill, Mercersburg and Peddie, but if skiing and college matriculation lists are critical, then your first list is spot on (with St. Paul’s and Andover?). Some of your attention might be focused on determining how the size of the school will matter, and maybe rural/suburban/urban will be a factor as you get on campuses. SevenDad’s thread on the process for his older daughter is a valuable reference.</p>