Minimum SSAT score?

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I’m tutoring a current 9th grader for the SSAT; she wants to transfer for 10th grade. She’s a fabulously mature, independent, driven, and intelligent girl from an inner-city area and she’s hoping to win a full or partial scholarship to almost any accredited boarding school on the East Coast (other high school option: crappy public). </p>

<p>What would be minimum (she’ll get some financial aid somewhere), target (she could get a full ride somewhere), and excellent (she could get a full ride at Andover) score ranges for her? I took the SSAT 7 years ago and have no recollection of it…</p>

<p>Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>-CB</p>

2

<p>They should have average SSAT scores on the schools’ websites but if they don’t, I would say the range is usally 85 -99% for Andover.</p>

3

<p>

I think you’re confusing Financial Aid and Merit scholarships. Financial aid is 100% need-based, unrelated to academics or potential - so long as one gets into the school and qualifies for financial aid. Merit scholarships are based on potential, but schools like Andover and Exeter do not give such aid (although they’re sometimes willing to try to outbid each other if they have budgeted money left over). So she’ll want to do some research on which schools do give merit scholarships. The numbers listed by 2010 hopeful seem to form an appropriate range for Andover, whose average is, if I remember correctly, 93. However, it’s obviously better to be on the higher end than the lower end, and the 85% is not a cutoff.</p>

4

<p>if her grades are good, her scores can be way lower than that^^, given her background. Dont forget the scores are just part of the package, grades and essays count heavier, imo.</p>

5

<p>There’s really not a minimum, if everything else is good I’d put a minimum at 50%…but there’s really no cut off. Shoot for 80%+ though.</p>

6

<p>Sorry, yes, I meant need-based aid. Her grades are fabulous but scores are very low, and coming from an inner-city school already, those high grades don’t mean much. I know she can improve her scores though.</p>

7

<p>For a “fabulously mature, independent, driven, and intelligent girl from an inner-city area,” I’m not certain anyone here could give you a score range. I would urge you not to be discouraged. SSAT scores are not the only factor for admission. Character also counts a great deal.</p>

<p>I’d imagine there is a cutoff, below which a school wouldn’t expect a student to graduate. I don’t think that any parent or student knows what that score might be.</p>