Repeating 10th Grade at Test Optional Boarding School -SSAT or PSAT?

Prep School Admissions
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Hello everyone, my first post here, and appreciate any help.

My son is going to apply for some prep (boarding) schools for 2025-2026. He is an athlete and is being recruited.

He is a rising 10th grade in his current school, and will repeat 10th grade if he gets in a boarding school. All the schools he is interested in are test-optional. However, he will take PSAT/NMSQT in October at his current school (offered to all 11th & 10th grades). The question is - should he take the SSAT as well? I don’t know what is a decent PSAT (not the PSAT 10) score for a 10th-grader though. As time is limited, if he can just take the PSAT that will be ideal.

Thank you for your advice.

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IMO, the PSAT should be enough, especially at a TO school. Some might want him to take the SSAT, but at TO schools, I don’t see them caring much.

Really IMO, anything in the upper 1200 range for 10th grader who is also being recruited should be plenty. Others feel free to weigh in. It also depends at a school. I think upper 1200s should be fine just about anywhere, but at Andover that’s probably typical whereas a Salisbury, may be more eye catching.

Recruited athletes usually just need to meet an academic bar. Ex: a 1400 PSAT v a 1430 PSAT will not make a difference.

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Thank you so much. He is not applying to those schools known to be very academically rigorous.

And pardon me for being clueless - what is a TO school, please?

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TO = test optional (standardized test score not required for admissions)

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You can also ask each school what they would prefer. For example, my daughter applied to schools that were mostly test optional, but one wanted tests. They were, however, happy to take her MAP scores instead of the SSAT. Another school wanted a graded math test and a graded paper in lieu of testing. Find out if the schools want something other than the tests to make sure you have everything in place.

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My son applied as a repeat junior in 2020 when almost all the schools were TO. He too was an athlete and wasn’t applying to the “most selective schools”. He took the PSAT because it was offered at his then current school. When the score came back reasonably strong, he self-reported it. If it had been not great, he would not have.

IME schools that require standardized testing will usually take PSAT for applicants to 10th & 11th and SAT for applicants to 11th & 12th.

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