It shouldn’t just be about what to do from an admissions perspective. It should be about what’s best for the student. If a strong majority of a school’s students score in the high 80s or better (with many in the mid-to-high 90s), and your student gets a 50, perhaps the school isn’t right for him/her. I suppose it depends on if you think the test is actually indicative of ability (I suspect it has some correlation), but you really don’t want your kid to go to a school with a bunch of math standouts when he or she may struggle in the subject as you get up to algebra II, pre-calc and perhaps beyond. If the SSAT score is an 80, he or she will likely be OK. But if a 50 is indicative of true ability, and your kid attends, he or she may really struggle in all but the lowest-level math courses offered. That would be a difficult situation and would likely impact multiple aspects of the overall experience, not just math grades.
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