SSAT scores - retake?

Periwinkle
Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:54:43 +0000

The overall score can be higher than individual scores. If your daughter scored above the 90th percentile on each subtest, then her overall score would be higher, as many students are weaker in one area. So, for example, a student who scored higher than 92% of the test-takers in each subtest could score in the 96th percentile for the overall scores, because her strength in three categories adds up to a score which is higher than the overall scores of 96% of the test-takers.

I don’t think she needs to take the test again. As far as I know, for the top schools anything above the 80th percentile on each subtest is fine. All three subtests over 90% is a great performance. I think it would be more productive for your daughter to use the time otherwise devoted to test prep to 1) working on the applications, 2) keeping her grades up, 3) doing well in her extracurricular commitments, and 4) working on her essays.

You might want to visit other schools as well, as you’ve chosen a group of very selective boarding schools.