I know that scores aren’t the biggest factor in admissions but I’m just curious as to how admitted students scored on their exam.
Even at one of the most selective schools in the country ssat scores are not getting anyone in. Scores just have to be not bad enough to get you out. They are looking at scores almost as an after though to say is this kid a mistake who can’t hack it. This is a school with an acceptance rate that hovers around 12% or less, with average ssat scores 90% or above. And I heard today that scores in the 70,80,90 all get in.
So, an amazing score isn’t going to get you in because everything else is getting looked at first.
2151/84th percentile got me into the Culver Academies… however, test scores are one part of the application. SSAT scores won’t get you in, it’s the other facets of your application: your interview, essays, ECs, grades, the personality you portray, etc. Boarding school applications are holistic.
I was told during an interview “we turn away 100s of kids each year who got a perfect score on the ssat” to me that says it all.
Although I guess I understand the question if we accept that it’s the most concrete part of an application and therefore the easiest to discuss and compare.
The point of the test is to prove you can do the work at the schools to which you are applying. Once your scores are at or above average for those schools, the scores will not be the reason for rejection. They do matter, but schools are not looking for test taking aptitude; they are looking to ensure the students they admit can be academically successful in their programs. If 90% is a school’s average score, an applicant who tops out at 65% may struggle and may not be a good fit for that program. An applicant who scores 90% on the first try for a school whose average is 85% is wasting time taking the test again as any additional effort is just irrelevant score chasing.
The goal is not a perfect score. The goal is demonstrating you can handle the academics in a given program. The SSAT is one component of that demonstration.
You can find answers to your question by looking through the decision threads for previous years. But be careful about trying to draw any conclusions. An ancient philosopher once said “the plural of anecdote is not data.”
Seriously, all of you who got great scores on the Dec SSAT really need to move on. A bad SSAT would have hurt your chances, a good SSAT will NOT help your chances. Now you are competing with all of the other kids who did well on the SSAT. Stated differently, you beat level 1 of this game. But you can just as easily be defeated in level 2 and never win the prize. Essays, wrapping up interviews, contacting coaches, etc are what is important now.
He’s also said, “Correlation does not imply causation,” which is also applicable here.
@Altras I agree with you 100% on the fact that I should be focusing more on other factors of my app. I’m dedicating all of next week to crafting stellar essays and the week after to getting my teachers to proofread them and such.
I scored in the 87th percentile and I acknowledge that it’s a pretty good score but, truth be told, it wasn’t me at my best. For starters, I procrastinate until the last minute and crammed for it the day before. Second, I was daydreaming as I was taking the reading section, resulting in a score in the 51st percentile. If it wasn’t for my math and verbal scores, I’d be smoked.
I will be taking the test again but my main focuses as of now are my essays. I have great ideas planned but all I need to do now is execute them.
“For starters, I procrastinate until the last minute and crammed for it the day before.”<— TBH, as a parent who has put two kids through BS, this is what I’d worry about more than a few percentiles on the SSAT. That habit is not going to serve you well in BS or college.
@SevenDad I’m not a chronic procrastinator but I just wouldn’t study for the test. Why? Beats me :-??
It is not uncommon to take the SSAT without any or much prior preparation as it is an easy test. Daydreaming during the test, however, is not recommended.
I hope students following this Forum don’t take the comments of @Publisher too seriously with respect to the SSAT being an “easy” test. Results are evaluated on a relative basis. Since more internationals are taking it (and they generally study quite a bit in preparation), and with the proliferation of online study materials and tutors/consultants, most applicants would be ill-served going in with minimal preparation.
@BordDuLac: Some preparation to gain familiarity with the test is certainly recommended, but the material tested is not difficult.
P.S. Also, it is important to be well rested, relaxed & comfortable when taking the SSAT. Excessive preparation may cause unnecessary stress at test time.
Also, over a couple of decades, I have not been surprised by any the SSAT test results as students tend to test close to their school performance. Nevertheless. with well paced test prep, I suspect that one may achieve a high score within an expected range if calm & well rested.
@Publisher It could definitely be seen as difficult for eigth graders—I certainly thought it was. Not so much now, but I’m older than the average demographic.