What to do the year before applying

<p>EnemyOfTheSun - While I understand your point, I was just talking about my own experiences. I never do well on standardized tests, and because I started the application process so early, I wanted to do whatever I could in the moment. I was already involved in numerous extra curricular activities, and was a straight A student, so studying for the SSAT was the next step for me. I’m glad I started so early, because I ended up raising my SSAT score from the 67th percentile to the 92nd percentile.</p>