Getting into 9th Grade -- importance of SSAT scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just can't figure out how an A student can end up with a 70 percentile on the SSAT. What is it about those standardized test? Yes, some kids with C averages end up with 99%.

Can anyone explain this SSAT business and how it impacts upper school admission? This is ridiculous that a 3-hour test tells the story of a solid academic history. Whew!!

In our "top school in the nation" 70% of students get straight As. Are they really smart, no; school is very easy. Grade inflation is rampant.

[Anonymous]

Ok, just saying that I think you are all paranoid/ Stop Hating on Sidwell!!

[Anonymous]

I got a 99%-ile and I had a lot of wrong answers. It mostly depends on how hard that test is and who you're testing against. Verbal and reading and usually harder to score a higher percentile than math. I had about twelve questions wrong in the verbal and I still got a 98%-ile in that section. It also depends on which grade you're testing in...

[Anonymous]

I got a 99%-ile and I had a lot of wrong answers. It mostly depends on how hard that test is and who you're testing against. Verbal and reading and usually harder to score a higher percentile than math. I had about twelve questions wrong in the verbal and I still got a 98%-ile in that section. It also depends on which grade you're testing in...

[Anonymous]

bump. old thread but useful.

[Anonymous]

Worth saying, AGAIN:

Every year, Sidwell and the other 8 or 9 schools claiming to be in the "top three" REJECT kids with SSAT scores in the 99th percentile.

Every year, Sidwell and the other 8 or 9 schools claiming to be in the "top three" ACCEPT kids with SSAT scores in the 30th percentile.

Sidwell & Co. accept fewer kids with low scores than schools perceived or self-identifying as less competitive, to be sure. But high scores are no guarantee of admission, and low scores are no guarantee of rejection.

"Wha wha wha whaaat????" you say. Well: some kids with 99th percentile scores are total drips. Some kids with 30th percentile scores are creative, kind and talented in other ways (arts, sports, etc)., or have a learning disability or some such thing that brings down their test scores without affecting their overall intelligence or potential. And admission staff have a pretty good nose for both the drips and the hidden gems.

Upshot? If your kid has super high scores, don't be arrogant: you need to demonstrate that your little genius is also a kid teachers will enjoy having around. If your kid has low scores, don't despair: you may be able to get him in to even tippy top schools with strong recommendations, a winning essay and perhaps additional info that shows his strengths. (The fantastic short story he wrote, video of his violin recital or touchdown, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Just keep in mind that for all students accepted, regardless of what SSAT %tile they score the incoming 9th grade class will always have 50% top students, and 50% lower students to balance out the learning and grading curve.

Your child with 99th%tile has just as much chance to get into a school as someone with 65th%tile with the right statistical background.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just can't figure out how an A student can end up with a 70 percentile on the SSAT. What is it about those standardized test? Yes, some kids with C averages end up with 99%.

Can anyone explain this SSAT business and how it impacts upper school admission? This is ridiculous that a 3-hour test tells the story of a solid academic history. Whew!!

It's a fairly good, but not perfect, predictor -- kids with very low scores do tend to have more difficulties -- and schools look to it because the grading standards at different places are wildly divergent. Same as the SAT for college -- you have kids with A plus averages from terrible school systems that get under 500 on the SAT verbal and/or math. The SSAT, like the SAT, is just a tool, and it's not the only tool in the toolbox, and sometimes it turns out it's not the right tool for the job. But you still want it in your toolbox.

But how does this relate to students from good privates who are strong academically? I think that's where the confusion comes in where you have strong privates but students bomb out on the standardized tests. That's why so many parents and kids are so surprised when they get their results. How do you explain it other than anxiety? I know the question writers throw curves in the questions.

Because good grades at some of the privates require a different skill set than stadardized testing. Some kids are good students because they work very hard and are comfortable with the menial tasks assigned in middle school. Others are happy with the very easy A-/B+ and eschew the busy work. Not a ton of deep thinking going on. My kids were great middle school students. It was not because they were brilliant. It was because they cared about grades and they were focused, organized, competitive and very aware of what scores they needed on every test to have straight As.

Some of their peers were not as focused on grades at that age. In retrospect, this seems healthier to me. An eighth grader hyper focused on grades is not necessarily a healthy thing. But schools will like them because they stress themselves out to perform well for the school.

My kids are also great standardized test takers, but it is probably because they have 140+ IQs. Some of the really hard workers in middle school are not geniuses, hell it is only middle school. And some of the really bright kids don't give a crap until hs or college.

[Anonymous]

My daughter just got her SSAT results. 98 %ile overall, a perfect score in the verbal (99%), but only 94% in reading and 93% in math. She is brilliant and has all As, does MUN, Girl Up, Soccer, and other ECs. When applying to some of the big 3, would the slightly lower reading and math scores hurt her chances?

Serious question, so please, no hate.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

19:34, is the Q here whether to make her take it again? I personally would just pocket that score and work on the rest of the application. If she doesn't mind testing and it isn't too much stress on your family, you could have her take it again just to see what happens but this should be a low priority overall in terms of application preparation. good luck!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just keep in mind that for all students accepted, regardless of what SSAT %tile they score the incoming 9th grade class will always have 50% top students, and 50% lower students to balance out the learning and grading curve.

Your child with 99th%tile has just as much chance to get into a school as someone with 65th%tile with the right statistical background.

huh? Makes no sense. So Harvard Law School should let in folks with low LSATs by that logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Scores are only a very small part of the big picture. The schools look at the whole child. I've known plenty of kids who scored at the very top and were all turned down because they had little else to offer. If there's one factor that is more important than any else, it is how your child comes across in the interview. They are looking for excited learners, kids who will bring great things to the table and also a spark.

I totally agree. My kid had straight As, great ECs, and 80 percentile scores. he had a great interview. the interviewer told me he woild advocate for him based on the contagious energy of his interview. he got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Financial aid, maybe. They don't give academic scholarships. -- parent of 99th SSAT percentile (overall) kid who got waitlisted at Sidwell.

Not true. my kid got a scholarship as part of a financial aid package. There are named scholarships.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter just got her SSAT results. 98 %ile overall, a perfect score in the verbal (99%), but only 94% in reading and 93% in math. She is brilliant and has all As, does MUN, Girl Up, Soccer, and other ECs. When applying to some of the big 3, would the slightly lower reading and math scores hurt her chances?

Serious question, so please, no hate.

My DD got into GDS, Sidwell and Potomac last year with 89%ile overall and similar grades & ECs. IMO, your DD's scores are not going to hurt her chances at all.