Correct OP. Mine got into Princeton after having lousy SSAT scores. She worked with a tutor to learn how to take the test.

Also remember that you (and/or your child's teachers) can and should address weak scores head on in an email or letter or during the parent interview. Just giving schools an understanding of what is going on with a kid helps.

No "hooks." Schools try to have diverse and balanced classes in terms of gender, race, geography, athletic skills, arts skills, academic skills, etc. Every year, top schools reject some kids with >95% test scores and take some kids with mid-level scores (and even some with very low/erratic scores). There's no "formula" or cut-off at most schools, just as there is no guarantee of admission. A nice kid with varied interests, strong grades and strong references will get into a good school if he/she applies to four or five schools.

Everyone who posts "my kid got into a Big 3/5/6 with scores in the middle of the bell curve" should really be obligated to also report out on ALL the hooks of interest to local admission offices.

Otherwise, statements like this are useless.

Also, people posting from Dallas, Chicago and Sacramento about their private school experience should knock it off.

My kid got into 2 Big 3 schools for 6th with ISEE scores that included a 4 and 5. No athletic or donor hook just great personality, reccos and good grades. She was waitlisted at others so it’s not like she got in everywhere she applied but you have to have faith that they’ll see your kid for who they are.

Thank you for this perspective. I was told by one school that they use the scores to screen for weaknesses but do rely heavily on recommendations and grades. With a child at 68% it seems like there is a good probability to get into a good school.

I will say that I take the wait and see approach- everything happens for a reason and making sure the fit is right for my child is the most important factor to us. I refuse to get hung up on my child in a particular school because this is not about me- it is about my child- good education and happiness at school.

I know your kidding me with 15 percent. Maybe Bullis but not one of the top schools. Too many smart athletes to have to admit low scoring student. I'm not even going to try unless 60th and up.

My child got 15% and still got in. No hooks, although they're athletic.

Anonymous wrote:My DD had A average and 96% SSAT and was WL and two Big 3/5 schools for 7th grade.

Thus proving OP's point.

My DD had A average and 96% SSAT and was WL and two Big 3/5 schools for 7th grade.

I find that panic works best with child raising, whatever the issue or situation that is presented.

In addition to superior scores, it's really about the right school fit. This is the reason some kids with high scores still get rejected or wait listed.

Thanks, OP. Great perspective. However, my worry is actually WITH child who is in the extremely top tier on SSAT and with top grades at a strong school. Some may think him quirky or "superior" sounding. In reality, he's ASD and his growth area is on the social side. That means a school will have to be willing to take a chance on him.

People think the high performers on a test have it easy. They are still just kids with their own, very different, issues.

This is a useful article: http://ectutoring.com/good-ssat-score
Suggests that even the top DC schools are happy with anything over 75th percent.

Every year, lots of kids with middling SSAT scores get into “top” high schools. The people who tell you that only scores above the 90th percentile are serious candidates do not know what they are talking about: either they are assuming that their (very high scoring} kid is average, or they are trying to scare you for sick reasons of their own. Even school such as Exeter, with an average SSAT score of above 85%, take lots of kids with scores well below that. Admissions officers aren’t idiots. They know exactly how much (or how little) these scores mean. Most schools will take a good kid with strong grades and recs but weak scores over an obnoxious brat with 99th% scores any day of the week.

If your child has weak scores AND weak grades, that’s a problem. But a kid with weak or inconsistent scores and a track record of good grades at a good school will do fine.