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Month: December 2020

What’s a 2100 on the SSAT equate to in terms of Percentiles?

We are regularly asked “is xyz score good enough for abc top boarding school?”  First off, the boarding schools are operating off of percentiles and not a gross score.  Your 1998 may look good overall, but it actually only equates to a 47% Percentile as an 8th grade boy.  It’s a 53% Percentile as the opposite sex in the same grade. While you do  your SSAT prep, it’s good to also learn this their scoring jargon.

SSAT Percentile Examples for 8th Grade Girls

  • 2004 Total Score = 55% Percentile*
  • 2049 Total Score = 65% Percentile*
  • 2094 Total Score = 75% Percentile*
  • 2145 Total Score = 85% Percentile*
  • 2226-2244 Total Score = 95% Percentile*
  • 2295+ Total Score = 99% Percentile*

SSAT Percentile Examples for 8th Grade Boys

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What SSAT Scores are Needed for Admissions into The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut?

SSAT Scores for Top Boarding School Programs

As you can see from our ranking of the Top 25 Boarding Schools, Hotchkiss ranks towards the top.  As a result, you can already estimate that it would require a very high score on the boarding/Independent school exam to be considered into the top program.  If you want to see our recommendations, skip below for SSAT scores guidance and ignore the news that the top private school recently shared.

“As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the school has decided to give: 

We appreciate that many applicants will complete some form of standardized testing and will want to include these results with their applications, which we will continue to welcome. In parallel, however, we are aware that the pandemic has made it significantly more challenging for many students to register and sit for administered tests. Some students may also face technology barriers to testing at home.

It is our belief that standardized testing is only one component of a student’s application. Assessing whether or not a young person will be a good fit with the Hotchkiss community relies on the broader context of each student’s academic and lived experience, and we do not want testing to be a barrier to entry for talented young people. Therefore, our application process will be test optional for the coming admission cycle.

Students are welcome to submit SSAT or ISEE, but they will not be required. Students who are unable to take the SSSAT or ISEE, or who choose not to submit their scores, will not be disadvantaged in the application process.“

Now, does that mean everyone should simply ignore the exam?

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