SSAT Tutoring NYC — For Boarding Schools and Independent Day Schools
A Twenty-Year Track Record With Boarding and Independent School Admissions
The Secondary School Admission Test is the test of choice for most boarding schools in the United States, and many NYC independent day schools accept it as an alternative to the ISEE. For families considering Exeter, Andover, Choate, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, Groton, or St. Paul’s — or for NYC day-school applicants who test better on the SSAT than the ISEE — Central Park Tutors has been preparing students for more than twenty years.
Our tutoring has been recommended by The New York Times, and we have been invited by Columbia University Teachers College to teach test prep. We work one-on-one, in the family’s home, with a curriculum built around each child.
What the SSAT Is
The Secondary School Admission Test is offered at three levels: Elementary (for students applying to 4th or 5th grade), Middle (for 6th, 7th, or 8th grade), and Upper (for 9th through 12th grade). The Middle and Upper Levels share the same structure: a Quantitative (math) section of 50 questions split across two blocks, a Verbal section with 60 questions covering synonyms and analogies, a Reading section with 40 questions across seven or eight passages, and a 25-minute Writing Sample that is unscored but sent directly to schools. There is also an experimental section that does not count toward the score.
The SSAT is scored on three scales: the raw score, a scaled score per section (ranging 440–710 on Middle Level, 500–800 on Upper Level), and a percentile that compares your child only to other SSAT test-takers over the past three years. Because SSAT test-takers are a self-selected, competitive group, SSAT percentiles tend to look lower than ISEE percentiles for the same caliber of student. A 70th percentile on the SSAT is a stronger result than it looks.
One thing that distinguishes the SSAT: unlike the ISEE, the SSAT penalizes wrong answers at 1/4 point. This changes the strategic calculus on guessing, and we prep for it directly.
How We Prepare Students for the SSAT
Every student begins with a full-length diagnostic at the appropriate level. For students who are undecided between the SSAT and the ISEE, we run diagnostics on both and compare — not just the raw score, but how the student felt about each test and which sections produced the most frustration.
From there, we build a section-by-section program. Verbal reasoning on the SSAT (analogies in particular) rewards a specific kind of pattern-recognition practice that’s different from anything students typically see in school. Reading requires endurance — seven or eight passages in 40 minutes demands both speed and focus. Math requires fluency on middle and upper-school content, and we teach strategic guessing given the wrong-answer penalty.
The Writing Sample is not scored, but schools read it. We coach the two prompt types (typically a creative story or a personal essay) and rehearse timed drafts.
Timeline and Cost
Most families begin SSAT prep three to six months before the test. For boarding school applicants whose application deadlines are in January, that typically means starting in the summer before or early fall. NYC day school applicants following the ISEE calendar can prep on a similar timeline.
Our rate for SSAT tutoring is $165 per hour. We do not require prepayment. We bill monthly. All materials are included.
Central Park Tutors is run by a literacy specialist, which matters more for the SSAT than most parents realize. Verbal reasoning — synonyms and analogies — is deeply vocabulary-dependent, but the real skill is recognizing relationships between words and reasoning flexibly about meaning. Our tutors are trained to build that kind of thinking, not just drill lists. We stay intentionally small so every match is deliberate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between the SSAT and the ISEE?
Both are standardized tests used for independent school admissions. The SSAT is more common for boarding school applications and uses slightly different question types — including analogies in the verbal section and a writing sample rather than an essay. The SSAT penalizes wrong answers at 1/4 point; the ISEE does not. Scores on the two tests are not directly comparable. Most NYC day schools accept either.
Which boarding schools accept the SSAT?
Almost all of them. Exeter, Andover, Choate, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, Groton, St. Paul’s, Taft, Loomis Chaffee, Milton, Middlesex, Cate, Thacher, and dozens of others. A few also accept the ISEE, but the SSAT is the default expectation.
How is the SSAT scored?
The SSAT produces a raw score (correct minus penalty), a scaled score per section (ranging 440–710 on Middle Level and 500–800 on Upper Level), and a percentile ranking. Because SSAT takers are a selective group, SSAT percentiles generally look lower than ISEE percentiles for students of similar ability. A 70th percentile SSAT score represents stronger performance than a 70th percentile ISEE score.
When is the SSAT offered?
The SSAT is offered at multiple dates throughout the year, typically October, November, December, January, February, March, April, and June, with additional flex dates. Families can also take the SSAT online in a proctored format.
Does my child need to write the optional essay?
There is no optional essay on the SSAT — all test-takers complete the Writing Sample. It is unscored, but schools receive a copy with the rest of the results. Yes, your child needs to write it, and yes, we prepare for it.
Can my child take both the SSAT and the ISEE?
Yes, and some families do — especially applicants looking at both boarding and day schools. We typically advise against it unless there’s a strategic reason, because prep time is limited and depth on one test usually beats shallow coverage of both.
How long should SSAT prep take?
Three to six months of preparation with one or two sessions per week is typical. Starting earlier allows more time for vocabulary-building and endurance work, which are the slowest-changing parts of verbal and reading performance.
Are there penalties for wrong answers?
Yes — unlike the ISEE, the SSAT deducts 1/4 point for each wrong answer. Omitted questions cost zero. This makes strategic guessing a genuine skill, and we teach students when to answer, when to skip, and how to recognize whether they’ve narrowed down answer choices enough to guess intelligently.
Every family’s situation is different. Call us at (917) 502-9108 and we will talk through your target schools, schedule a diagnostic, and match your child with the right tutor.
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