Gender and ethnicity information is collected when creating an account to register for the SSAT or other admission services from The Enrollment Management Association (EMA) to simplify inquiry and application submission and to align students with schools matching their preferences through the SSAT, Character Skills Snapshot, Standard Application Online (SAO), and our school-connection service.
EMA promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in the pursuit of private, independent education and encourages students of all backgrounds and personal characteristics to seek admission to private schools. Our goal is to ensure that all students and families are fairly represented in the admissions process. The selection options for ethnicity and race in EMA’s systems align with those from the U.S. Census and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to align with the categories of personal data that schools collect and use for the admissions process.
The demographic information collected is as follows:
- Parent and Student Pronouns — Select the parent’s and student’s preference from a pre-set list of pronouns such as “She/Her/Hers,” “He/Him/His”, and “They/Them/Theirs”; if the preferred option is not available, choose “My Preferred Pronouns” and complete the subsequent “My Preferred Pronouns” field.
- First Language — Select the language the student learned first, often their most fluent, to help schools prepare for conversations with your family.
- Sex at Birth — Select the sex listed on the student’s birth certificate or government records.
- Gender — Select the gender that the student currently identifies with from Female, Male, Self Identify, or indicate that you Prefer Not to Respond. If “Self Identity” is selected an open text field will appear for you to provide more detail if desired.
- Race — Per the U.S. Census, select the race that best reflects the student’s identification with one or more social groups out of the following options: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Multiracial, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, Other, or indicate that you Prefer Not To Respond. Selecting Other will allow you to indicate your Race via an open text field.
- Ethnicity — Per the U.S. Census, ethnicity is collected to recognize whether a person is of Hispanic origin; Hispanic or Latino refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or any other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. Select the ethnicity that best describes the student’s geographic and cultural origins out of the following options: Hispanic or Latino, Not Hispanic or Latino, or indicate that you Prefer Not To Respond.
- School Gender Preferences: Select all of the school gender types (all-girls, all-boys, coed) that the student is interested in attending. This information is collected to align students with schools matching their preferences through the SSAT, Character Skills Snapshot, Standard Application Online, and get-connected email service.
Where is demographic information shared with schools?
Student and Parent demographic information—including gender and ethnicity—is shared with schools that the family chooses when applying via the SAO, sending SSAT Scores, or sharing Snapshot results. This information is also shared with schools when families opt-into our service to connect families with schools that may be the right fit. Data shared with schools is done via secure portals.
- SSAT Score reports to schools: Student gender data (Female, Male, Self-Identify and self identify open response, or Prefer Not To Respond) is included with other biographic data such as First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Address, and Phone Number. Student Gender is not considered while calculating SSAT scores and percentiles. Sex at Birth, Race, and Ethnicity is not included with SSAT score reports.
- Character Skills Snapshot results: Student gender data (Female, Male, Self-Identify and self identify open response, or Prefer Not To Respond) is included with other biographic data such as First Name, Last Name, Date of Birth, Address, and Phone Number. Student Gender is not considered while calculating Snapshot results. Sex at Birth, Race, and Ethnicity is not included with Snapshot results.
- Standard Application Online (SAO): SAO includes expanded biographic and demographic data including student and parent Pronouns, student Gender, Sex at Birth, First Language, Race, and Ethnicity data with other biographical data to help receiving schools learn about the prospective student. Families manage this information in the student's profile.
- School-Connection Service: Student and parent Pronouns, student Gender, Sex at Birth, First Language, Race, and Ethnicity is included in this opt-in service with other biographical data to help receiving schools learn about the prospective student. Families manage this information in the student's profile.
For more information, please read our Privacy Policy. For additional questions, please contact us at info@ssat.org.
