The Character Skills Snapshot is the missing piece of the private school admissions puzzle. A holistic measure of student preferences, attitudes, and beliefs toward seven character skills, the Snapshot complements standardized tests such as the SSAT by helping admission teams get to know who your child is in addition to what they know for the test—letting their uniqueness shine.
Hundreds of schools use the Snapshot throughout their enrollment processes. Simply inquire with a school’s admissions office to learn if they’d appreciate seeing your child’s report.
The Snapshot enriches a school’s understanding of your child by highlighting their skills across seven essential character traits, providing insight into how they will succeed in the school’s programs.
The Snapshot is much more than an admission assessment tool. Teachers and advisors use it to understand students better to best support them on their academic journey.
As a parent, the Snapshot provides a one-of-a-kind view into your child's preferred character skills, so you can offer support and encouragement where it's needed most.
Listen to admissions and enrollment leaders at Durham Academy in North Carolina and Marlborough School in Los Angeles discuss how their schools utilize the Character Skills Snapshot.
The Character Skills Snapshot measures student preferences toward seven character skills. It takes approximately 25 minutes to complete, and students entering grades 6–12 can take the Snapshot online from the comfort of their homes. The important part for students to understand is that there are no right or wrong answers.
Willingness and enjoyment of pursuing learning opportunities.
Willingness to try new things.
Prefers to start tasks in a timely manner.
Rebounds from unexpected situations and changing circumstances.
Monitors and controls their thoughts, actions, and what they say to others.
Responds to everyday situations appropriately.
Engages in supportive behaviors and emphasizes empathy that enables productive collaboration.
The Snapshot is $25 when purchased at the same time as an SSAT test, or $50 when purchased separately.
Fee waivers for the Character Skills Snapshot are available from participating schools for eligible families. Please inquire with a school that accepts the Snapshot to see if your family meets the eligibility requirements.
To learn if a school requires the Snapshot, please contact their admissions office directly. For other questions regarding registration, scoring, and the availability of results, visit our Help Center. If you hit a snag while registering, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Support team.
We love the enthusiasm, but before students can unveil their character skills, there are a couple of steps to follow. First, if you haven’t already done so, create parent and student accounts for your family within our portal. Once you’ve set up the accounts, give consent within the portal for your children to take the Snapshot. Students will then have the ability to take the Snapshot within their student accounts, and you will control which schools receive the results.