PSAT results came out

[Anonymous]

I don’t think one can really generalize about PSAT and ultimate SAT scores after prep. My DC got 1240 PSAT and a 1470 superscore after Junior year, which surprised his college counselor who assured me he could only improve SAT by 100 points or so over the PSAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feeling glum about sophomore DD scores-1160. GPA 3.89 UW at competitive private. I’d much rather the high GPA but still can’t help being disappointed. Just not a good test taker.

Feeling glum? Why? Her scores can only get better. Link the collegeboard account to Khan Academy. It is just a button on collegeboard account that you have to click. Khan Academy will evaluate her PSAT scores and performance instantly and create a study plan based on which areas she is weak in.

I am an old, old hand in all kinds of supplementation and enrichment for my kids - self-teaching, books, academic camps, tutors, prep companies, online packages etc - there is nothing that I have not used and auditioned. I am an extremely savvy consumer as far as education is concerned.

I can assure you that the best and most useful resource for your kid's SAT prep is Khan Academy. The real shame is that not many use it. 1160 for a sophomore means that you need to give her the right support. Please don't waste your money on the expensive prep companies. Go to Khan Academy and make her work on her personalized and interactive plan.

NP. Thank you PP for this advice.
My DS is a sophomore and was hoping to take the SAT this August after summer study. Scored 1390 and I think he was worried because his older friends say 1500+ is needed for UVA. I’ll tell him to link his scores to Khan academy as suggested.

Yes.

Also, for parents of younger kids...start taking PSAT from as early as you can. Do not miss any opportunity for your kid to take PSAT. PSAT is just that - PRACTICE PSAT. Do not practice for SAT by taking real SAT because some colleges want to see ALL the SATs you have ever taken. PSAT does not get seen by colleges. Poor PSAT performance does not impact anything come admission time. Also, PSAT are genuine Collegeboard created tests.

In early years (9, 10), its A-OK to go without any prep just so you know where you stand without any prep. Then USE the Khan Academy feature to prepare for only the content area your kid is weak in. It is like a personalized expensive Private Prep Company tutor.

Every single opportunity to take PSAT. There is a version for 8th-9th and another for 10th grade too. Remember, only your school can offer it. Only NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in Fall of Junior Year is the one that gets used for NMS. The more tests you have taken previously, the more data Khan Academy has for your kid and the more your kid can practice.

SAT Prep - Please also use Khan Academy for practice for SAT. They also use the 8 official SAT tests and they will also give you a personalize SAT practice based on your areas of weakness. They can teach content that you don't understand based on your performance. So it is a coach and a tutor - all rolled into one.

SAT/PSAT/NMS - these are exams that you can crack with the right support and nothing supports you better than Khan Academy. It is just a question of how much time you are willing to devote in using this tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think one can really generalize about PSAT and ultimate SAT scores after prep. My DC got 1240 PSAT and a 1470 superscore after Junior year, which surprised his college counselor who assured me he could only improve SAT by 100 points or so over the PSAT.

Well, if you do not prep and get 1200 in PSAT in 10th grade, then without prepping, you will get 1300 in SAT in 11th grade. Your counselor is somewhat correct in this. Without any prep, PSAT predicts your SAT scores. And you get 100 points of improvement each year.

Yes, you can generalize. And yes, your kid probably studied for SAT and probably did not study for PSAT. A low score in PSAT can scare the sh1t off these kids and then they start working. Fear is a good motivator.

[Anonymous]

My junior took SAT twice this fall with some prep this summer plus October PSAT and scored in 1500-1520 (PSAT adjusted to SAT scale) on all three, with similar score breakdowns among all three sections. Hopeful they will qualify for commended but definitely not a strong enough score for semi finalist status is MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Since you are wise and experienced in all this, please advise us on another question. She has also taken a practice ACT, on which she scored much better compared to peers. (29 on ACT which their chart says is equivalent to an SAT of something in the 1300s.) I've read some advice that people should just choose one (ACT or SAT) and prepare for that one. But I also don't want my kids to spend their teenage summers doing test prep. (when I was in high school, we took the SAT without any prep other than maybe doing the sample practice test that came in the pamphlet.) Is it okay to choose one now based on this sophomore data?

SAT and ACT are basically different types of tests and they test different things. SAT and ACT kids are kids with two slightly different kinds of test taking strengths and also slightly different kinds of content knowledge. Colleges don't really differentiate between ACT and SAT.

Having said that, here are the factors that you have to consider -
- What does your kid wants to study in college?
- Do you need NMS for education dollar?
- Do you need NMS for resume padding or signaling to Admissions Committee etc?
It is an extremely individual and strategic decision.

If NMS is important to you for any reason (money or resume-padding), then it is more than likely that your kid will end up taking PSAT for NMSQT and then a SAT or ACT as the proof test. If they score very well in NMSQT, NMSC will also submit a "proof" SAT (or ACT?) from the finalists to show that the NMSQT performance was not a fluke.

My kid was not willing to take ACT because he wanted to study for one test (SAT) and be done with both SAT and NMS. Also, having access to Khan Academy and being able to use his PSAT and SAT tests to practice was another bonus for him. He is also a quant kid and so Math was easy for him and he did not want to write a lot in ACT. BTW - you could stop at just being a NMSF and not go all the way to become a finalist. Even that is also an option.

Generally, it is recommended that students do a test SAT and a test ACT and see which do they naturally do well in. In your case, with just looking at an 1100 score on PSAT and a 1300 score on ACT, it seems that ACT has a distinct aand big advantage.

Just to be very sure, you may decide to schedule a nother complimentary SAT vs ACT test again, as many private college counseling companies will give your kid one for free. Take a look at that result and then make a decision. Sometimes the unfamiliarity with test format can influence results. Now that your kid has taken both, it is worth it to go for the comparison test again.

(Also, the National Merit scholarship is a very tiny amount from NMS but some colleges give a very generous amount of money to NMSF (UT @ Dallas, for example give full tuition, honors college, stipend for room and board and a semester abroad) I would also suggest that you search out which schools give great merit scholarships to NMSF students and if that appeals to you and your kid has a shot, then that can influence your NMS journey --> and that can influence your PSAT or alternate route decision --> and that can influence ACT or SAT. NMSC help desk is usually super helpful in answering these questions if you catch them in off months.)

I hope this helped

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t seem to pull up scores. My DD says she did not provide her email address on the exam sheet. We created a College Board account last night, but I get an error when I try to pull up scores.

Collegeboard site is having issues right now. Very normal during PSAT or SAT results timing. Email Address won't matter. Your error is not happening because of lack of email address. College Board has an assigned Student ID number for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My junior took SAT twice this fall with some prep this summer plus October PSAT and scored in 1500-1520 (PSAT adjusted to SAT scale) on all three, with similar score breakdowns among all three sections. Hopeful they will qualify for commended but definitely not a strong enough score for semi finalist status is MD.

This is very typical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got 1280....97%. I feel good about that, but I see some test prep in their future this summer. 99% percentile in reading/writing and 92% in math. Math actually came up a lot since last year, so I think with some more preparation, their score could go up quite a bit more. I don't know like 1550 high, though. It's kind of crazy that it's 97%, and I'm not sure whether to be disappointed?????

Is your child in grade 10?

Mine is in grade 11 and was low 1400s and I think was 97th percentile. [/quote
No way 1280 is 97 percentile for a junior.

I think something is off about the percentages. My neighbor’s daughter got an 1170 and it says 89%. That’s hard to believe.

I'm the above poster with an 11th grader. I suspect your neighbor's daughter is a freshman, like the child with 1280 is a 10th grader.

For those with kids in grades 9 and 10, the math on the PSAT/SAT is up through Alg 2. If your child hasn't taken yet or has just started it this year, it will greatly affect their scores. Meaning, they will definitely improve!

Child bolded is in 10th and past Algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Feeling glum about sophomore DD scores-1160. GPA 3.89 UW at competitive private. I’d much rather the high GPA but still can’t help being disappointed. Just not a good test taker.

Feeling glum? Why? Her scores can only get better. Link the collegeboard account to Khan Academy. It is just a button on collegeboard account that you have to click. Khan Academy will evaluate her PSAT scores and performance instantly and create a study plan based on which areas she is weak in.

I am an old, old hand in all kinds of supplementation and enrichment for my kids - self-teaching, books, academic camps, tutors, prep companies, online packages etc - there is nothing that I have not used and auditioned. I am an extremely savvy consumer as far as education is concerned.

I can assure you that the best and most useful resource for your kid's SAT prep is Khan Academy. The real shame is that not many use it. 1160 for a sophomore means that you need to give her the right support. Please don't waste your money on the expensive prep companies. Go to Khan Academy and make her work on her personalized and interactive plan.

NP. Thank you PP for this advice.
My DS is a sophomore and was hoping to take the SAT this August after summer study. Scored 1390 and I think he was worried because his older friends say 1500+ is needed for UVA. I’ll tell him to link his scores to Khan academy as suggested.

Yes.

Also, for parents of younger kids...start taking PSAT from as early as you can. Do not miss any opportunity for your kid to take PSAT. PSAT is just that - PRACTICE PSAT. Do not practice for SAT by taking real SAT because some colleges want to see ALL the SATs you have ever taken. PSAT does not get seen by colleges. Poor PSAT performance does not impact anything come admission time. Also, PSAT are genuine Collegeboard created tests.

In early years (9, 10), its A-OK to go without any prep just so you know where you stand without any prep. Then USE the Khan Academy feature to prepare for only the content area your kid is weak in. It is like a personalized expensive Private Prep Company tutor.

Every single opportunity to take PSAT. There is a version for 8th-9th and another for 10th grade too. Remember, only your school can offer it. Only NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in Fall of Junior Year is the one that gets used for NMS. The more tests you have taken previously, the more data Khan Academy has for your kid and the more your kid can practice.

SAT Prep - Please also use Khan Academy for practice for SAT. They also use the 8 official SAT tests and they will also give you a personalize SAT practice based on your areas of weakness. They can teach content that you don't understand based on your performance. So it is a coach and a tutor - all rolled into one.

SAT/PSAT/NMS - these are exams that you can crack with the right support and nothing supports you better than Khan Academy. It is just a question of how much time you are willing to devote in using this tool.

This is exactly what is wrong with this system and why some are pushing ton get rid of these tests. It's not testing readiness for college or intelligence. It's testing whether you know how to game the test. What a huge waste of our kids' time and a bunch of false pressure. This will not get them anywhere in life because life is not a series of standardized tests.

[Anonymous]

My MCPS junior can't get on.

[Anonymous]

West coast mom here. No scores yet! He can’t get into College Board. Allegedly “everyone else” had them available in SCIOR (Naviance competitor) but his were not. I’m sure they will show up eventually. I do think it’s ridiculous that CB is having an outage. They should have planned for heavy volume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:West coast mom here. No scores yet! He can’t get into College Board. Allegedly “everyone else” had them available in SCIOR (Naviance competitor) but his were not. I’m sure they will show up eventually. I do think it’s ridiculous that CB is having an outage. They should have planned for heavy volume.

Or they didn't plan for a world-wide AWS outage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:West coast mom here. No scores yet! He can’t get into College Board. Allegedly “everyone else” had them available in SCIOR (Naviance competitor) but his were not. I’m sure they will show up eventually. I do think it’s ridiculous that CB is having an outage. They should have planned for heavy volume.

Or they didn't plan for a world-wide AWS outage.

Ah. Makes sense. Wasn’t tracking on that since I have been working most of the day.

[Anonymous]

Is the PSAT 10 the same thing?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, is the PSAT 10 the same as the PSAT? My 9th grade son took and received a 1180 out of 1440, I believe. I don't have access to the scores, he does, but I don't want to stress him out so I don't know the breakdown but I do want to know.