psat scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone get them yet?

Yup. Scores are up.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

[Anonymous]

Is PSAT10 used for National Merit, or is it also taken a different year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

No, but I do have a sense that this is a humblebrag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is PSAT10 used for National Merit, or is it also taken a different year?

Only the junior year PSAT score is considered for national merit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

Scores are likely to improve. And the pathway to national merit is very narrow because the MD cutoff is so high. There just isn’t much wiggle room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

Scores are likely to improve. And the pathway to national merit is very narrow because the MD cutoff is so high. There just isn’t much wiggle room.

My younger child wanted to take the August SAT prior to start of junior year. She studied on her own for it off and on throughout the summer using Khan academy & took the college board practice tests. That helped her for the October PSAT, which she said was easy.

Her PSAT score went up 80 points from 10th to 11th, and she got a good SAT score as well.

I wish we had known the same for our older child!

[Anonymous]

My daughter got her score last night and scored a few points above the cut off. What is the process from here? She mentioned something about an essay and 'other things'. What is the timing for that... is this something that happens early senior year? She has always steered her own ship, I'm just trying to keep up. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got her score last night and scored a few points above the cut off. What is the process from here? She mentioned something about an essay and 'other things'. What is the timing for that... is this something that happens early senior year? She has always steered her own ship, I'm just trying to keep up. Thanks

First they have to finalize the cut-off score for kids that took the test this year. That will be announced next fall and then next steps are after that.

Our daughter also scored a couple points above the current cutoff so we expect barring something very unlikely she will move forward, but there is nothing to do in the meantime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

Scores are likely to improve. And the pathway to national merit is very narrow because the MD cutoff is so high. There just isn’t much wiggle room.

I'd agree. Both of my kids improved from sophomore to junior year. If your kid didn't prep, then there's a good chance because just the act of taking it repeatedly helps with familiarity with the question types and timing and that kind of thing. That said, it's much easier to raise the math score through study than the reading score. (If your kid didn't do as well on the grammar portion, then that's the low hanging fruit-- relatively easy to learn grammar rules and improve that score a bit. Reading comprehension is tougher.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have a sense for how much improvement happens in scores from sophomore year to junior? My 10th grade kid’s score is close to the national merit finalist cut off from last year with a perfect score in math. Wondering if he can improve on the English score for 11th grade, though he didn’t do any prep this year.

Scores are likely to improve. And the pathway to national merit is very narrow because the MD cutoff is so high. There just isn’t much wiggle room.

I'd agree. Both of my kids improved from sophomore to junior year. If your kid didn't prep, then there's a good chance because just the act of taking it repeatedly helps with familiarity with the question types and timing and that kind of thing. That said, it's much easier to raise the math score through study than the reading score. (If your kid didn't do as well on the grammar portion, then that's the low hanging fruit-- relatively easy to learn grammar rules and improve that score a bit. Reading comprehension is tougher.)

Good to know. No room for improvement in math. In reading dropped points in “craft and structure” only. Need to look up what that means!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got her score last night and scored a few points above the cut off. What is the process from here? She mentioned something about an essay and 'other things'. What is the timing for that... is this something that happens early senior year? She has always steered her own ship, I'm just trying to keep up. Thanks

First they have to finalize the cut-off score for kids that took the test this year. That will be announced next fall and then next steps are after that.

Our daughter also scored a couple points above the current cutoff so we expect barring something very unlikely she will move forward, but there is nothing to do in the meantime.

How do you find out whether they are above or below the current cutoff? DC got a 1500 but was weaker in the reading/writing section, which, back in my day, was more heavily weighted than math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got her score last night and scored a few points above the cut off. What is the process from here? She mentioned something about an essay and 'other things'. What is the timing for that... is this something that happens early senior year? She has always steered her own ship, I'm just trying to keep up. Thanks

First they have to finalize the cut-off score for kids that took the test this year. That will be announced next fall and then next steps are after that.

Our daughter also scored a couple points above the current cutoff so we expect barring something very unlikely she will move forward, but there is nothing to do in the meantime.

How do you find out whether they are above or below the current cutoff? DC got a 1500 but was weaker in the reading/writing section, which, back in my day, was more heavily weighted than math.

That's pretty much the same as my kid. With that score and a weaker RW score it would have to be 760M/740RW. That would equate to a 224. Recent cutoffs are 221/222ish. 224 is solid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter got her score last night and scored a few points above the cut off. What is the process from here? She mentioned something about an essay and 'other things'. What is the timing for that... is this something that happens early senior year? She has always steered her own ship, I'm just trying to keep up. Thanks

First they have to finalize the cut-off score for kids that took the test this year. That will be announced next fall and then next steps are after that.

Our daughter also scored a couple points above the current cutoff so we expect barring something very unlikely she will move forward, but there is nothing to do in the meantime.

How do you find out whether they are above or below the current cutoff? DC got a 1500 but was weaker in the reading/writing section, which, back in my day, was more heavily weighted than math.

They will be notified by their school if they meet the cut-off. Also, their name will go out in the MCPS press release.

[Anonymous]

does PSAT score in 10th grade matter or used for college admissions?