PSAT: Talk me down please

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like you've gotten a lot of good advice already, but I will add and echo others. I would disregard this as any indicator of dd's intellect or college track. I woukd take away the impact of the anxiety and set up therapy if not in it already. I would also make note to have her double check on accommodations for all future testing. I think studying is helpful, but I also see merit in ditching SAT format altogether for ACT. SAT has convoluted questioning that can sabotage some students. ACT is more straightforward. When my junior switched to ACT, she initially got an upper 20s score but earned a 35 on her first actual test after working through a prep book. She is adhd, and I always joke that standardized testing with her is like going to the craps table! But, ACT prep seemed to make sense, and she was consistently in 34-35 range after about 4 weeks working through the book.

I used to teach SAT test prep. It does not measure intelligence or content mastery or college readiness. It only measures how well a student does with those questions.

You know your kid is bright. She does well at school. She will do well in college, but it is good that you have an opportunity to help her prepare for this aspect of college admissions or enhance other parts of her academic portfolio if she decides to apply TO. There is no shame in that! All the best to you both.

This is so helpful, thanks. I’ll look into the ACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need some perspective and kindness please.

I just received sophomore DD’s scores and they are very low (as in “not on track for college” according to the College Board low). She doesn’t know yet and I’m wondering if I should break the news or let her find out on her own. She has extreme test anxiety and despite her accommodations, the school messed up and she didn’t receive them. She panicked on the test and left whole sections blank. I had the option to throw out the results, but I didn’t and now I regret it. My husband says to forget about it, but I’m pretty anxious too.

Where do we go from here? How can I help her prepare without freaking her out more? She’s a good student (mostly As in honors/AP) but a terrible test taker, obviously. We had her tested for learning disabilities years ago but received a diagnosis of anxiety instead. I’m at a loss.

Let me give you some confidence! My DSS took the PSAT in 10th grade and scored in the 4th percentile. I don’t know what percentile your DD was in but it can’t be much lower than that. We just got his 11th grade scores back, and he went up 260 points with no prep at all - so he’s gone from the 4th percentile to the 48th. And now he’s in an SAT prep class and I’m confident he will move up even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did she do any prep for the PSAT? Schools do not know the PSAT score unless the student is NMSF. I think it's possible to prepare for the SAT and increase your score significantly. My daughter had a mediocre score on the PSAT but her SAT was 180 points higher.

No 10th grader prep for PSAT .. but sound like she will need tons of prep to get to the decent range

[Anonymous]

You and she know she didn’t answer whole sections so she couldn’t have done well. I would approach it as something you already knew, no disappointment to you, and a very good experience to see what the test was like and be able to prepare for it if she chooses to take it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP just stop

PSAT'S MEAN NOTHING.


You are giving your kid test anxiety

Actually, some people need/want the scholarship money that comes from doing well. Some schools (mostly in the south) give free rides based on scores…..

[Anonymous]

10th grade score doesn't matter for anything. Also, you're in MoCo where it feels like every parent claims their kid got 1520 on the PSAT. Just shut the noise out. She will get accommodations, do some review and this will be behind you.

[Anonymous]

Given that she is in Algebra 2, I would do private prep this summer and take the SAT late August/early fall next school year. That will give plenty of time for additional prep and retesting. However, I would not push prep during junior year to the point where it impacts her grades. If she ends up focusing on test optional schools, the higher her GPA the better.

If you can afford private tutoring I would do that. I don't know where you are in Moco, but Landon Zee in Mclean is excellent.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I need some perspective and kindness please.

I just received sophomore DD’s scores and they are very low (as in “not on track for college” according to the College Board low). She doesn’t know yet and I’m wondering if I should break the news or let her find out on her own. She has extreme test anxiety and despite her accommodations, the school messed up and she didn’t receive them. She panicked on the test and left whole sections blank. I had the option to throw out the results, but I didn’t and now I regret it. My husband says to forget about it, but I’m pretty anxious too.

Where do we go from here? How can I help her prepare without freaking her out more? She’s a good student (mostly As in honors/AP) but a terrible test taker, obviously. We had her tested for learning disabilities years ago but received a diagnosis of anxiety instead. I’m at a loss.

My son, too. I think he got 830. Is "on track for college" in reading, but not math.

I am not telling him, but if he asks, I will spin the positive. I think many kids will have lower than usual scores this year because of some COVID learning loss. But my kid knows he does poorly on standardized tests in general, so it won't be much of a surprise to him.

I will say I was a great test taker and could do better than what my knowledge base should support. Test taking is a skill in itself, and there are programs you can take to get better at it. I won't put that pressure on my kid for a variety of reasons, but other kids may be motivated to learn this skillset. You know your kid -- but this might be a helpful stepping stone before SATs.

[Anonymous]

It’s a practice test. Frankly, the SAT with extended time is quite long. A student with disabilities can apply to take the ACT in sections over multiple days which helps with anxiety and ability to focus. Most parents in MCPS are not told about this option so you have to ask early for approval and coordinate the testing dates with your school.

I would say, when compared with the PSAT and SAT, my son did much better with the ACT over multiple days.

My other advice is to not to automatically send in scores and take the ACT twice. My son did much better with the second test. Tests however are just one data point. The college essays and school transcripts are more important indicators for college success.

[Anonymous]

There is absolutely zero reason to worry about the PSAT10 or the fact that it was scored. It literally does not matter and is just a data point for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like you've gotten a lot of good advice already, but I will add and echo others. I would disregard this as any indicator of dd's intellect or college track. I woukd take away the impact of the anxiety and set up therapy if not in it already. I would also make note to have her double check on accommodations for all future testing. I think studying is helpful, but I also see merit in ditching SAT format altogether for ACT. SAT has convoluted questioning that can sabotage some students. ACT is more straightforward. When my junior switched to ACT, she initially got an upper 20s score but earned a 35 on her first actual test after working through a prep book. She is adhd, and I always joke that standardized testing with her is like going to the craps table! But, ACT prep seemed to make sense, and she was consistently in 34-35 range after about 4 weeks working through the book.

I used to teach SAT test prep. It does not measure intelligence or content mastery or college readiness. It only measures how well a student does with those questions.

You know your kid is bright. She does well at school. She will do well in college, but it is good that you have an opportunity to help her prepare for this aspect of college admissions or enhance other parts of her academic portfolio if she decides to apply TO. There is no shame in that! All the best to you both.

This is so helpful, thanks. I’ll look into the ACT.

Best advice.