Confused about PSAT's

[Zee]

I thought that I read that ds should take the PSAT in the spring of his sophmore year. A friend told me that he should take it in the fall of his junior year. Should we do both? Is there a penalty for taking it twice? Also, I thought I heard that only the first PSAT is used to determine national merit awards. Is that true? If that is the case: should we delay the PSAT till the fall of the junior year if we feel ds is not ready to test yet? :001_huh:

 

I thought I had this figured out, but I've read and heard different things, so now it's all mud. :tongue_smilie:

[AngieW in Texas]

The PSAT is given only once each year in October. The only time it counts for National Merit is the 11th grade year. I think most people take it for practice in 10th grade. Some even take it for practice in 9th grade as well.

 

My oldest took it in 10th and 11th grades. Her scores weren't in National Merit range.

 

My middle dd will take it for the first time this October as a 10th grader. She'll take it again in 11th grade when it counts.

[Chris in VA]

Angie is correct. Perhaps you are thinking of the SAT, the test that "comes next." That is offered multiple times during the year.

Good luck!

[Teachin'Mine]

I'm so glad you asked this question. I completely forgot that it's only given in the fall. Also found out just now that you don't register for it online. You have to call the school where you will be taking the test to register. Some good news is it's only $13, but schools can add an administrative fee to that. The College Board site recommends calling the school in June to register. This year it will be given on October 13th or October 16th - check with the school to see which they are doing.

[Zee]

Thanks, everybody! This is exactly what I was wondering and now I've got it straight. You gals are gems! :) I think we'll do the 10th grade practice run, since we have nothing to lose. My son can sometimes choke on a first attempt at something, but then seems to do much better the second time through. I think the 10th grade exposure will help for the 11th grade PSAT's and so on.

[emubird]

FWIW, I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the PSAT. Only a few kids qualify for the National Merit scholarships. My daughter missed it by a few points, but what we discovered is that most colleges pretty much gave her what they would have given a national merit scholar based on the rest of her record.

 

The NM program itself only gives a few thousand dollars per awardee (if they give anything). With the school my daughter eventually decided on, this would have been subtracted from the aid they gave her and she would have ended up the same anyway.

 

To be honest, this test seems to be a way for the college board to gather a mailing list of students colleges really want (whether they score up in the NM range or not). They make a lot of money selling that list.

 

That was our experience.

 

That said, though, I'll still run my younger one through the test, just in case.

 

If you or your spouse work for a company that gives out national merit scholarships to employee children, this may be a different story. Back when I was in high school, some kids got a ton of money this way, and didn't even score in the NM range, while most of those who were national merit finalists got nothing.

 

I've known kids here in the midwest who scored high enough to be NM scholars, but who never bothered to take the SAT to finish the "application". They'd already taken the ACT and frankly just didn't see the point of having to go take (and pay for) the SAT as well. The amount of money wasn't big enough, and the chance they'd get anything was so small, that they didn't want to do it.

 

And colleges never ask for the PSAT scores.

[MomsintheGarden]

The College Board site recommends calling the school in June to register.

 

Yes - call now! Call several schools if you can. Some schools will tell you it's too early; that's ok - ask them when to call and write it on your calendar. You might find a guidance office staff to be surly and unwilling to work with homeschoolers (or they don't return your calls). Write off that school and try another.

 

If you have an upcoming high school junior, I recommend starting PSAT study at least by August 1.

 

GardenMom

[Hannah C.]

I'm a National Merit Scholar, and my college gave me a good size scholarship based on that. I also received a $2000 scholarship from the NM Foundation itself. Together it pays for about half of my tuition (my college did not subtract the NM Foundation aid from their scholarship!). I could also have received a free ride to several public universities both in and out of state based on it. So sometimes it does benefit.

 

As other posters have said, however, not many kids qualify for the scholarship part. But if you have children who test really well, they do have a chance. I'm not very good at math, but very good at verbal, which is why my scores were high enough at the time. The score cut-off varies from year to year and state to state as well.

[AngieW in Texas]

At the school my middle dd is most likely to go to, the reward for being a National Merit winner is enormous. They offer a free ride (all tuition and fees paid for), $5000/year in cash, $2000/year towards on-campus housing, and $2000 for a one-time semester abroad after completing 2 years on campus. She is capable of making the score necessary for National Merit, so we're definitely going to jump through the hoops.

 

My oldest is mostly likely going to that same school, but here schores weren't anywhere near NM level.

[Myra]

I have a son that will be junior this Fall. I was considering having him take the PSAT in October just for "practice" (testing situation, format, testing at the High School, etc) for the SAT in March. But I wasn't planning on having him do any "studying" for the PSAT. Does this plan make sense? Should I bother for the PSAT if we don't study for it?

 

Myra

[Teachin'Mine]

Here's a site listing some colleges which offer full tuition scholarships for NM. I don't know how accurate or complete the list is, but it's incentive anyway. :)

 

http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html

[AngieW in Texas]

There's plenty of time for him to prepare for it between now and October.

 

Even if he doesn't prepare for it, it's still useful to do it just as practice for the testing situation.

 

I would have him go ahead and do some preparation for it though. The wording of questions can be a little weird to get used to.

 

Here's a link to a free online prep through Sparknotes. It's actually a prep program for the SAT (prepping for SAT will also prepare you for the PSAT). The only thing on the SAT that isn't on the PSAT is an essay. Everything else you do for the SAT will help you with the PSAT as well.

http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/newsat/chapter1section3.html