PSAT....SAT

[cindylee]

Okay, this slipped up on me. In Mississippi all colleges go by ACT so we have been concentrating on that. But scholarships are available thru SAT????? Is that right???? Do you need to take the PSAT first??????

 

Dd is in 11th grade this year. She took ACT for the first time in April and made a 25. In MS the magic number is 29, so we're going to work on that and test more.....I wasn't sure if taking the PSAT or SAT was a good thing or a waste of energy in our place. Can anyone help???

[creekland]

Scholarships are available through the PSAT and only if taken in Oct (only month offered) of junior year. These scholarships are for the top part of the top 1% only. It's not quite like the scholarships schools offer for a minimum ACT or SAT score. With your student's current ACT score and the short time available, it's questionable as to whether or not it's worth it to try for them. My suggestion would be to check with your library to find a practice test, have her take it, and do some self-assessment to see if you want to try.

 

As for ACT vs SAT, scholarships based on those take either one. If your student does well with the PSAT (doesn't even have to be scholarship level), she might want to try the SAT just to see if she scores better with that test. Schools will take either. You don't have to send both scores - just whichever one she tests better with.

 

As for practicing for the tests... students who have done really, really well tend to do a section (not a test, but a section) 2 - 3 times per week for several weeks. They've started already for the PSAT. Some are able to do well cold on these tests, but those students are rare. Let me rephrase that... many can do "well" cold on these tests (mine do), but to try for "perfection" on these tests (something many top students strive for and want), most practice. You don't need perfection to get into NMSF status (scholarship potential with the PSAT), but you do have to be close.