Where have your students taken the PSAT?

[Pegasus]

A local private high school just turned us down. I was hoping to avoid the giant public high schools but I guess that is where we try next. Do the public schools have to let DD take the PSAT there? I'm wondering what to do if they say no. Sheesh. The ACT was easy: registered online and had DD show up at the community college.

[Laura in CA]

We've done the PSAT for three years in a row at the local public school. They have been nothing but friendly to homeschoolers (luckily!). (Yes, it was kind of a zoo, but my kids coped.) If they had said no, I would have tried to next town over. There are NO private high schools in our area, so it's ps or nothing ...

We're in such a small town that when I went to the career center to ask about the PSAT, it turned out that the two ladies there were people I knew from church and from waaay back when my kids were in public school until 2nd grade ... but a homeschool mom I know also was welcomed, so it wasn't just that I worked my connections (which I'm not above doing, if I have to ... ) :)

[Brenda in MA]

Mine have taken the PSAT at our local ps. They have been welcoming. When I send in my end-of-year testing (in June) to the local school dept, I let them know that I have a student who will need the PSAT that October. I call in the fall to find out when sign-ups are, and then I drop into the ps guidance office to pay the fee and sign up the kiddo. I can get the practice test booklet while I'm there. The only thing we have to do differently than the ps kids is to bring a photo ID. The proctors are all ps teachers and they know their own kids, so they don't ID them.

 

Brenda

[readwithem]

We moved between my dd's sophomore and junior years, so she took it once each at the local ps.

 

The difference was striking. Soph year I wasn't sure she would actually get in a room till the start of the exam. The counselor said they had never had a hs'er take it there previously.

 

The new school was very welcoming, told me when to have her there, what to bring (snack, sweater, pencils, etc.). Her experience was so good, she decided to take some APs there - previously she hadn't planned on doing APs. The French teacher spent several hours with her, showing her how to use the equipment, etc. prior to the French AP exam. I can't say enough good things about our local ps.

[regentrude]

DD has taken it at the local public high school. Not a problem, they were very nice about it.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Is now the time I should contact them about it? And who do I contact?

[HRAAB]

The only time I had a problem was waiting too late, and our public school told me they didn't have a seat for her. My girls had tested at this school before. That year I found a seat for her at an alternative school; apparently they do not have a large number of students taking the PSAT. There is also a homeschooling mom that arranges for homeschoolers to take the PSAT at a private school. That is actually easier - less for me to do and not nearly so crowded - so I'm using that option now.

[Gwen in VA]

We have always done it at various local private schools.

 

We have to deal with the public schools for AP exams (often the private school don't offer the AP exams my kids want), and our public school system has NOT been welcoming. It takes 5-10 phone calls and another 5-10 emails to generate ONE response from the guidance counselor. (All right, there is a bit of exaggeration there, but unfortunately not much!)

[Brenda in MA]

Is now the time I should contact them about it? And who do I contact?

 

I would suggest that you call the guidance office of your local high school and tell them you have a student who needs to take the PSAT this fall. Ask them who to speak with to arrange for it and when you need to come in and pay the fee.

 

If the guidance office secretary doesn't know, then hopefully, he/she will be able to direct you to the correct person. I'd suggest calling now, before school is out, since you will have a better chance of reaching someone.

 

HTH,

Brenda

[Pegasus]

Thanks, everyone. I guess I'll start calling and e-mailing tomorrow. I'd like to get a location nailed down before school lets out for the summer. Good to see that most have had luck with the public schools. I'd even be willing to pay a fee to have DD take the exam at a private testing center, if that were an option.

 

Pegasus

[creekland]

Mine also have taken it at our local public school (where I work). Our school is super friendly to homeschoolers and will walk them to the room where they are taking the test as well as providing them with the homeschool code. When a mom was late picking up a student, the student could use the computers in the guidance office to do some college searching.

 

AP tests have had to be taken at the Catholic High School in the next town over - and my guy was the only homeschooler to take APs there (ever). Our school doesn't offer AP... We had a great experience with the Catholic school with the GC there even spending time asking my guy about colleges he was looking at - and suggesting a few to consider.

[Laura in CA]

I should add that I do my part -- I'm courteous when I call; I let them know if our plans change and my student *won't* be coming (as someone posted in another thread, if a homeschooler doesn't show up (this was for APs) but doesn't let them know, it reflects badly on *all* homeschoolers, as well as reducing the amount of good will they feel towards homeschoolers ...).

 

I also offer to help out with snacks, a donation, volunteering, whatever they need ... I have checked students in for the PSAT in past years -- they check everyone's ID, not just homeschoolers, and it's fun to see kids I remember from, say, Little League, all grown up now and taking the PSAT (yes, we live in a small town!) (although if a kid who goes to that school has forgotten his ID, they just make sure one of the proctors recognizes him, whereas for a homeschooler that probably wouldn't work!).

 

As people have said -- I'd call now, and ask the person who answers the phone who coordinates the PSAT in the fall (at our school it's a guidance counselor or someone from the career center). When you talk/email with the actual coordinator, she will be able to tell you what to do next. Ours said to come back in early September to fill out the paperwork and arrange for payment.

[creekland]

Our school also takes sign ups in the fall - generally after Labor Day. However, if you are new to the school and don't know their policies, I'd call now and ask what those are. You don't want to be surprised in the fall.

[SkateLeft]

My daughter took it at our local PS, but they did not make it easy.

 

As per the advice usually given here, I contacted our district in September after school had started. They told me to contact the local high school guidance department, who gave me the run around for WEEKS ("Registration is in October. Registration is some time this month. We don't know yet. Registration will be in the next few weeks."), until someone finally responded to an email with, "Registration is today and tomorrow in the guidance office." :banghead:

 

The guidance department at our local high school, one of the top rated public schools in the country, employees 18 full-time staff members. When we got there, the office was a disorganized mess and people were just standing around chatting, ignoring us until I politely interrupted to ask about the PSAT sign up. (My tax dollars at work!) It was a handwritten sheet on a clipboard where I put our contact info. Then I gave them ten dollars and received a handwritten receipt that I was told was her ticket into the exam.

 

I was not impressed, and I'm not looking forward to doing it again for #2!

[Candid]

We've been fortunate to have a local private school be open and welcoming. I would also call other private schools in the area to see what you can find out.

[creekland]

It was a handwritten sheet on a clipboard where I put our contact info. Then I gave them ten dollars and received a handwritten receipt that I was told was her ticket into the exam.

 

This part is common with our school. The PSAT reg is not online as other tests are. The school orders numbers of tests and tries to match the number with the number of students so the costs work out. At our school kids get a receipt when they pay and that is their admission ticket also - just to avoid any potential mishap. As proctors, we get a list of students in our room, so it's not totally disorganized. It's just not as online and books don't come pre-printed with names, etc.

 

Our school has an excellent testing coordinator, so you wouldn't have gotten the run around with signups and signups here are longer than two days. That seems strange, but there are all types of schools out there.

[G5052]

No problem here. The high school mine would attend also hosts the PSAT for several small private schools that don't do it themselves. They put the homeschooled students in with the private school students, and they have their own room and proctor separate from the regular high school students. There were about 30 in the room last fall, and mine always know at least 1-2 others being tested, which helps.

 

When I submit my paperwork for homeschooling the next year, they always include testing information in the return letter, and also publish all of the testing deadlines in the local paper. You have to go in person to sign up, but they had everything organized.

 

I'm not a fan of the academics at the local high school, but they have their act together when it comes to testing homeschooled students.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

A local private high school just turned us down. I was hoping to avoid the giant public high schools but I guess that is where we try next. Do the public schools have to let DD take the PSAT there? I'm wondering what to do if they say no. Sheesh. The ACT was easy: registered online and had DD show up at the community college.

 

 

My kids have taken both the SAT and the PSAT at a giant public high school. It was incredibly smooth. I wouldn't dismiss the local high school just because it's big. And they are likely to also take the SAT there when it really counts, so it helps to demystify the environment.

 

The SAT is just as easy as the ACT is. And because locations vary by test date, there are usually a lot of students who don't attend the test location. So it's not like the homeschooler is the only kid who doesn't know where they are going.

 

I would contact the school at the end of May to find their schedule for registration. Around here it is in early September with payment due upon registration. Do find out if there are any special school rules. Mine were chided for a) wearing a hat and B) bringing a water bottle (even though their instructions said to bring one) .

[Jean in Newcastle]

I called the local p.s. today - they sent me to voice mail. I haven't heard back yet.

[Grantmom]

When is the best age for them to take the PSAT? Do the scores count in any way, or stay on the child's record in any way? I think it would be great for my kids to take it as practice, especially being in an unfamiliar place for the first time, and just not having the test-taking experience, it seems like it would be good practice for the SAT. But, how well do we need to prepare? Can it be something that we just try and see how they do? Or do these scores count in some way?

[creekland]

When is the best age for them to take the PSAT? Do the scores count in any way, or stay on the child's record in any way? I think it would be great for my kids to take it as practice, especially being in an unfamiliar place for the first time, and just not having the test-taking experience, it seems like it would be good practice for the SAT. But, how well do we need to prepare? Can it be something that we just try and see how they do? Or do these scores count in some way?

 

Generally kids take it in 10th grade for practice and 11th grade for "real." Some on here start their kids in 9th grade, but we don't have kids at our school take it that early. (That doesn't mean you couldn't or shouldn't - pending what you like.) In general, kids should have completed Alg 1 and Geom in math - and I'd venture to add Alg 2 as some of the math questions on there lately have been more advanced. If taking it for practice before those courses are completed, make sure the student knows their math score will be lower and they don't get discouraged.

 

The test is offered on one day (choose Wed or Sat, but not both) in Oct and results come back in Dec. You will get a score that shows where your student is percentage-wise among all other test takers that year in Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. Add a 0 on to the end of the score and that would be the predicted SAT.

 

No practice scores count or stay on a student's record. For the tippy top few (less than 1%) in each state junior year, there will be positive outcomes. They'll make it to National Merit Semi-Finalist and compete for scholarships. Some colleges also offer scholarships (including full rides) to students in that range, but not all colleges do. It varies. The score needed to qualify in each state also varies.

 

For all the rest, it's merely a "Practice" SAT and quite useful to know where your student stands and what they might want to brush up on before the SAT.

 

There is also a PLAN test associated with the ACT. It's offered more times throughout the year, but you still have to find a school offering it. It's not yet as common as the SAT (around here). My youngest has done both and both accurately predicted his later ACT and SAT scores.