dbmamaz Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I am not sure if i should make my son take the PSAT or not. He is in 11th grade, so obviously we dropped the ball last year. here's the thing - he's 2E, and while he tested well in grade school, that declined over time. There is no way I think he could handle a 4-year college when he is 18. He simply does not have the maturity. I am thinking of having him take 1 community college class per semester next year in his senior year, and then get some sort of 2-year degree to prepare him for tech support work, which we agree is a good fit for him, until he matures enough to really take responsibility for his own life So, if he is going straight in to community college, I thought they did not care about SATs (although i am starting to wonder if that is not true for homeschoolers? something I read?). So pros and cons of taking the PSAT and SAT? In this situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Our homeschool co-op director explained it this way: the SAT gets you IN to College, and the PSAT helps you PAY for it. Merit scholarships are given for high PSAT scores. Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 Right, but if I dont think he will qualify for the National Merit, and he is not going to a 4-year college, and community colleges dont require SAT scores, and if he transfers to a 4-year college after earning a 2-year degree, THEY wont require SAT score ... is there any good reason to take it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 also, merit scholarships arent 'given' because of your score, they still have to be sponsered by someone. I was a national merit semi-finalist and still did not get any scholarships - i think my fathers company didnt sponsor it . . . it has to be sponsored by someone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 If anything, the SAT or ACT scores help skip the college placement test at the community college. Which is nice. It also helps you get an idea of verifying the "mommy grades" on the transcript. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Our cc requires SAT or ACT scores (not PSAT) to qualify to take classes if younger than 18. If older than 18 it isn't required - just a placement test. The PSAT could be useful for an inexpensive practice test if you decide you need an SAT or ACT for early admission, otherwise, I can understand your skipping it with your plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Oldest dd was NOT National Merit material... Middle dd does not test well... Both dd's started at CC-- they took the CC placement test and did better on that than the SAT/ACT. Oldest graduated from college with honors-- middle is a Jr in college and is an honors student. Test scores are NOT a good judge of potential-- they are must a 'hoop' to jump through. Unless there is a chance that your dc is in the top percent of their class I say skip the PSAT... If your child will start at CC and could potentially transfer to a 4-year or go on to graduate school then I suggest taking the ACT/SAT because some grad programs require it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 The reasons to go ahead and take it, it is fairly low cost with a low time commitment. It is possible that you'll want an SAT score next year and having taken the PSAT could be part of that process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 The reasons to go ahead and take it, it is fairly low cost with a low time commitment. It is possible that you'll want an SAT score next year and having taken the PSAT could be part of that process. Yeah, this is a big reason I keep considering it. even tho i'm SURE that he is not mature enough for university, and dh wont want to pay for it . .. you never know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 My suggestion would be to check now with the admissions department of your local community college. Community colleges vary widely in what they require. Some do require ACT or SAT scores. Others give students a placement test, such as the COMPASS, at the time of enrollment. That's usually a test on the computer and it is available on campus. This is used to determine appropriate placement and to figure out if the student needs remedial coursework. Also, some community colleges have different requirements for dual enrollment students than they do regular admissions students. So, for example, they might require students who haven't graduated from high school to have a certain level of ACT or SAT scores. If he's stressed about testing and you don't anticipate he's ready, it would certainly be an option to skip the PSAT. I do think your plan to start with a single community college class and build from that is a good plan. Some kids really benefit from having more gentle transitions with time to build their skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 my daughter was dual enrolled public school and they only required the COMPASS. she took the SAT while she was in the community college and did not do particularly well, but transferred to a local university which did not require any additional tests i believe. i'll check with her. but i keep thinking its a what-if thats worth doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 the SAT or ACT scores help skip the college placement test at the community college. Just an FYI: this is NOT true across the board. Here at our Community College, EVERYONE has to take the placement test upon applying for entry, no matter how young or old, and regardless of ANY other test scores. The placement scores allow the CC to know what level of THEIR Math and English classes you are capable of handling. Fortunately, you only have to do it once, as the placement scores stay with your CC records. BEST of luck to all in your CC or university adventures! Warmly, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) I only see all "pros" and no "cons" here to the idea of testing... While it is true that most CCs don't require PSAT and SAT scores, it's NEVER a bad thing to get experience and practice in taking standardized tests. In addition to learning how to transfer your answer from the booklet to the right bubble in the right column, it also is good practice for learning how to deal positively with potential stress/anxiety about testing or formal procedures of many kinds and in many settings. It's never a bad thing to learn the "tips" of how to read those tests and understand what they are looking for. Even CCs use online tests, and standardized tests for some courses, so it would be GOOD to learn how to take the very formalized tests. (For example: learning how to read the test questions and understand WHAT they are looking for is an extremely valuable skill that transfers to CC or university class tests.) Also, this will help you see if DS will need any special accommodations for future CC classes and their tests. You must get the diagnoses and start your "paper trail" of a special need BEFORE high school graduation in order to be eligible for the FREE helps (tutoring, classroom note-taker, testing accommodations, etc.) that the CC or colleges offer. Another pro: the PSAT is a pretty painless, short, inexpensive way to practice testing. The PSAT is shorter than the SAT or ACT test by 1-2 hours, and it is not very expense (approx. $15 for PSAT; $50 for SAT or ACT). Another thought: sometimes these tests can be a helpful outside "kick in the pants" to a student to realize they may have been "skating" at home instead of really giving mom their all. ;) After getting scores back and seeing a lower than desired score, some students suddenly develop some motivation about their education... And finally, what if your DS really matures in the next 2 years, or develops a plan and vision by the end of his senior year or in the first year or two after graduating that DOES involve future university classes? If you go ahead now and do the testing, then he'd have the formal test scores in his back pocket "just in case". We have a saying at our house: "Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it." I suggest going with the PSAT this year for practice (about 2.5 hours long), and the ACT next year. You can opt out of the essay portion of the ACT, which also makes it a shorter test (about 3-3.5 hours long) to take than the SAT (about 4.5 hours long). Also, the ACT is more content-driven, while the SAT is more math-logic driven, so often, students do better on one type of test than the other. The PSAT is very much like a shortened version of the SAT, so taking it first will give you a good idea of how your DS might do on the SAT. I really don't see any "cons" to this, other than the cost. And even then, if you are totally broke, you can show financial hardship need and the public school you take the PSAT at may waive the fee. All just my 2 cents worth, so take it or leave it, whatever works best for YOUR family. Neither of our DSs were of National Merit scholarship level, and the younger one has mild LDs that make testing hard for him. All the better to learn how to do it; life is not going to accommodate him the way mom does. ;) And he did fine; he scored solidly right at average on the PSAT in 11th grade, and SAT and ACT in 12th grade. He even survived the essay of the SAT, with writing being one of his LD weak areas. Older DS surprised us and did well enough to earn a partial merit scholarship to the CC for his freshman year! BEST of luck, whatever you decide! Warmest regards, Lori D. Edited September 24, 2012 by Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 It is a very individual decision. It doesn't apply to most students, but for some students with test anxiety, putting them in situations they aren't ready for can feed that test anxiety and make it worse. It can be sort of like throwing a kid who can't swim into the deep end of the pool and figuring it'll make them realize they need to learn to swim. Long term, yes they do need to learn to swim, but too much before they are ready can be counterproductive. As I said though, I see that as a really a case by case decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Wow, Lori D, that was some awesome thoughts - very helpful! My son was in public school through 7th grade and took standardized tests annually and generally did well on them. I'm not so sure he'd do any better on 'content' tests, as i take a relaxed approach to some extent. He might be a bit behind in math . . . idk, i remember the SAT math test covering stuff i'd done years before . . . but he is not where i was in math. yeah, overall, i'm leaning towards. the cons are . . . time, money (no, we are no where near that broke), and possible dissapointment. Honestly that might be my biggest concern . . . the SATs were my crowning glory of achievement. I am afraid i judge my kids too harshly on them. I need to really prep myself to not expect them to score like I did and not take it personally . . . just like the CAT tests we take every year, just use it for what its useful for. thanks everyone for your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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