Jump to content

Menu

PSAT jitters


StephanieZ
 Share

Recommended Posts

I don't know about my teens who are taking it tomorrow, but *I* am so jittery!! I've tried to exude calm and relaxation, but I don't think I am faking it all that well. 

 

I was nervous when dd16 took her first SAT in June, but this is *the* test for her, and I am in a blind panic. :) She's a smart cookie, and won't be eligible for need-based aid for college, but we can't swing 50-60k/yr either, so a very high PSAT (within reach based on her SAT score) would open many doors for her with guaranteed merit aid. I hate that the PSAT is a ONE time only deal! A bad morning that ONE day, and, well, that's it for NMS! 

 

The kids are well fed, in bed early, and well rested for the past couple nights. Prep work was done . . . Calculators -- main ones fully charged PLUS backup simple ones in case of calculator malfunction, 3 pencils, IDs, SSNs, homeschool PSAT code, their home addresses (OK, I am getting ridiculous, but I was afraid they wouldn't remember them!) . . . all at the ready.

 

Healthy breakfast and energizing hour planned in the morning. 

 

I will be so relieved around noon tomorrow when this is over! 

 

Anyone else got the jitters about the PSAT?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't the PSAT first? This all sounds overwhelming and scary!

 

LOL, yes, the PSAT is designed to be first.

 

However, since the Junior year PSAT is the one and only critical qualifier for National Merit Scholarships . . . We had dd16 prep for the PSAT by studying for and taking the SAT in spring of Sophomore year . . . She scored high enough on that to have easily made Nat'l Merit in our state, which was great news *IF* she doesn't have a terrible day tomorrow. So, the pressure is ON! If your kid has potential to be near the NM cutoff (top 1% in each state -- IIRC around 2040 - 2290 in SAT terms or 204-229 in PSAT terms -- depending on how smart/stupid your populace is, lol), then you generally will want to prep as much as possible prior to PSAT given the high stakes and one shot at qualifying for NM, and taking the SAT is one way to do that. Since the PSAT itself is only offered once a year in October, and is somewhat of a hassle to sign up for for homschoolers, the SAT is easy to register for and is offered many times a year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ds is taking it "cold", no prep, but he has time on his side as he will get more chances. So I want to see what we really need to work on for the coming years. He doesn't test particularly well, hence all the test taking chances, and we live in an area with super wicked high cut offs for NMS so that isn't a factor. Probably not a factor anyway, but here- no freaking way!

 

So no nerves for me at least- I haven't asked him!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know what's funny? I wasn't nervous at all when I took it 30 plus years ago. None of us studied for it back then either. But then I don't remember knowing that it was tied to scholarships. Or maybe so many years ago it wasn't tied to them?

It was tied to scholarships then. I think it always has been. I took it in 1981.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, my unmotivated ds who was only a few points off when he took it for practice last year and doesn't care a bit has refused to study for it at all.  He knows what it means - his older brother is at college on a full scholarship as a result of his scores.  At least he has agreed to take it at all?  And at least he is planning to get to bed relatively early?  Silver linings, right.  Don't know that it'll matter much...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe you can help me understand somethings.  I know the Junior Year PSAT is the eligibility test for the National Merit Scholarship.  But I thought that the scholarship was really just a $1000 scholarship that is given by some schools to NM scholars.  Are you talking about merit aid that is given by school just to attract NM scholars to their campuses?  I understand that many, many schools would love to have NM scholars on campus to raise their own prestige.  Or is there actual more merit aid attached to the NM scholarship than I realized.

 

(Please be patient - just starting to wade into the morass of collage admission issues!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some colleges tie major scholarships, even full tuition or full ride scholarships, to National Merit. The initial qualification for National Merit is the PSAT. So, for some students it will be a very important test.  I have an article on my website that explains the National Merit process and gives examples of some of the big scholarships tied to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe you can help me understand somethings.  I know the Junior Year PSAT is the eligibility test for the National Merit Scholarship.  But I thought that the scholarship was really just a $1000 scholarship that is given by some schools to NM scholars.  Are you talking about merit aid that is given by school just to attract NM scholars to their campuses?  I understand that many, many schools would love to have NM scholars on campus to raise their own prestige.  Or is there actual more merit aid attached to the NM scholarship than I realized.

 

(Please be patient - just starting to wade into the morass of collage admission issues!)

 

Yup, I am talking about the big scholarships many schools offer to recruit NM finalists. There are many schools who offer full ride (tuition, fees, housing, plus more) to NMF and many others who at least give full tuition. For us, we can swing a good bit, just not 50-60k, so anything full tuition and better would make a school totally affordable for us. 

 

Now, the most elite schools don't offer merit aid at all, and they get plenty of NM scholars. But, if your kid can go to Yale or Stanford for 60k a year or to some big nice state school with a fabulous honors program, for $0 (and so plenty of parental money for overseas trips, subsidized internships, etc) . . . well, I don't think I need to be an economics prof to know that it makes more sense to save that 200k+ and help out with grad school instead of going into debt up to our eyeballs for a fancy name school. Other schools that are fairly high up in the ranking may offer substantial aid as well, even if not complete full rides -- so, for us, any big aid would make the difference between no-way-on-earth-60k/yr and maybe-can-squeeze-it-out-30k/yr.

 

Our local uni offers NMF complete full rides, plus TWO overseas trips (one shorter, one full semester), plus cash . . . Local star students can actually graduate undergrad with cash in the bank if they live at home (and get to bank the housing allowance!) . . . 

 

So, anyway, NMF is huge if you need merit aid to make schools possible. If you can handle your "expected family contribution" on the various college money calculators, it's not a huge big deal I suppose, as need based aid could open a lot of doors. But, for those who simply can't provide their full EFC, NM money opens many doors.

 

FWIW, when I was a NM scholar in the late 80s, it got me a full ride to an out of state big state uni. -- not need based, just on merit -- so I know these big scholarships have been around for a long time, but I had NO idea what a big deal they were back then. Maybe that was because college costs were saner then, so my family could handle their EFC and so didn't make a huge deal about getting merit aid. But, for us, now, the merit aid will be huge in opening doors for any of our dc who can get it.

 

If you go on the collegeconfidential forums and look at the National Merit subforum, you can check long lists of great guaranteed scholarships for NMF and even for NMSF.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info!  Trying to understand while living abroad is a bit tricky.  There are actually a few private collage admissions counselors that work in India for private families.  We have met with one who was very helpful.  However, I do find that I have gaps in my personal knowledge that I need to start filling.  We absolutely would want our kids to go back to the US for their undergrad experiences - I think there is nothing like it in the world.

 

Best of luck tomorrow!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some colleges tie major scholarships, even full tuition or full ride scholarships, to National Merit. The initial qualification for National Merit is the PSAT. So, for some students it will be a very important test.  I have an article on my website that explains the National Merit process and gives examples of some of the big scholarships tied to it.

 

Your site is great!  I'll be reading through all the articles! Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dd is nervous and said she kept waking up all night. She did a test prep book over the last couple of weeks and realizes she is not retaining math very well. She's never been a strong math student. She can do a math program and perform well for the tests over each chapter, but she doesn't think mathematically. She is my literature, history, creative, deep-thinking child. I am hoping the ACT might be a better test for her because math is a smaller portion of it.  She really wants to go to a Christian college and knows she'll need a lot of scholarships to be able to afford it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, my unmotivated ds who was only a few points off when he took it for practice last year and doesn't care a bit has refused to study for it at all.  He knows what it means - his older brother is at college on a full scholarship as a result of his scores.  At least he has agreed to take it at all?  And at least he is planning to get to bed relatively early?  Silver linings, right.  Don't know that it'll matter much...

 

This is my oldest.  He took it sophomore year without studying and scored one point away from NMF for that year.  I was SO excited thinking that if he studied, NMF was within reach.  He did NOT study and did WORSE!  I thought he'd see that as a wake up call to study for the SAT or ACT.  He chose not to.  He did fine and will get into a great college.  But, he could have ROCKED those tests with a little prep work.  Grrrrr.   At least my second is totally different and has been studying for the PSAT (he takes it Saturday) all summer long!

 

I was momentarily freaked out by this thread because my kids are taking it Saturday, and I was thinking, wait---- did I get the day wrong? 

 

Good luck, everyone!

I did the same thing!!!!  Good luck to your kids!  My son takes it Saturday also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dropped my son off at the public school a little while ago, and even though this is just a practice year, I'm still nervous! I don't know if it is because I am empathizing with him being in a place he is not familiar with or if it is just the test itself. I'm just ready for him to be done. He didn't want to prep much, but I did the best I could with his attitude. He couldn't understand why he had to practice for a practice test and his heart just wasn't in it. Hopefully he'll get more serious in the testing environment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter is taking the PSAT this morning for practice. She was calm this morning but knows it doesn't count this year.  That makes a huge difference.  If she can improve her math scores over this next year, she stands a decent chance of making the cutoff.  Since we live in Texas, the cutoff is about 216 or 217.  Next year if she makes it, wonderful, but I refuse to put too much pressure on her.  It's not worth the stress. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ds is taking it "cold", no prep, but he has time on his side as he will get more chances. So I want to see what we really need to work on for the coming years. He doesn't test particularly well, hence all the test taking chances, and we live in an area with super wicked high cut offs for NMS so that isn't a factor. Probably not a factor anyway, but here- no freaking way!

 

So no nerves for me at least- I haven't asked him!

 

Same thing here.  I did have ds do a practice test on Monday just so he would know what to expect but other then that zero prep. 

 

No matter how much I told him I am only having him take the test for the experience and so that we know what to work on for next year and that this test is not deciding his life course and that I have no expectations for performance he was a bundle of nerves this morning.

 

One lesson learned before he even took the test-must learn how to use graphic calculator. Mean mommie never lets him use one because I feel you have to know what you are doing so you know if you enter it correctly into the calculator.

 

I showed him how much I love him by making him a hot breakfast this morning.  Eggs and hashbrowns.  I have not cooked breakfast for my kids since I taught them how to make it themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All went well at our school (at least in my room).  The kids were very "business-like."  Some finished sections, other didn't.  That's typical.

 

I'm hoping all the WTM kids did well!

 

And once it's done, the LOONNGG wait begins to get scores...

Ds is still taking his.  

 

So - when do we get scores?  I haven't looked that up yet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find qualifying scores on the college confidential site:

 

From 2012:

 

<All states updated>
AL=211 (post #872 +2)
AK=212 (posts #1115/1134 +8)
AZ=214 (post #798, per HS Admin +2)
AR=205 (per post #1041 +3
CA=223 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
CO=215 (tweet from CO principal +3
CT=221 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
DE=218 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
DC=224 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
FL=214 (post #786, per GC +3)
GA=217 (post #943, per HSCC +3)
HI=215 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
ID=211 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
IL=216 (post #929, per GC +3
IN=215 (posts #952 & 968 +4)
IA=210 (post #783, per GC +3)
KS=216 (post #699, per principal +4)
KY=211 (post #795 +3)
LA=209 (post #891 per GC Unchanged)
ME=215 (posts #1115/1134 +5)
MD=223 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
MA=224 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
MI=210 (post #1012, +3)
MN=215 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
MS=207 (post #949, per GC +3)
MO=213 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
MT=207 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
NE=209 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
NV=212 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
NH=214 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
NJ=224 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
NM=210 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
NY=219 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
NC=215 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
ND=204 (per post #966 +4)
OH=215 (per post #696 +3)
OK=210 (per posts #689 & #698 +4)
OR=218 (posts #1115/1134 +5
PA=217 (per posts #706 & #856 +3)
RI=216 (posts #1115/1134 +5)
SC=210 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
SD=206 (posts #1115/1134 +2)
TN=212 (post #917, per GC +2)
TX=219 (per post #793 +3)
UT=208 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
VT=217 (per post #1032 +3)
VA=222 (posts #1115/1134 +5)
WA=220 (posts #1115/1134 +4)
WV=203 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
WI=210 (posts #1115/1134 +3)
WY=203 (posts #1115/1134 +3)

 

That is from Post #1196 on this thread: 

 

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1427971-class-2014-nmsf-qualifying-scores-80.html

 

That site is a treasure trove of info!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm when I was in highschool, not too long ago, the PSAT meant nothing to your future. It was literally only meant to give you an idea of where you stand in terms of taking the SATs and help you figure out your weak spots.

I graduated in 1984. My PSAT score meant I became a National Merit Finalist. I won an institutional NMF scholarship from my private college that was equivalent to half-tuition. I say it meant a huge deal to my future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just got back from "Thank goodness it is over" lunch with ds.  He said he felt confident about the writing/critical thinking but bombed the math section.  I reminded him that we knew going in that there would be a lot he didn't know in the math section because he is repeating algebra this year due to it not sticking at all.  So no surprise there.  We already knew that as an area to work on this year.  I am now going to put it out of my mind until December.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter just got home.  She was disappointed at how poorly organized they were (not enough places to sit, much less room to take the tests).  It took over an hour to find enough places for everyone.   :cursing:  :cursing:  :cursing:   I saw the numbered list when I paid.  It doesn't seem like a difficult thing to look at the number and think, "Hmmm!  Will this room be large enough for everyone?"

 

Anyway, despite the delay, DD thinks she did well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine said it went very well.  They took the cell phones and watches away to another room, and that was a little unnerving, but no problems otherwise.  This year they put all of the juniors together regardless of whether they go to that school or are homeschooled.  DC said that they thought there were about twelve from that school and another six homeschooled kids.

 

Last year's score was very promising, and I'm hopeful but good either way.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You'll get the scores back in December. You'll get a letter in April if they made the group of Commended + Semifinalists, but won't know if they made the Semifinalist list until the cutoffs are announced in September of next year. Cutoff scores change from  year to year and are also different from state to state.

 

Class of 2013 Cutoff Scores

Alabama 209
Alaska 204
Arizona 212
Arkansas 202
California 220
Colorado 212
Connecticut 218
Delaware 215
District of Columbia 221
Florida 211
Georgia 214
Hawaii 211
Idaho 207
Illinois 213
Indiana 211
Iowa 207
Kansas 212
Kentucky 208
Louisiana 209
Maine 210
Maryland 219
Massachusetts 220
Michigan 207
Minnesota 213
Mississippi 204
Missouri 210
Montana 210
Nebraska 207
Nevada 208
New Hampshire 211
New Jersey 221
New Mexico 208
New York 215
North Carolina 213
North Dakota 200
Ohio 212
Oklahoma 206
Oregon 213
Pennsylvania 214
Rhode Island 211
South Carolina 208
South Dakota 204
Tennessee 210
Texas 216
Utah 205
Vermont 214
Virginia 217
Washington 216
West Virginia 200
Wisconsin 207
Wyoming 200
International 221

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm when I was in highschool, not too long ago, the PSAT meant nothing to your future.  It was literally only meant to give you an idea of where you stand in terms of taking the SATs and help you figure out your weak spots.

 

See, this is what I was thinking! I had no college guidance in high school and was the first one in my family to attend college. I honestly can't remember if I took the PSAT.

 

My dd is taking it today but she's a sophomore so I guess it's just considered "practice".

Thanks for the eye-opening thread!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was nervous when dd16 took her first SAT in June, but this is *the* test for her, and I am in a blind panic. :) She's a smart cookie, and won't be eligible for need-based aid for college, but we can't swing 50-60k/yr either, so a very high PSAT (within reach based on her SAT score) would open many doors for her with guaranteed merit aid. I hate that the PSAT is a ONE time only deal! A bad morning that ONE day, and, well, that's it for NMS! 

 

 

Yes, it was tough for me too. Mine is so very capable, but without the merit aid, we're going to have to go with local choices. Thankfully that isn't all bad, but it sets up limitations that I wish weren't there.

 

I was at an event Sunday that made me very depressed that way.  Mostly high-achieving teens and their families, but mostly families who aren't dependent on merit aid.  So when they asked what we're planning, I had to say, "Oh, we're still weighing our options."  That even though I know that the options are very limited, just "A" or "B" without merit aid.

 

These things usually work out though.  I was on a full tuition NM scholarship at a private school and lost parental financial support because of family issues and decided to change my major to one not offered there. I could not have afforded the room/board on my own, and I needed to go elsewhere anyway. So I transferred to a state school, and put myself through three more years of college with scholarships and work.  And it worked out fine in the end. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm when I was in highschool, not too long ago, the PSAT meant nothing to your future.  It was literally only meant to give you an idea of where you stand in terms of taking the SATs and help you figure out your weak spots.

 

The National Merit Scholarship (which is tied to the PSAT) started in 1955. Maybe you just weren't fully aware of the reason for the test?

 

Maybe you can help me understand somethings.  I know the Junior Year PSAT is the eligibility test for the National Merit Scholarship.  But I thought that the scholarship was really just a $1000 scholarship that is given by some schools to NM scholars.  Are you talking about merit aid that is given by school just to attract NM scholars to their campuses?  I understand that many, many schools would love to have NM scholars on campus to raise their own prestige.  Or is there actual more merit aid attached to the NM scholarship than I realized.

 

(Please be patient - just starting to wade into the morass of collage admission issues!)

My (homeschooled) cousin was a National Merit Scholar. She attended a large state university. She received (as merit aid from the university) full tuition, books, room and board, a computer, an overseas trip and more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...