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My ds is taking the PSAT at the local public school next week. 

How does he get his scores? Do we still use a homeschool code (I remember some discussion of this in the past?). He set up a College Board account to register for the November SAT. Does he access his scores via that account?  I'm wondering if he has to do something to link that up?

I feel like these are stupid questions and by now I should know these things but we have not done the PSAT/SAT and have just stuck with the ACT for older boys. I'm worried about getting our scores and not somehow having them hung up at the school. (Actually our umbrella school says to use their code but I'm always rebellious when it comes to our umbrella school...why do they need his scores? It doesn't have anything to do with them...they are ds scores and they don't need to go on a transcript or anything.)

I have never heard of a homeschooler here taking the PSAT so I don't have anyone IRL to ask 🙂

Edited by teachermom2834
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55 minutes ago, 2_girls_mommy said:

Our scores came in the mail, plus we could see online. 

 

Yes, you need the homeschool code for that to happen. Just call to get it. 

Not OP, but do we call College Board to get that?  Looking at the practice test answer sheet for 2018-2019, it has a place to fill in school (to put school name and address), school code, and student ID number.  What do we put for those?!?!?  It does have a place to put that we homeschool under testing location.

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They changed this a few years ago. I'll see if I can find the book with instructions but I think the kids will bubble in next to "I'm homeschooled" with no code needed!! The results will sync up with their college board accounts if they have them.

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Ok, looks like pg 56 of the Coordinators Manual (warning: goes to a PDF) explains how the homeschool part works when filling out the sheet. They might not have to do anything because the regular kids have to enter a code/info there. Homeschoolers leave some sections blank per instructions.

The account scores will be available ahead of the ones that come through snailmail.

It is important that juniors know how to fill out the info so they are eligible for the NMSC scholarship program. I remember one kid filling in a bubble because they didn't understand the question & that made them ineligible even though they actually were eligible. So, use a sample test form & the Coordinators Manual to review the info.

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40 minutes ago, RootAnn said:

Ok, looks like pg 56 of the Coordinators Manual (warning: goes to a PDF) explains how the homeschool part works when filling out the sheet. They might not have to do anything because the regular kids have to enter a code/info there. Homeschoolers leave some sections blank per instructions.

The account scores will be available ahead of the ones that come through snailmail.

It is important that juniors know how to fill out the info so they are eligible for the NMSC scholarship program. I remember one kid filling in a bubble because they didn't understand the question & that made them ineligible even though they actually were eligible. So, use a sample test form & the Coordinators Manual to review the info.

Oh thanks! Good info.  I don’t know why I didn’t think to even look at a sample form to see what questions might trip him up.

So if he has a College board account we don’t need to take any action to sync it up when he takes the PSAT? The College Board will make that happen? Why do I not trust anything to go smoothly? 

Oh how I wish we could just sign up for this like the SAT and ACT and not have to jump through all the hoops and deal with the schools. Grr.  

 

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@teachermom2834 Should sync up just fine unless the name & other info don't match. I have heard of that happening, but usually when a birthdate is messed up or the kid bubbles something wrong.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I do not suggest signing up for the student search service or giving them a cell #. The email address my kid used was just made for PSAT/SAT/ college stuff. Some people will say the student search service is great & full of gems. My DD received no benefit from all the emails & snail-mail that came from it. Just a lot of marketing.

I take that back. She got a few good laughs off an email or snailmail, discussed with us how not to fall for the slick marketing, and learned how to quickly skim for emails which might be important among a lot of junk. But IMO not worth giving your info to the CB to sell.

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@RootAnn- yes, I reminded him to use his throwaway email. He had one with a silly name he used when he was younger and he still uses it when spam is likely and he opted out of the search. I agree with you that those are not useful college contacts. However, he had entered my phone number and I just went and deleted that. I do not want texts and phone calls. We've always opted out of those but still had enough of that mail to roll our eyes at. Like my very average student who was relentlessly receiving snail mail and email from U of Chicago. LOL.

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On 10/10/2019 at 2:26 PM, RootAnn said:

Ok, looks like pg 56 of the Coordinators Manual (warning: goes to a PDF) explains how the homeschool part works when filling out the sheet. They might not have to do anything because the regular kids have to enter a code/info there. Homeschoolers leave some sections blank per instructions.

The account scores will be available ahead of the ones that come through snailmail.

It is important that juniors know how to fill out the info so they are eligible for the NMSC scholarship program. I remember one kid filling in a bubble because they didn't understand the question & that made them ineligible even though they actually were eligible. So, use a sample test form & the Coordinators Manual to review the info.

That might have been mine. Can't remember if I posted it here or not. But she misread when it asked if she was in highschool, thinking it meant in a high school and put no ( even though it went on to say public, private, or homeschooled, lol.) which made her ineligible for NM. But when I got the results I read it and contacted them, and it was easily corrected. So it wasn't a big deal. 

 

Edited by 2_girls_mommy
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No, there is NO homeschool code for the PSAT now. (Yes, there still are homeschool codes for the SAT = 970000 and the ACT = 969999)

When filling out the student information, before actually starting the test, he will come to the question that says:
"Are you taking this test at the school you regularly attend?"

In response, he fills in the bubble next to the response that says:
""No, I am homeschooled."

Also, be sure to advise him to NOT provide his social security #. That is optional for ALL students. No point in putting critical identity info out there for someone to steal if it is not required. 😉 

ETA -- PS

Below is a copy-paste list from the College Board's Test Day info of what to bring. One item that is fairly new to all of the tests is a gov't issued photo ID -- driver's license or learner's permit will work, if your student has one. Otherwise, you might consider getting a DMV-issued photo ID -- n any of those cases, you may need to get an original copy of the student's birth certificate (a photo copy is not valid) -- if you don't already have an original copy, then follow the links and steps from this US Gov't website. OR... you'll need to provide College Board's alternate ID, which is a NOTARIZED Student ID form -- so, give yourself time this week to take a photo of the student that meets the requirements, print it (sized to fit the form), and take the form to get it notarized.

What to Bring on Test Day

Edited by Lori D.
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Okay, based on p. 56 of RootAnn's linked Coordinator Manual, that will be question 4, and homeschool students leave it BLANK:

Completing Initial Answer Sheet Information
... For field 4, provide the school (AI) codes for students from other schools (a list should be in your materials from the test coordinator). Also provide school addresses to these students if they don’t know their school’s address. Tell homeschooled students to leave field 4 blank.

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On 10/11/2019 at 4:56 PM, Lori D. said:

Below is a copy-paste list from the College Board's Test Day info of what to bring. One item that is fairly new to all of the tests is a gov't issued photo ID -- driver's license or learner's permit will work, if your student has one. Otherwise, you might consider getting a DMV-issued photo ID -- n any of those cases, you may need to get an original copy of the student's birth certificate (a photo copy is not valid) -- if you don't already have an original copy, then follow the links and steps from this US Gov't website. OR... you'll need to provide College Board's alternate ID, which is a NOTARIZED Student ID form -- so, give yourself time this week to take a photo of the student that meets the requirements, print it (sized to fit the form), and take the form to get it notarized.

 

Lori D.!  Thank you for this!
My boys are 14.  Their passports have expired (last year).  I have a current photo ID for them from our local homeschool enrichment program that lists them as full-time students.  Should that be ok?

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1 hour ago, mlktwins said:

Lori D.!  Thank you for this!
My boys are 14.  Their passports have expired (last year).  I have a current photo ID for them from our local homeschool enrichment program that lists them as full-time students.  Should that be ok?


Just to be on the safe side, I would call the school you are testing with *today* and run over with the IDs to show them, and make sure those IDs will be accepted.

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1 hour ago, Lori D. said:


Just to be on the safe side, I would call the school you are testing with *today* and run over with the IDs to show them, and make sure those IDs will be accepted.

Thank you!  They are closed today, but I will email the test coordinator today and I can scan and email to her to look at.  

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