<p>This year I'm a sophomore.
I did a little bit of prepping before taking the PSAT, and when i got it back got a 190 on it.</p>
<p>CR: 55
M: 70
W: 65</p>
<p>I went kind of slow on the critical reading and didn't know a lot of vocab words.</p>
<p>Math, I did all the problems, but skipped some advanced algebra problems because I haven't learned those basic things yet. When I got it back and looked at the answers I got wrong, I am sure I can get at least a 76 next year in math.</p>
<p>In writing, I'm sure I can get at least a 70 with a little bit of a closer look at those grammar rules in those prep books.</p>
<p>The leaves me with getting at least a 70 on my critical reading to get the 215 I need for Semifinalist.</p>
<p>I'm starting to read a lot (like an hour a day) of novels, and maybe look at a couple of vocab words over the summer, but I don't think I can commit to studying vocab.</p>
<p>Are there any other ways to drastically increase my reading score about 150 points like this, and do you think it's likely that if I keep up what I'm doing I can get that score?</p>
<p>I think you're definitely doing the right things to improve, especially the reading. My daughter (a junior) took Princeton Review's PSAT "clinic," which was a total of four three-hour classes. One was actually a practice test. She raised her score enough to qualify for NMSF, so we were happy with the results. She said that the writing part was definitely tricky, and that some answers were counterintuitive. </p>
<p>I believe you can do the course online also if you're not near a center.</p>
<p>"Are there any other ways to drastically increase my reading score about 150 points like this, and do you think it's likely that if I keep up what I'm doing I can get that score?" </p>
<p>Of course. After I took AP World History and AP US History, I found my CR scores to have improved signifcantly from whence I took the PSAT in both my freshman and sophomore years of high school. So, as long as you are doing intensive course work for the next few years, your scores are only going to improve. </p>
<p>This is coming from someone who was at your place and eventually reached the 70+ mark. So, good luck! (And yes, I did prep extensively during the summer before my junior year.)</p>
<p>I would also acknowledge to take your time when reading classics and such that your teachers and guidance counselors have encouraged you to read. It's not so much about reading a large number of these books but rather dissecting, analyzing, and understanding the material. So, be extra patient with your reading.</p>