<p>Hello to all,</p>
<p>I'm a junior and just got my PSAT scores back.
196, 95%. :-(</p>
<p>I just wanted to know if I have a shot at the BS/MD programs
because most people admitted into them are National Merit winners,
or at least commended.
I won't be commended (96% +) so will this hurt my chances.</p>
<p>Don't worry! Do good on your SAT! Who cares about National Merit awards. Yes, it looks nice, but from my understanding colleges never look for it.</p>
<p>You don't even have to put your PSAT score on your app! I didn't make national merrit, I got a 203 and I don't think it really is going to hurt me.</p>
<p>it's just another award.....it does look good to say that ur a semifinalist (at this point, finalists haven't been identified). w/e, do better on ur sat i's is the only thing</p>
<p>numbers aren't everything. work on getting good experiences and LORs.</p>
<p>haha definately...for once i talk about the importance of numbers and i get shot down....lol....yea, ec's are much more important in preparing you for a ba-bs/md program....the numbers just show u can handle the courseload....and that's about it...</p>
<p>dude. i got a 167 on my PSAT.....dont sweat it. It doesn't matter</p>
<p>i had a 200 but then ended up with a 1540 sat...don't worry</p>
<p>Hello Nagah,</p>
<p>That big of jump in scores is amazing because your PSAT predicts an SAT score of about 1330. Do you think that you just had bad PSAT testing day and could have done MUCH better if you took it couple of days later or were you PSAT scores consistently around 200? If your practice PSAT scores were around 200, what did you do to dramatically increase your score for the SAT?
BTW, are you better at math or verbal?</p>
<p>Thanks a ton,
przfer</p>
<p>sometimes people don't study as much for PSAT's as they do for SAT's.. this is probably because SAT's are much more important to colleges than PSAT's</p>
<p>I had this same mentality... got a 204 on PSAT's, 1420 on M/V part (740 M, 680 V) and then got a 1500 on the SAT's (760 M, 740 V) .. so I think the big jump in scores is just related to more studying for SAT's</p>
<p>i finished SAT in October got a 1510, PSAT 203 a month later. Probably just becuase i didn't care about PSAT.</p>
<p>How much time did you spend studying for the SATs/PSATs, and how long before the actual SATs did you start studying hard core. BTW, what were ur scores on the PSATs and SATs if you didn't already post them.</p>
<p>well my parents wanted me to study like 2 months in advance, but i really diddn't start studying vocab and such until 3-4 weeks before the test, and even then, i wouldn't consider it "hardcore" studying... but that's just the type of person I am, I wait till the last possible moment to study hardcore... i didn't start hardcore studying till about one week in advance probably taking practice tests and continuing with the vocab.. </p>
<p>also I'd recommend getting that all important good night's rest.. since my style is to cram, I didn't get a good night's rest (at least 8 hrs is what i'd call good) and I didn't get an 800 on math which I definitely should have because I am really good in math... SAT's always try and trick you up on math section so you gotta have your mind sharp and awake</p>
<p>What kind of prep did you do for the passage based reading questions? BTW what was your verbal score?</p>
<p>740 verbal (happy with it b/c i'm not an English type person)</p>
<p>passage based reading i didn't do much prep... i think reading comprehension was probably my strength on verbal section... so that's why i just focused on vocab for analogies and such</p>
<p>i took psat as a soph and it said i would get 1340 on my sat, my senior year i got 1500(790m,710v), i think it was because i was more focused and realized that this was an important test while taking it. It might have been my age though.</p>
<p>Honestly, no one cares about National Merit.
I didn't do too well on the PSAT but I still got into my top choice program.</p>
<p>Don't sweat it. Just rock the SAT this year and you'll be fine.</p>
<p>Best way to prepare for SAT: practice tests. Just get a "10 real SAT's" book or something. No need to spend money on those prep courses.</p>