<p>I bought a PSAT because my teachers were going on about how important it is, but I don't understand why I need to take it. Does it get looked at by colleges? Will it count against me when I apply for college if I didn't do well? What's on it?</p>
<p>score well on it and it will get you some nice scholarships...I wish I would have known that before i took it...i would have studied more</p>
<p>The PSAT is like a shorter, abridged version of the SAT. It's only 5 sections and has no essay. It's for practice for the SAT, but if you take it during your junior year, you can gain eligibility for National Merit scholarships if you score well enough. </p>
<p>If you're a freshman or sophomore, don't stress and use the PSAT to set a baseline for SAT practice.</p>
<p>If you're a junior, STUDY for the PSAT. It matters and not doing well could cost you thousands of dollars in scholarships.</p>
<p>It's important if you're shooting for competitive colleges. Sophomore year, don't really worry too much. Junior year, though, you should study (beginning in the summer). Score well (mid 21s, 220s) and you'll make National Merit. Also, the more material you master for the PSAT, the less you have to study during the year for the SAT. </p>
<p>Colleges care mostly about the SAT though, but there is NO BETTER PRACTICE than the PSAT.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you're a junior, STUDY for the PSAT. It matters and not doing well could cost you thousands of dollars in scholarships.
[/quote]
Lolololol please don't study for the PSAT... even as a junior. Argh, it kills me seeing everybody STUDYING for these tests. An aptitude test is not supposed to measure how much money you spent on prep classes or how well you blindly memorize things for a test.</p>
<p>OP....Diamond,Azndude and ttan have advised you correctly. Just like you'd like to get a good grade on your HS classes, you would study, the PSAT should be no different. It's best for you to have studied and giving it your all and accept the grade you receive, than not to have studied and then say "If I had known". Don't be swayed by people who suggest do not study, you are not with them to see what they are doing, here is a quote to reflect upon...</p>
<p>"The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.</p>
<p>Yes, I give terrible advice :] Please don't listen to me at all. For the record, I actually DID "give it my all" on the PSAT, and on the SAT, etc. I just didn't "study" for them. On those kinds of tests, I don't believe that studying is the right thing to do - they are aptitude tests. Aptitude - inherent ability.
I did not, by any stretch of the imagination, tell you to not TRY YOUR BEST or tell you to never study for anything - it's just my opinion that studying for the PSAT would be somewhat ridiculous. Also, I don't know what grade the OP is in, but MOST DEFINITELY do NOT study before junior year [if at all]. Those ARE, in essence, your practice tests. If you get a terrible score on THOSE but are only doing very poorly because you don't understand the format of the test [or something along those lines], then I'd support "studying" - meaning "studying" the way the test is set up and what KIND of questions to expect. By no means though should you study MATERIAL. The math level included on the SAT [and PSAT as well] couldn't be called advanced by any stretch of the imagination, and it's purely the application of your knowledge that they're testing. The vocab parts could possibly be studied for, in the sense that you sit down and memorize endless word lists - but mostly, they want you to apply root words that you know and figure out what the words mean. Collegeboard does NOT expect you to just KNOW every word on there. You have to figure it out based on your inherent knowledge. Other than that, a basic knowledge of the English language should help you along quite nicely.</p>
<p>WHENEVER I see people CAPITALIZE seemingly random words in their SENTENCES, even when those WORDS are MERELY acronyms, I always imagine them SCREAMING those words INTERMITTENTLY. YES, I UNDERSTAND that it was DONE for EMPHASIS, but that is simply WHAT I picture whenever I SEE such a STYLE. ;P</p>
<p>Anywho, I say study for the test -- the PSAT certainly tests not any notable inherent ability (besides the one that let you take PSAT tests well) and the knowledge that it tests you on (yes, knowledge -- they have silly rules and a rubric or anything, you don't actually have to excel at any of the subjects to score well on the test) doesn't play a very large role in determining your eventual success.</p>
<p>I would suggest a review of all the simple grammar rules and practice for whatever sections you find yourself lacking in. Do well on it to get lotsa $ for colleges! ;D Don't bother with it until a month or so before the test, as you probably learned everything on it in elementary school, and just need to refresh your memory to remember all the useless stuff that you've invariably forgotten.</p>
<p>The PSAT is a GODSEND for me. Well not really, but IT is a 1000 bucks. All i had to DO to get it was study FOR the SAT, which I would have had to do ****NG ANYWAYS!!!!BLAH.</p>
<p>definitely study for the PSAT. i got into QuestBridge because of my scores, and now i have a chance of going to college for free. all because of the PSATs. seriously, studying for them is one of the best things i've done throughout my high school career.</p>
<p>Doomster I hate you. lol. You know what I mean. My capitalization is actually italics for lazy people :]</p>
<p>I kind of agree with IV. Can't speak for her, but I'M probably just bitter 'cause I got a good score without preparing. >:] </p>
<p>I'm not saying that people who get the same scores with preparation are any less intelligent or capable, since what I feel the (P)SAT tests is not necessarily intelligence. But I do agree that spending time preparing for such tests kind of defeats the purpose of a test that is supposed to reflect your academic aptitude. And while I guess one could say that someone who doesn't prepare isn't performing up to his full 'POTENTIAL' -- which is almost the same as 'aptitude' -- this test wasn't DESIGNED to be studied for. It was supposed to reflect people's abilities as a STANDARDIZED test... which to me implies that no one should have any advantage over anyone else by trying to manipulate the test by learning 'tricks' and what not.</p>
<p>You bought a PSAT? What? Oh and it doesn't do anything. As far as I know.</p>
<p>(and rofllmfao @ turning this into an aptitude/ability vs studying thread; let's stop this pseudoepic garbage and answer his questions and...)</p>
<p>Finally someone agrees, thanks Poseur :]</p>
<p>Lollol Imavoyeurable, that only happened because I felt the need to retort to whatever person said that my advice was crap. [/paraphrase] ;D</p>
<p>That's a horrible paraphrase.</p>
<p>
<p>"The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they, while their companions slept, Were toiling upward in the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
</p>
<p>He listed each person except for me that had given advice, and he then said that their advice was "correct". I think my paraphrase was nice, lol.</p>
<p>Now I didn't study for the PSAT, but I do suggest it. I know it might seem more honorable to take the test cold, as it is supposed to measure natural ability. But if your family is short on cash, don't let your sense of honor screw you over too much. Sacrifice a little bit of honor + full in state scholarship > maintaining that extra smidgen of honor + struggling to pay for college. Of course, taking it cold and getting NMF is > both options.</p>
<p>Whoa, whoa... iwaswalking making a serious post?! It was a good post. <3</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree.</p>
<p>Wow interesting discussion......</p>
<p>Side note I just thought of: as I said earlier, sophomore year it's best actually not to study. In my opinion, the PSAT that year should be a test of the combination of how well school has taught you and your natural ability. (for anyone who knows psychology, the aptitude of your Nature/Nurture capabilities) Junior year though, in my opinion, (depending on how well you already do) it's best to study and figure out what your weaknesses are. What you might not do so well on the SAT may also reflect in what you don't do well in school. (ex. my critical reading is my weakest subject on the SAT, and in school as well, while my math and writing are well up there. reading has always been my weakness, but studying for the PSAT helped my become better at reading comprehension)</p>