<p>Carolyn, sounds like things are going great this year with your daughter. I truly think each kid is so different and must follow their own path to reach their own goals. I can say that my 16 year old certainly has her own path going that is not the norm. My main goal is that each child finds a school that fits her own goals and desires and where she would be happiest. The name of it is not the goal but more of getting to do what you like and be where you would fit in and be happy. </p>
<p>As far as the PSATs, I surely never knew they were such a big deal until I read this forum. In our house, my kids did not prepare for the PSAT but to do the one practice test that came with the sign up just to have a feeling of what it was like and know what to expect. That was it. We saw it as practice for the SATs and to give us a "base" of where they were at at that point in time in high school as far as testing goes. There was no pressure and nobody thought it was a big deal at all. I had no idea the big deal of PSATs going on elsewhere until I read this forum. We don't live in a competitive community when it comes to this stuff so a lot of those attitudes I read here are very new to me. </p>
<p>As it is turning out, my 16 year old will have never taken the PSATs! She was signed up to take them this time last year in tenth grade, as a practice, like I said for what was coming down the line with SATs. At that time, I also had no idea she would be graduating a year early. She took only half of the practice test in the booklet (the verbal part) which gave me some idea of where she was at, but before she even took the math portion in the sample booklet, we were called out of state to visit my father who was dying of cancer and my mom thought it was urgent so we took the kids (it turned out that he did not die until Thanksgiving and they were with him over Thanksgiving again). So, my D missed the PSAT test date. I figured oh well, it is not like it counts for anything, she can take it fall of junior year, for real. Turns out she wanted to graduate early (beats to her own drum) and ended up taking the SATs twice and SAT2s once in spring of tenth grade. So, she says she is done with testing and it is not like I could even bring up taking the PSAT today with her junior peers when in her mind, she is FINIS! So, I guess she will never have taken the PSATs afterall! </p>
<p>I realize a lot of people here think the test is important I guess cause of National Merit, but otherwise, I don't see that much riding on this test and I cannot imagine studying for it or being stressed over it as it does not count for college in other respects. I see it as a stress-free opportunity to experience this style of standardized testing akin to the SATs that will count and matter later on. I did not feel much was riding on this test and surely my kids did not feel any pressure in taking it. I know that is just my viewpoint but I can't imagine the pressure going on in some communities already in tenth grade over this stuff. </p>
<p>I truly believe that you shoot for your personal goals, whatever they may be and there is a school for every kid out there that fits their personality and strengths. The shooting for "name" schools as a goal is one I was not tuned into until I read the CC forums (mostly the kid ones) on here. We just don't have that kind of goal in our local community, nor in our home. It was just about doing your best, having goals and reaching for schools that were appealing to whatever that child liked and would fit in well at. If the child was a very strong student, yes, the child wanted a challenging environment and to be with other motivated kinds of kids. If the child had a specific talent, then she wanted a school where she could focus on that and pursue it. The whole name thing is hard for me to relate to as a goal in itself. </p>
<p>I personally think your daughter, Carolyn, is on the right track for HER. She is a very strong student who seems to have an idea of the kind of school where she would flourish and now can work toward that goal which is HER goal, as it should be. The fit to the kid is really the primary thing. And thus, these PSATs should not be a pressure cooker for her. Rather, she can use this test date to get a glimpse of how she is doing score wise and if there are any areas on the test that she may want to prepare for when she takes the SATs later on. I see the PSAT more as an opportunity to give her that information so she can decide what she may want to focus on for spring testing when it counts more. Luckily, she went into it feeling that way and not as if it was such a big deal.</p>
<p>Susan</p>