<p>I had a similar experience to your D's, while I was not singing, I was very relaxed, not even thinking about nms. I seriously doubt If I will even be commended, but seeing as only 4% of the students in a state receive semi-finalist status, I don't feel as "stupid" as maybe I did before. I'm actually glad my school doesn't allow sophomores to take the psat, becuase I think some people study too much for it, getting too stressed out too early in this process. The fact that most of us at my school go in with only minimal studying means I know where I need to work, and where I'm fine. It's not the end of the world if I don't receive national achievement/national merit/commended, I am a good student regardless of what simple scores indicate.</p>
<p>What has anyone heard about the PSAT? My D came home saying it was much tougher in parts than the practice PSAT that they took last year; not the whole test but one or two parts were much tougher in her opinion and that of her friends. Anyone else with comments?</p>
<p>Yes, the math was a bit more advanced than the practice bulletin implied, and a few of the critical reading passages had a higher reading difficulty than the bulletin. Also, depending on strengths and weaknesses, writing errors could be difficult. The errors seemed to be a bit more harder to pick out.</p>
<p>I went off singing to last year's PSAT and I got Commended (not that this is an honorable award on these boards)</p>
<p>Carolyn--great to hear that your D is enjoying life and school so much this year. My own D was singing in the shower a few minutes ago, preparing for her first mathletes competition. (I wonder if she'll be singing when she comes back?) She took her knitting needles along (she just learned to knit yesterday). I said, you aren't expecting to knit during the competition are you? And she said no, she was just going to use it as an intimidation factor. </p>
<p>I remember this time last year things were just starting to go really awry at her former school (she transferred mid-year). Things are so much better when they are happy, aren't they! She is not planning to apply to any ivy league schools--she told me that--though who knows what she'll be thinking two years from now, when it comes time to apply. I just hope she can find a place where she can be her happy quirky self. </p>
<p>Momsdream--I will be going to parents weekend at UChicago next weekend. S just started there about three weeks ago. He doesn't communicate all that much, but he has e-mailed a couple of times that he has been having fun. Depends on what you think is fun, I guess. He said his physics class is fun. Anyway, plan to check out the dead fun thing. Am bringing my 15 year old D with me--I'm thinking she'll be able to tell me whether fun there is dead or not.</p>
<p>Happy to hear the good news. Nice to know things are good this year.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for listening to my ramble - I was just so surprised this morning by my daughter's reaction. She is usually the one clenched up in a ball with worry on standardized test day. I hope no one thought I was implying that kids who want to try for high intensity colleges shouldn't - my son handles academic stress much differently than my daughter does and will probably be looking at a very different set of schools in three years. But, I think my daughter is happy that I've realized that she's different and that that's OK. Actually, that's pretty darn good as she has her own talents and characteristics that will lead her where she needs to go in her own life.</p>
<p>Eadad - Overall, she said this year's PSAT didn't seem much harder than last years. The big difference she said was that she felt the reading section was slightly harder this year. Although she hated the analogies, she said they at least broke things up and made it seem like you weren't doing so much concentrated reading. She also said that some of the passages towards the end seemed much more detailed and had harder questions than the "old" version. Made me wonder how all that reading on the longer SAT will feel to test takers in the spring.</p>
<p>Other than that, she said the math seemed "easier" (last year she didn't have her calculator, was only in her first month of geometry, and this year she's been working with a tutor). She said the writing seemed about the same to her (that was her strongest score last year).</p>
<p>Carolyn, I've had the same question about the new test having more critical reading, which is exhausting to my boys. They actually liked the analogies. </p>
<p>Eadad, on the SAT forum the consensus seems to be that the test was more difficult than the practice test CB gave out with the registration packet. My sophomore takes it Saturday and has not even looked at the practice test yet, so we'll see how it goes.</p>
<p>Daughter went off joking to PSAT today - she'll do the singing afterwards at her choir tryouts (why the *&%#@ did that get scheduled on the same day as the PSAT????). Her only concern is math, because she doesn't have a math class this semester (block scheduling).</p>
<p>Curious how many take PSAT as sophomores. My test-taker said left several blank due to lack of time. Is this common? Any tips on how to avoid running out of time next year when it counts?? Always been rather meticulous when reading and test-taking. Very good student, but seems to be a bit of a slow reader, even in routine setting. Thanks for input. Also, can somebody explain the scoring? Is it accurate that one simply adds a zero to the score to make it comparable to the SAT?</p>
<p>This is so inspiring to read everyone. I resolve to go off singing, literally if I can't metaphorically, to all tests I take this year.</p>
<p>Vj...
I think it is a good idea to take the PSAT in tenth grade (no studying in my opinion is required). It is a way to experience what these tests are like in a testing situation and what lies head. Further, it gives the student and parents some inkling as to where the student is currently at in terms of a score, which is expected to rise as they get older anyway. Yes, add a zero to each subscore (i.e. a 68 Verbal PSAT score is like a 680 on the SAT verbal). </p>
<p>I hear you on the not being able to finish each section of the test in the time allotted. My oldest daughter, currently a freshman at Brown, had this very issue on PSATs and on her initial practices of the SATs (before the Real SAT that counted). She was otherwise an excellent student. She wanted to achieve an SAT score that was in keeping with her academic achievements. So, one thing she learned on the PSAT is that her score was not what it could be as she could not complete all the questions in time. That is an example of how doing the PSAT gives you an idea of what to work on for the SAT. She prepared for the SATs and in practicing tests and also adhering to some hints about taking them, she learned to be able to get the test completed in the allotted time. In fall of junior year, she took a practice SAT at home and got a baseline score (this was still when she did not quite finish all questions on time). She did some prep during the winter and took the SATs for real in April of junior year and went up 100 points from that initial baseline practice test the previous fall. She then took the SAT a second time in June of junior year and went up another 100 points. SOME of the increase was due to learning to finish the questions in the allotted time. So, that is something that can be a goal for your daughter in the coming year by taking some of the SAT practice tests and learning some strategies to pace it out. That alone may increase her score. The more practice tests that are timed (you could use the book 10 Real SATS), the better she will get. I am not talking hardcore preparation but if she does this much, I think her score will rise. Also as they get older, it often rises some as well. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Carolyn, you are an inspiration. Thanks for starting this thread and setting such a positive tone and keeping life in perspective. It's funny that I didn't think about these things until my son was a senior, really, and now with my freshmen, because I know what the landscape looks like, I find it a little harder to relax and just enjoy their everyday lives and watch them grow because I am always worried about consequences and results down the line. I would really like to return to the way I was with my son, which was just enjoying the days and his achievements without wondering how they will look on a college application. It is insidious!</p>
<p>At my school, sophomores can't take the psat, and it's rare for anyone to study for the psat (or even just review), <em>sigh</em> The woes of public schools</p>
<p>celebrian:
In our public high school, sophomores are encouraged to take the PSAT. Maybe it's new this year. I don't recall that from 5-6 years ago when my older S was in the school.</p>
<p>At our school, sophomores who have completed geometry are encouraged to take it as sophomores (or allowed, might be a better word); those who are just starting geometry are encouraged not to take it as sophomores. Thoughts? It seems to me that the experience of sitting for a test when it is relatively low pressure is good, but might be discouraging if half the math questions are out of reach.</p>
<p>I just feel like I'm not being given the extra help and resources all the students on these boards get from their schools, whether it be in early testing, extra-curricular oppurtunities, academic oppurtunities, emphasis on grades or guidance connselors. I'm afraid to even mention that I want to apply to Columbia and UNC.</p>
<p>Taking the PSAT in 10th grade was a very good thing for my daughter - showed us that she was probably going to be weak in math, strong in V and W and gave us time to get her some help with the math. </p>
<p>However, I do think that some parents/students/schools are starting to go overboard.
I have a friend who insisted that her son - a 9th grader - take the PSAT this year! The guidance counselor in his school thought it was a great idea, in fact, even suggested that it would have been great to take it in 8th grade! When other parents heard that her son was taking the PSAT in 9th, they also rushed to sign up THEIR 9th graders. I gave my friend my opinion: in 9th grade - especially as he was just taking algebra for the first time - I didn't see the point but she replied that she wanted him to take the PSAT EVERY year so he could get "good at it" and do better on the SATs. </p>
<p>What made me really nervous is that she knew my son had taken the SATs in 7th grade for the CTY program and she was very insistent that I tell her how he had done --- I just told her I couldn't remember beyond that he got into CTY --- knowing this mother, I know there will be some screaming in her house if her 9th grade son doesn't do "as expected" on the PSAT he just took. Imagine the pressure next year...and the year afterwards. Yikes.</p>
<p>In any case, the discussion with this Mom was one more thing that made me realize that it was time to just back down about all of this college frenzy with my daughter. If she does really well in school and on the standardized tests - great - but if she does only so-so, it will not be the absolute end of the world either.</p>
<p>Celebrian:
Aim as high as you can and wish. Colleges will understand that not all schools are the same and do not provide the same level of support for their students.</p>
<p>Carolyn:
Yikes! I actually read of parents who started their kids taking the SAT every year since 6th grade. Some of it was "for practice" but some apparently was inspired by the story of the kid who scored perfect 1600 -twice- in 6th grade. I've also read of schools that ask their students to take the SAT in 9th grade and use the scores to place them into different classes. If a student scores at or above the national average, the student is then placed in AP classes. </p>
<p>Patient:
As long as parents and students understand that the PSAT may cover topics they have not see yet, I think it should be okay to take the PSAT in 10th grade for diagnostic purposes, as did Carolyn's D.</p>
<p>Patient: Yes, Marite is right as usual. If it's taken in 10th grade, use it for diagnostic purposes. My daughter was only in her second month of geometry when she took it and her math scores reflected that --- she had also just finished a year of English with a teacher who was fanatical about teaching "real" grammar and I believe her Writing scores reflected that. I'm curious to see how her scores will have changed this year --- her English teacher last year was only so-so but she did huge amounts of college level reading in her AP Euro class. And, she's had a year of geometry now plus tutoring to get her up to speed with Algebra. </p>
<p>By the way, she just ordered and received the new College Board "Preparing for the NEW SAT" book for herself. Looks very good. She was excited to find out that if you buy the book they will score your practice tests online for you and give you info. about your weaknesses. They also have a more expensive online option that will score your practice essays for you. I must admit that looking over the examples of essays they have in the book I found it hard to find much difference between the top scoring essays and the mid-range essays so this might be worthwhile.</p>