<p>I have a soph who will take PSAT in fall. Do most kids study for this test in summer or take review courses? Or do they go in cold? My son isn't the type that will prep for a test on his own. Did sign him up for practise PSAT test at school next week, hope he will go.... Thanks</p>
<p>No PSAT prep here. Perhaps he should have studied...since the scholarship money is in the PSAT, not the SAT.</p>
<p>D did no prep work for the PSAT. Kinda wish she had ... she got a selection index of 213, three points shy of our most recent TN cutoff for NM semifinalist. If I knew then what I know now, I would encourage a couple of hours a week, devoted especially to the weaker areas (D's was math).</p>
<p>None. Nada. Zip. She did read through the test bulletin to get an idea of the format and types of questions but that was it. She had taken the PSAT for practice in 10th grade (which I recommend) so we had a decent idea of where her 11th grade PSATs would lie and that was pretty close to where they ended up. I don't think studying would have made a difference and, frankly, she was busy enough with studying to keep her grades up in junior year to make studying for another test worth throwing in the mix.</p>
<p>Neither my graduating senior, nor my rising senior even considered studying for the PSAT. And in the summer? LOL! not sure studying would help.... better to be well-rested & well-nourished! GL!</p>
<p>My son took the PSAT without any prep as a sophomore and got a "commended" range score (didn't count as he was a sophomore). Following the "PSAT = money" philosophy I popped for a prep course for his junior shot at it - and his score went <strong>down</strong>. So we used the Xiggi method for the SAT and raised his score 7% from his "professionally prepared" PSAT score.
My advice? Buy the book - have your son take another practice test a week or two before the PSAT next fall and leave it at that.</p>
<p>Don't know a single person that studied for the PSAT.</p>
<p>Our S didn't for the test as a sophomore but did through a program offered thru his school as a junior. In his case it didn't improve his score much, but then he was already testing extremely well. He didn't do anything for the SATs.</p>
<p>I don't know if it's really necessary, but if your child has trouble with standardized tests, some form of prep might help. At least the 10 SATs and a discussion of common test taking strategies.</p>
<p>No prep for PSAT by either of my kids. Never crossed our minds.</p>
<p>Don't bother for sophomore year. If results of soph year indicate your child has a shot at NMS commended or semifinalist, then it might make sense to prep for junior year.</p>
<p>Ohmigoodness, no. Don't these kids have enough pressure? My D did not prep for the PSAT or the ACT and has not prepped for the SAT II this weekend other than to skim through a practice test. Enough of this. She's been stressed enough studying for her 3 AP's this week.</p>
<p>oh for gods sake, NO NO NO. the whole point of it is to see what to work on. there is one obnoxious person i know who studied for them, and she sucks beyond belief.</p>
<p>Until I visited College confidential, I had never heard of studying for the PSATs. I would never have thought of it. We saw the PSAT as practice for the SAT. My kids did the practice booklet for the PSAT which if I recall, was one practice test, only so that they were familiar with the format as the booklet suggests that comes when you sign up. My oldest took the PSAT in tenth and in eleventh. The test in tenth is kinda like practice for the one in 11th. We saw the PSAT as a sort of prelude to the SAT and to give a baseline at that juncture. My younger child was signed up to take the PSAT in tenth for same reason. She took half of a practice test and then we had to go out of town at the last minute to visit my dying father and so she had to miss the PSAT exam. She never took it in 11th because she decided to graduate early and so she took her SATs and SAT2s at the end of tenth and was DONE. That's our story. </p>
<p>I just cannot see studying for the PSAT. Time enough to deal with that kind of added work in eleventh grade with the SATs. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Just a few more comments. The "P" in PSAT stands for preliminary. The PSAT was originally intended to be a preliminary assessment of how a student might score on the actual SAT. The PSAT does not count for college admissions and, I would argue, also doesn't do much for chances at scholarships. Most schools offer at most a few thousand dollars to NSM finalists. What DOES count for college admissions and chances at LARGE merit scholarships from individual colleges are SAT scores. </p>
<p>If you're going to shell out big bucks for an SAT prep class, or even invest substantial amounts of time studying, it is probably best to spend the money and time as close as possible to when the student will actually take the SAT. The PSAT is in October, by the following March or May or June when a child is sitting for the SAT, much of the tips and skills that may be acquired from prepping for the PSAT are probably going to be pretty much forgotten. On the other hand, with the PSAT results in hand, you can target which areas need strengthening and spend your time and dollars on prepping for the SATs in a more focused manner. </p>
<p>I do think it is a good idea to read through the PSAT bulletin that describes the test instructions and gives a few sample questions, but most kids will have had plenty of practice with standardized tests in general by the time they take the PSAT and probably don't need to do more than that.</p>
<p>I'll take a contrarian view here, since SO much money can be involved in the PSAT -- many schools offer full rides on that test alone! The second tier schools just love to mention how many NMF's they admit. (The money saved on tuition could purchase a real nice student car, and still have cash left over.)</p>
<p>My suggestion is for kids to take the PSAT as a Soph with no prep. If the score is within cutoff range (~190).....prep well for the Jr test. Less than one hour of practice a few days a week could mean the difference between zero, or a half- and full-tuition discount at many great schools.</p>
<p>Since a kid should/could prep for the SAT, ANYWAY, why not do it when big money could be on the line. Thus, my suggestion is to study hard once in the summer prior to Jr year, and take both PSAT and SAT in the fall. Ace the first test, and money could come your way. Ace the second, and testing is DONE.</p>
<p>Prep can be done easily with CB's books; an expensive course is really not worth it. </p>
<p>Just my $0.02 (which is probably all its worth)</p>
<p>btw: Any non-magnet school that has numerous NMSF's has a group of kids that prepare hard after Soph year.</p>
<p>No, my D blew it off - saying the SAT is the important test. She was very busy then. If I knew what I know now...I would have made her study all summer. She did great on the SAT, not so great on the PSAT. The fallacy is that this is a practice test for the SAT - not really, just kind of. NMF helps with setting your child apart from all the rest of the truly awesome kids applying to the same schools.</p>
<p>The number of schools offering full rides for NMS is not very big at all, less than 100 school out of the 3500 out there. </p>
<p>The most selective schools - the type of schools students who score high enough to earn NMF are most likely to be interested in - generally only offer a few thousand dollars to NM scholars, but, in general "full rides for NMF" are few and far between at the more prestigious schools. Here is one list of schools that do offer full rides for NMS:
<a href="http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html%5B/url%5D">http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html</a> </p>
<p>Some good school in there but, again, how many top students are going to be aiming their sites at those schools? And, of course, in order to make it to NMF, you DO have to be a top student because doing well on the PSAT is only part of the process. </p>
<p>Evitar, I do agree with you to a point, that being able to say that you are a national merit finalist is a nice tipping point on college applications, but it is just that, a tipping point. It will not over ride other weaknesses in a students application, but it IS a nice "check off" to have on your application if you get it. Of course, doing well on the PSAT is only the beginning of making it to NM finalist, not a guarantee of making finalist.</p>
<p>At some schools even sophomore year PSAT scores may be used to place students in honors or AP classes for junior year.</p>
<p>Selective summer programs may look at your soph and/or junior PSAT scores in making admission decisions.</p>
<p>Mine didn't really study. They went to a short & cheap SAT class put o by 2 teachers at school, and did the practice test in the booklet.</p>
<p>"Bluebayou, the number of schools offering full rides for NMS is not very big at all, about 100 school out of the 3500 out there."</p>
<p>Maybe, but what can it hurt to have the option of going to one? Use one or two as safeties if nothing else.</p>
<p>A reasonable percentage of all students will wind up going to UT or the University of Oklahoma or where ever. It's certainly a viable option when those of us in the middle class suddenly realize what a Harvard education costs and begin to take a realistic look at what we can afford.</p>
<p>Strick, oh, I totally agree with you --- not saying it is not a wonderful option too, but so many people seem to be disappointed when they find out that NMF isn't worth very much at the top schools that I thought I'd be more specific. (Blue, didn't mean to bash you at all!) </p>
<p>Of course, as mini would point out, the students who really NEED NM full rides in order to go to school at all are probably exactly the students who can not afford expensive test prep classes for the PSAT in the first place. :)</p>