Freaking out about PSAT

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Well the title pretty much sums up my thoughts. The PSAT is Wednesday and I want NM so bad not for the scholarship/title but just to please my parents (yup, they're Asian). Last year i didn't study at all because I didn't think it mattered too much so I got a 176. I've actually been studying this year, but the scores that I've consistently gotten on practice tests are only at ~203 and NM in my state was 213 this year. </p>

<p>What's really frustrating is that if I superscored my PSAT I could easily get 210+. My math is usually 70+, but my reading and my writing can either be a hit or miss. I've scored 70+ in both sections but I've also scored in the low 60s.</p>

<p>So any last minute tips to bump up my score by, say, 10 points? </p>

2

<p>I am also studying for the PSAT this wednesday. I would advice you to go over grammar rules one last time and try not to overstudy and freak out. At the end of the day the PSAT is just a preliminary test. Have fun!</p>

3

<p>I agree. The less stress the better. I was studying for the SAT last year, and as a Sophomore, I took the PSAT, not caring about it at all. I got a 231. I’m feeling more stressed this year (and yes my parents are also Asians), but I’m hoping I’ll be relaxed enough to achieve at least the same score. </p>

<p>If you’ve been studying for it, now you can relax. There really isn’t anything more that you can do in a few days.</p>

4

<p>I also am taking the PSAT on Wednesday. Personally, I’m just going to wing it. I want to see how I score on it naturally and go from there.</p>

5

<p>I took a free Kaplan cram session for Critical Reading and Math last year when I took it as a freshman. This year I don’t plan on studying aside from taking the practice test. Next year, even though I want to get national merit, I don’t plan on stressing myself too hard on studying because the PSAT isn’t as important as other tests I will be taking.</p>

6

<p>I’m taking it on Saturday. Are there two different tests or is it the same both days?</p>

7

<p>I’m taking it on Saturday too</p>

8

<p>Yo, just be happy if you’re not in DC or NJ, where the cut off is like 224 or something.
Other than that, chill your butt. No one I know actually studied for the PSAT, since it doesn’t count for much. Colleges won’t get your scores, and the only proof that you did well is being a NMSF (and then you have to write an essay <em>eyeroll</em>).
Really, it’s not a big deal. </p>

9

<p>@marshmallowpop‌ I live in California, I thought we had the highest cutoff…I feel sorry for those in DC and NJ.</p>

10

<p>@dsi411‌
Isn’t cali around 223? </p>

11

<p><a href=“http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html”>http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html&lt;/a&gt;
There’s the cut off list for this year (yours will be -/+ a few points, but you get the idea). As an NJ student, I feel really bad for DC. 224 is actually the top 1% score in NJ, but the DC policy is to take the highest state score and use that as the cut off (even though the 1% cut off probably would’ve been lower in DC).</p>

12

<p>The California cut off hovers around 222, though, not 213 like you thought :(</p>

13

<p>Feel lucky that you don’t live in New Jersey like me! I got a 218 and didn’t get Semifinalist :(</p>

14

<p>Ahhhh I’m getting stressed. >_<</p>

15

<p>New York here…a 218 (give or take) isn’t so bad, but I’m scared that I’ll miss 3+ writing questions and screw up my score because the curve is brutal. :(</p>

16

<p>I’m not even a junior yet but the cut off in md is 223</p>

17

<p>I feel so sad. I started studying about 2 weeks before the exam but the ighest score I could get it up to was about a 185. You don’t know the struggle =(</p>

18

<p>Ahhh the cut-offs for you guys sound scary high. Florida was 211 last year, but I don’t think I did great. =_=</p>

19

<p>Last year’s cutoff was something like 215ish (don’t remember off the top my head and too lazy to check) where I live, and I’m going to be lucky to break 200 this year…only have about two months to wait and see, I guess.</p>