<p>I got my PSAT back a few days ago, and I got 188 (im a sophomore, in GA). This is up from about 165 in my freshman year. I want to get a 220+ when I take it next year. Do you think this is possible?</p>
<p>Good job on the improvement. 220 is a good goal to aim for (National Merit semifinalist award cutoff is around there...search the forums for the exact GA cutoff but it should be around there, maybe a little bit lower). Anything over 200 is good, really. Aim for 220 to challenge yourself. It's a big leap but don't worry about it--it's just the PSAT.</p>
<p>Yes, it is possible, but you will have to work for it. In between now and next year, study for the SAT. This will raise your prospective PSAT and maybe let you get rid of your SAT I fears early in your junior year.</p>
<p>I went from a 194 to a 224 with no preparation whatsoever. It's definitely possible.</p>
<p>I got a 214 sophomore year and 232 junior year with very little prep. Use practice tests to familiarize yourself with the format of the test and the type of questions that are asked, focusing especially on the parts you have the most trouble with (in my case, math). You don't even have to take an entire test in each sitting; you can do a section at a time or just a few questions every night. The most important thing is to understand how it works and what to expect so that you're not surprised by anything when you take the actual test. Good luck!</p>
<p>Edited to clarify: I didn't really prep for the PSAT, but I used practice tests to improve my SAT I math score from 650 to 760, so the method definitely works.</p>
<p>i got a 191(90th percentile compared to juniors). my counselor said that is really good for a sophomore and that if i study and prepare next year i should be in the running for a scholarship. is this true? i did no preparation for the PSAT sophomore year, and I personally become frustrated with the first section and gave up on that, english is my worst subject in school.</p>
<p>^it's possible. what state do you live in? you would need to make national merit semi and finalist to get scholarships from it. so 220ish depending on the state.</p>
<p>yeah it is true. but im guessing you really did well in the math section. all i did to prepare for CR was study the SAT vocabulary in various sites. it really helped a lot!!</p>
<p>yes. i did really well in the math section. i live in california.</p>
<p>I got a 177 freshman year, and with a 3-week program last summer, went up to a 214 (and it wasn't even kaplan!). Next year, just 7-10 more points to NMS!</p>
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<p>Practice daily!</p>
<p>I've been doing the SAT Question of the day anyway, to prep for the SATs, and that helped my PSAT score as a result. I went from a 201 to 224ish (I forget the exact score). If there's a specific section that you have trouble with, practice it! The writing section is, in my opinion, fairly easy to master once you get the hang of the question type.
Critical reading is more difficult, because you either know a vocab word or you don't. I guess you could sign up for the dictionary.com word of the day email thing...
Math is the hardest section for me, mainly because I am the queen of stupid mistakes. Just do the Official SAT Question of the Day...</p>
<p>Even if you don't get 220+, it's not the end of the world. National Merit doesn't matter THAT much. It's a nice thing to get, but don't stress out too much!! =)</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore and I got a 171. The best in my grade was a 212, and I go to a pretty good school.</p>
<p>If I can increase it by about 30 points, I'll be happy :D . I did horrible on the reading section (49), but good on the writing section (62). It was because of the time; I missed so many questions because I ran out of time.</p>
<p>i got a 188 too!
im aiming for 220 next year also (:
i have a question,
isnt 220 on the PSAT basically 2200 on the SAT? except the SAT is harder?</p>
<p>^It’s a correlation.</p>
<p>If you took the SAT now, you could expect your score to be within 1800-1960.</p>
<p>kje, i went from 161 sophomore year to 210 last year. anything is possible…with comfortable underwear and a steady hand.</p>
<p>I just took a practice test and got a 222, 80 Math, 80 Reading, 62 Writing 
Still, that’s pretty good. I take my PSATs as a sophomore in about three weeks, so I feel good about it.</p>
<p>I got a 198 sophomore year with no prep (crapped out on my math and got like a 590 because I suck at math.) It’s possible for you to get NMSF.</p>
<p>I still need to register for my PSAT. I hope my school doesn’t run out of spots.</p>
<p>I got a 208 Soph year and a 225 Junior year with little prep. It’s possible, so good luck!</p>