<p>Do you think it is possible to raise the PSAT score so that the percentile rank would go from 90% when taken as a sophomore to 96/97% when taken as a junior and qualify for National Merit Scholarship finalist?</p>
<p>yes. VERY VERY POSSIBLE...just take a whole bunch of practice tests over the summer</p>
<p>you need to get 98 percent atleast I think for National Merit but yeah it is possible... I'm trying to do same thing lol</p>
<p>It's possible. I have a friend who got a 157 on the 2006 PSAT. After studying, he just took the 2005 saturday released PSAT and scored a 192.</p>
<p>The top of the 96th percentile and up qualify for Commended each year, but you will indeed need at least 98 and possibly 99 national percentile (depending on your state) for Finalist. Finalist is not only based on PSAT scores; it also considers things like SAT scores, GPA, and an application.</p>
<p>Out of all the finalists, does someone win?</p>
<p>EDIT: If so, what do they win?</p>
<p>Personally, my biggest score jump occurred between taking the PSAT as a freshman and as a sophomore (15 point difference). My score junior year was only eight points higher than my score sophomore year.</p>
<p>But as long as you study a lot, anything's possible!</p>
<p>My score went up modestly between sophomore and junior years (17 points), and it couldve gone up closer to 30 if I would've studied more.</p>
<p>modestly here as well. as a soph i got 206, and as a junior a 219. no studying, just started reading more</p>
<p>It is expected that you move from 90-96/97% from sophmore year to junior year. If you study a lot you'll probably get in the 98+%ile. Congrats on the high sophmore score.</p>
<p>Hmm...studying...heard of it. Sure, you need knowledge. What you need to focus on is reasoning skill tho. Lots of knowledgeable people earn mediocre PSAT scores. It's a combination of memory and reasoning ability that earns high marks.RCram speaks truth. Read more.</p>
<p>If anyone cares, I went from 88% to 97% in one year without studying. It's like that quote from a person whose name escapes me. "Intelligence appears to be the thing that allows a man to get by without education. Education appears to be that which allows a man to get by without the use of his intelligence."</p>
<p>As a sophomore, I scored in the 86th percentile and as a junior in the 97th. Instead of taking practice tests, I used the score report from the test to study. It gives you all the information that you need to improve your score. For example, I was weakest in writing, so I reviewed the ones that I got wrong, found out WHY I got them wrong and looked for patterns on the test (since they give you the actual test booklet and answers). Junior year, my writing score had improved by 16 points from the year before. Repeating this process with practice tests will help, too. Just make sure that you review the practice tests thoroughly and don't simply TAKE the tests (then you will just repeat your mistakes on the real test).</p>
<p>I guess mkcooper makes sense. Personally, I just assumed that I would just do better the next time, and I did. However, I have a friend who postponed her test on testing day, because she'd just takin' the previous one and had no idea what she should have studied. It cost her $20.50, but it was a wise decision.</p>
<p>Went from mid-180s sophomore year (88th percentile) to 220s junoir year (obviously 99th percentile) without doing anything at all. Though, to be fair, I didn't take the test seriously at all sophomore year.</p>
<p>Out of the Finalists, 8,000 "win" and get different amounts. The goal is to get scholarship money, but prestige comes with achieving any rank. The amount of money a person gets is different for each person.</p>
<p>"Finalist is not only based on PSAT scores; it also considers things like SAT scores, GPA, and an application."</p>
<p>where does the application come from?? Sorry if this is a dumb question...just trying to figure things out.</p>
<p>The NMSC sends it out to the Finalists.</p>
<p>so you have to make the finalist score for your state to get the application? Thanks!</p>
<p>Big increases are VERY possible.</p>