<p>Assuming one is highly unlikely to qualify for NMF consideration, is there any reason, starting in sophomore year of HS, to bother with the PSAT? Why not just take that time to prepare for and take the real SAT starting sophomore year? That way, one will have studied for and taken the SAT twice in the same time and preparation that would have been spent on the PSAT.</p>
<p>I think until this year an argument would have been that you would prefer colleges not know you took the SAT 3-4-5 times. with the new rules, a student can pick the SAT scores he/she wants reported to the adcoms.</p>
<p>I've read that the usual patten until now has been:</p>
<ul>
<li>PSAT sophomore and junior years (2 times)</li>
<li>SAT end of junior, beginning of sr. year (2 times) TOTAL OF 4</li>
</ul>
<p>instead, how about:</p>
<p>SAT sophomore, junior, end of junior year. (3 times)</p>
<p>why not simply take the SAT in the traditional place of the PSAT? I would assume one gets better at the test each time one takes it, or at minimum, one would have three tests from which to pick the best performance.</p>
<p>with the new rules yea that works… but the psat is mainly for national merit</p>
<p>agreed…i mean, they’re very similar, so studying for the SAT is studying for the PSAT.</p>
<p>I did what you are arguing for basically-I studied for the SAT last October, then took it and the PSAT</p>
<p>Most sophomores are not fully prepared for the math on the SAT. Check out the average improvement in PSAT scores between soph and junior year and you’ll see why it doesn’t make sense for most sophomores to take the SAT. If you just want practice, take a practice test.</p>
<p>Some adcoms (USC, for example) have already stated that they will ask students to submit ALL SAT scores. It’s not clear yet how this will work and will almost certainly have to be honor system. Still, the benefit of a soph SAT is just not there. Costs more. Takes more time. And potentially gets sent along to colleges.</p>
<p>thanks oldtimer… I hadn’t considered the equation from the other side… the request or requirement of the universities/colleges.</p>
<p>That seems rather bold of USC, brazen even.</p>
<p>^^ But SAT math isn’t that hard for anyone with good basic math skills and mathematical reasoning ability, and some kids do better on standardized tests when the pressure is off. I’ve heard of kids who absolutely nailed the SAT on their first “low stakes” try as sophomores and never looked back, having the luxury of concentrating on their courses for the rest of their HS careers without need to squeeze in test prep time.</p>
<p>There are maybe 1% of students in that situation where they are capable of nailing a great score in sophomore year. And it’s easy enough for someone to find out if they are one of that 1% by taking a practice test. Lebron James can come into the NBA direct from HS, but most players benefit from added experience and development.</p>
<p>I just wanted to make the point that any SAT is never completely low stakes. Schools like Stanford are also making rumblings about asking for all scores like USC. And, yes, it is bold, even brazen. And nobody benefits from receiving a disappointing score from a 4 hour exam even if it is hidden from colleges.</p>