I received my PSAT results and just looked at them. I scored a 1270 total score with a 650 reading and writing score and a 620 on the math! Is this a good score? The SAT is less common where I’m from and don’t quite understand it! How do I use the PSAT score to get scholarships?
The PSAT only helps with scholarships if you score high enough to make the semi-finalist cut-off for your state. (I am not aware of any scholarships based on commended, a nationwide score, but I guess there may be some for that as well.). While a 1270 is a decent avg score, unfortunately it is not high enough for National Merit in any state. I have no real clue, but guessing, I think a 1390-1400 will be needed for commended ( and it isn’t based on that score but the index score…so probably something like 205-208. But I am only making a random guess, not a well thought out one.)
If you want or need scholarship $$, you should now concentrate your efforts on raising your score. If you read through these links and visit the colleges’ websites, you will see target score ranges for scholarships. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html#latest
I’ve been trying to figure out how to convert the PSAT score to the equivalent new SAT score. I’m not sure why the PSAT is on a 1520 scale when the SAT is on the 1600 scale. More confusion! Does anyone know how to do this? My son got a total score of 1480 out of 1520 - what does that equate 1600 scale? @Plotinus- I believe you are in the ‘biz’ - do you know how this works?
Thanks!
@suzyQ, I think the college board set up the PSAT scale to try to predict what SAT score you would get if you took the SAT now. I haven’t looked into this but I am assuming they scaled it back from 1600 to 1520 because students on average would score 80 points lower on the SAT than the PSAT if they took them at the same time. Maybe this works for the average student, and much of this redesign seems to be about trying to sell the PSAT as relevant to the average student who has no chance of winning NM.
But for top students, it’s just stupid. My first kid took the SAT about 6 weeks after the PSAT with little additional prep and got a nearly identical score. The idea that student’s can’t top 1520 in the fall of their junior year so they shouldn’t give false hopes by scoring the PSAT up to 1600 is just wrong, so there was no reason to cap the PSAT at 1520. And for students with lower scores, the cap of 1520 is irrelevant anyhow.
This new scoring system is a nightmare–so much unnecessary confusion, and I haven’t seen a single person say that the new system and score report was helpful in any way.
They have handled it very poorly with all these confusing changes with the scoring.
As for the test itself, kids that are really strong in reading/English are going to love this test. My son loves this new PSAT/SAT test. I’m trying to figure out how this 1480 converts to SAT so I can figure out how it converts to ACT.
The problem is, they have totally screwed the Class of 2017 with the timing. I can’t sit around and have him wait until March (scores released late May) for him to sit for a test (he is a junior). We chose to forgo the old SAT entirely - it didn’t make sense to start with a format that was dying. He’s been prepping for the ACT and has taken 2 official (proctored) practice tests and gotten 31 total score on both, but he says he hates the ACT. He’s usually the fastest on taking tests and is annoyed by the fact that he runs out of time on the math and science on the ACT. That’s what our prep now has been focused on. So, he’s going to sit for the Feb ACT and see how that goes. Then he will sit for the March SAT and the waiting will continue for scores. In May he will hit all the subject tests and AP exams in May. The problem is, he won’t have scores back from SAT in time for registering for the June SAT- which is incredibly annoying. Hopefully he won’t have to sit for it in June!
They really have done a number on the class of 2017. The whole experience of testing is confusing enough. What you describe is exactly what I understand most are doing/contemplating although I know a few who went ahead and took the old format SAT to give it a shot. And to top it off, it sounds like ACT really screwed up this last time with its change in the writing section which hopefully they get worked out this next go-round. I am really glad to have a breather on the SAT/ACT this crazy year between my two kids.
At a MININIMUM they should have offered the first new SAT in late January. This would ensure that Class of 2016 would not be using it for colleges, and given the Class of 2017 4 opportunities before the end of the school year to test and get results, before registering for the next test. I don’t believe for a minute that the March SAT results will actually be out by mid-May. So likely, he’ll be taking the June SAT before seeing his results for March.
Are you sure the SAT scores don’t come back fast enough? My older kid had her Dec 1 SAT scores back well before we got her PSAT scores in late January. I guess you can always just register for the June SAT and then decide later.
OP, the PSAT is meant to predict what your SAT score might be. If you have to take the ACT anyhow, you don’t need to take the SAT, but you might like to try it if you think you might do better on the SAT than the ACT–some students do. Many colleges will give scholarship money for very high SAT or ACT scores, so the PSAT is not your only chance to win something.
I will be shocked if there is not a problem with March SAT scores.
If the old format results were done in three weeks, I’d plan on double that for March but that would still get you results back in April sometime. Regular registration for June is open until May 5.
@mathyone @gettingschooled SAT says on their website, March SAT scores will be available “mid-May”
This is the first offering of its kind… look at what happened with new PSAT… in mid May the date can get changed to mid June… and then… who knows what else can go wrong.
Exactly - see here for CB’s score availability predictions for the new SAT:
https://sat.collegeboard.org/scores/availability
March 5th - available Mid-May
May 7th - available Mid-June
June 4th- available Mid-July
Regular Reg deadline for June 4th is May 4tth (how nice of them not to move that deadline out), late deadline is May 25th. I’ll be d*amned if I’ll pay a late fee, and later still not have results by test date.
I do think its all on the line for the March test, since its the first one. There will be a lot of press on this - if the scores are late they are going to lose A HUGE amount of credibility.
Wow! Had not seen that. I would definitely plan for problems if I were you. Especially since there is an essay on the SAT.
Even though it is optional, I would assume many schools will still want SAT with writing like they want ACT with writing.
What a mess.
What should we do? All along D’17 was planning to take the ACT to avoid the whole new SAT confusion. Also pretty strong in science. She’s just started to take ACT prep class (online), which she tolerates, for March exam … But then she just got a 1300 on PSATs (650/650) which is reported as 96th/95th %s. Her 2 practice proctored ACTs have been come in at 23/24 so thinking maybe she can get a 28? Maybe 30 if she has a really good day. Should we switch prep ASAP? Take both (unpopular option)? Drama kid not looking for Ivy or bigU but does want to vie for NYU, BU, etc.
Sorry meant we planned on the April ACT test.
@MimiCat I would have her do April ACT and then go from there. If she does get 28, I won’t worry about new SAT.
Our strategy has been ACT and SAT once each per semester. This change with the SAT is long overdue on vocabulary. Yes, Class of 2017 is the guinea pigs but it would always be someone. We look at it as an opportunity. DD got to take old test and new test so if she performs better on one than the other, that is the score we’ll use.
The College Board said they will release info in March to predict SAT from the PSAT. DD has been around 700 on each section of old SAT and was 720/710 on PSAT so I don’t see much change. If the new test lets her get her verbal over 750, then great.
She likes ACT much better and I think it is a better all around test. It has gained favor in recent years which is what I think forced CB’s hand to make changes.
SuzyQ I had my daughter do the opposite. She’s a sophomore '18 and I had her take the old SAT. I figured if her scores were too low, then she’d still be able to take the new one. But if her scores were good, then she’d be done – especially since she does really well on vocabulary that would be difficult for most kids. That has ended up working out for us. She’ll still take the last old SAT in Jan just to see if she can get a small boost. But otherwise I’ve told her she’s done – her Dec scores will suffice. The one downside is that there are a few schools who won’t be accepting the old SAT for a '18 – although so far the only one that I know of is Yale…but she can live without Yale. But most have stated on their websites that they are accepting it for current sophomores, so she’ll be alright.
@suzyQ7 unfortunately we all need to deal with it and sign our kids up for the June SAT! In the UK, DD can’t even take the new SAT until May anyway.