What does PSAT really mean ?

Test Preparation
1

<p>I took the PSAT (as a Freshmen) and I think I did pretty bad. I just got it back (CollegeBoard goofed) and it turns out I got a 170 :(</p>

<p>Is this like an average score for HS Freshmen or is it low ?</p>

<p>Is this in anyway representative of my SAT score as a junior (or a Senior) ?</p>

<p>I got a 56 for Critical Reading, 63 for Math and 51 for Writing. Any tips on what to do to increase the scores (beside the generic CollegeBoard ones).</p>

<p>I'm already subscribing to "The Official SAT Question of the Day". Is that even remotely helpful ?</p>

2

<p>i think that is an above average score for a freshman. and i would say no, it isnt very representative of what your final SAT score will be because you will most likely learn so much more in your sophomore and junior years of high school which will improve your score. </p>

<p>usually i dont bother with the question of the day, i just take entire sections of practice tests once in a while. since you are only a freshman i would suggest saving the blue book for later but you could study with another book like the princeton review if you wanted to.</p>

3

<p>Hey I got 170 freshman year too.<br>
Then I became a NMSF, so anything's possible.</p>

<p>SAT Q of Day was the major component of my studying.</p>

4

<p>170 is REALLY good for a Freshman.</p>

<p>The #2 student in my class did worse than that Freshman year (160s), but is a NMSF now. Anything can happen. He got above 2200 on the SAT as well, so I'd say you have nothing to worry about.</p>

<p>Most of the people that I know who took the PSAT Freshman year have much higher SAT scores. My Freshman PSAT was 157. My Junior PSAT was 191. My SAT score is 2030. So I gained almost 500 points from Freshman year to the the SAT. Based on your score, I'd say you're a shoe-in for a 2000 SAT and you have a legit shot at a score in the 2200+ range.</p>

5

<p>Wow, thanks. :D</p>

6

<p>Seriously... freshman year? That's an amazing score! I took the PSAT soph and junior year, with a 35 point difference between them. Which translated into a 400 point increase from my first PSAT to final SAT.</p>

<p>Honestly, taking it before junior year is just for practice. Just taking it once will improve your score for the next time. Your math and language skills will develop a lot over the next years. Don't worry!</p>

<p>150 is average, so as a freshman, 170 is really good.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all your help again guys.</p>

<p>Edit : I just found out there are PSAT books out there (by searching it at Amazon). Is it reasonable to use that (Are people this obsessive at their PSAT scores) ?</p>

8

<p>Im a freshman and i recieved a 207 (76M,70W,61CR). but yeah, 170 is still pretty good.</p>

9

<p>^^That's pretty crazy. </p>

<p>The smartest kid in my clas got in the 190s Freshman year and everyone thought it was amazing. A 207 is ridiculous.</p>

10

<p>"Edit : I just found out there are PSAT books out there (by searching it at Amazon). Is it reasonable to use that (Are people this obsessive at their PSAT scores) ?"</p>

<p>Well, if you think you have a shot at NMSF it is probably worth it. Think about your investment (what, 20 or 30 dollars) vs the return (full rides). At least 5 different colleges have sent me letters offering a full ride simply because I was NMSF. Well worth your time to do well on the PSAT.</p>

11

<p>Roughly what is the range for NMSF ?</p>

12

<p>last year maryland was 223.</p>

13

<p>Wow ok. With good preparation I think I can reach somewhere near that. Which Test Prep Books did you guys use (if any) ?</p>