So, the first question I have to ask is whether it is her ambition or yours? If it is hers then she has her work cut out. As @2plustrio said, burnout is a real thing. If your kid is not emotionally mature to handle a heavy course load then it is really unwise to push her.
If you need a plan then my recommendation is to see how she does cold in PSAT 10 based on school work alone. Then use the summer to prep for the PSAT11. Have her take the Aug SAT for practice. Questions are very similar except not as much pre-calc.
Khan academy is very good if she is self motivated. If not, there are STA prep courses that put kids through the ringer. Y2 academy is stereotypical Asian student prep school. Costs $5000 in NC. Not sure if you have one close to your home. They offer asynchronous/hybrid.
There are excellent SAT prep tutors available online but many just make your kid go through the QAS tests. One can do those free through Khan. Y2 makes you do them in person plus worksheets and they go over all problems in person.
I may be wrong here but I believe that there is a considerable supportive body of statistics that indicate SAT plus GPA is a better predictor of success than either one alone. We also know that no matter what the top colleges do (getting into those is a lottery anyway for an unhooked candidate), the vast majority of stronger colleges use SAT and ACT to set cutoffs. Last 2 years have been an aberration.
The NMSQT and NRPs, particularly for minority applicants still count.
The correct thing to do for each family/kid is very personal. For example we did not focus on PSAT because NMS is only 2500 and not the worth trouble all the essays. Both my kids did not report the NM designation they received on the application â we just ignored it â thought it was immaterial for the schools they were applying to. The larger scholarships happen at schools that we were unwilling to apply to anyway. So no prep for PSAT. And no prep for SAT because in my judgment and the kidsâ judgment, in their particular cases, prep would not have added more than 20-30 points at most. In that situation prep is a serious waste of time. One of my kids thought that even giving the main SAT a second time for 4 hours one Saturday morning was a waste of time, let alone preparing for it.
So you need to ask yourself carefully what your objectives are and are they well served by prepping and focusing enormously on one set of exams. Arguably schools are paying less attention to scores these past two years anyway.
If you ask on a forum like this you will not get advice that is custom tailored to your needs because no one knows your own situation as well as you do.
As several people pointed out, you should just take one of these tests cold to see where you stand at a base level. Then you can revisit the decision on what do about it.
In our case we did some testing (the regular SAT in 8th grade in one case and an ACT in 9th grade for another kid) due to CTY requirements in lower grades, and we did not try to figure out where the kids stand separate from that. The school anyway gave an optional PSAT 10 that the kids sat for routinely. So we did not go out the way to get this benchmarking. I did not even know which day the kids were getting their PSAT 10 or PSAT 11.
We watch Jeopardy with my kids grandmother when visiting in Florida. Its our jam! Recently, the question referred to âthe act of throwing someone out a windowâ and my two youngest yelled out âdefenestrationâ. My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief.
This summer we have changed it up a bit at our house. Monday - Friday my two kids have to get up at 8 a.m. From 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. they are teaching themselves to code Python. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. they are learning to speak French. From 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. they go over their PSAT/ SAT/ ACT. (Math, reading, English, Science) Then from noon to 11 p.m. is theirs. In trade they receive a gym membership. They asked me âwhy are we learning French?â I replied âwhy not, itâs a beautiful languageâ.
We are in one of the poor southern states. Our schools do not have Computer Science, Robotics etc. like may other state public school systems. In fact, we are ranked 48-50 in the worst education category. If you go to the lower income areas, their schools have tremendous GPA grade inflation. There are many kids who graduate with a 4.0 and are basically not-literate and have terrible math skills. These schools average 18 with their ACT test takers. Nationwide however, the great equalizer is when one takes a standardized test. A 36 on the ACT is a 36 in every state. The GPA only compares one to others in their school. The PSAT compares one to all test takers in the
Does the SAT/ACT favor the affluent? No, it favors those with knowledge and the ability to regurgitate it. The wealthy tried use their wealth and to hire tutors etc. but at the end of the day they used bribery and cheated. The standardized tests, test your knowledge in Math, English, Writing, Reading and Science. (Math with calculator, Math without calculator) If you do not have the knowledge in these areas, you will not do well. MIT went test optional because of Covid for one year. They relied on GPA. They quickly reverted back after seeing the results. The space shuttle came down due to a faulty O-ring. Somewhere in NASA, there was an Engineer/employee who did not belong there.
My kids have travelled to 13 countries. They have boogie boarded Hawaii, Salmon fished Alaska, snow skied the Rockies, the Sierras and North Carolina. We spent all day in the Louvre and hiked the Alps and various pyramids in Central America. Next week we are volunteers to plant trees in a National Park, not to put on a college application but because I like trees.
(None of which will help the OP with her question) If her daughter wishes to do well on the PSAT in order to qualify for National Merit Status, her best option is probably to start preparation, the sooner the better. As others have stated, the best preparation is the entire test timed, in one sitting. If she has difficulties doing it alone, then a parent getting involved and working together to achieve a common goal might be most beneficial. But then I have a great relationship with my kids. I would also further that if she does not enjoy intellectual pursuits that the entire endeavor is probably for naught. I like to quote the gentleman from Virginia, the late Patrick Henry who may have said: âI know not what path others may takeâŠâ.
I am a professional test prep tutor and I am going to disagree with much of this. Obviously, my experience is not universal. I donât claim to be a global expert on test prep. Iâm speaking as someone who has prepared hundreds of students for both the SAT and ACT.
Prepping for the PSAT in October as a junior, but first taking the SAT in August as a practice is, IMO, a waste of a nice Saturday in August.
My opinion doesnât change on this: I see no benefit to taking an official test with an official score when one is not fully prepared for it. This is true of any other test, whether itâs a final in high school or a driving test. An official SAT or ACT is stressful and expensive, and a student will have an official score for a test they didnât prepare for. Sure, if they remember, they wonât request for it to be sent free to the colleges they plan to apply to. They can hopefully superscore. Hopefully they donât apply to a college that requires all scores. I literally see no benefit.
There are free official SAT practice tests available on the College board website. Many local libraries also offer mock practice tests. A student can go to the library of their own volition and do a practice test there if they need a quiet place.
As for prepping all summer for the PSAT, others have raised points that I agree with. Unless a student is really hoping for NMS, there isnât much reason to prep for the PSAT, but I do work with students who want to be able to add that title to their awards and honors section.
There are a lot of other corporate test prep companies that cost in that range (Kaplan, Princeton Review, Prep ScholarâŠ) It is difficult to spend that kind of money on test prep with a private tutor. If a student wants tutoring, IMO private tutoring one on one is the way to go. It is almost always less expensive than a prep course that caters to the masses. Ask for recommendations from parents in the community, or use local social media parents pages.
I look at it this way: for a high-scoring student who may be in the ballpark for NM (e.g. if the student has scored at the 99th percentile, or at least upper 90s, on earlier, cold PSAT10 or 8/9), prepare summer before junior year for the August SAT (hoping for a one-and-done), and then the student is also ready for the PSAT in Oct. Two birds, one stone.
On the other hand, if the student is not likely to be in the top percentile, then NM is not relevant, and accordingly, prep for PSAT is unnecessary, with the possible exception of CBRP for certain minority groups.
Iâd say no practice for PSAT as a sophomore. If she scores in the 95% then practice for Natl Merit purposes. Also if sheâs high in one category and strong in another but missed one aspect of things (like advanced math she hasnât had or does poorly in grammar then she can easily fill in the gaps). Pushing kids who are a far reach for NMF is stressful IMO and serve no purposes. Better to save the study for actual SAT prep after courses have been taken.
If she likes to prepare in a group (and not by herself) why not take one of the SAT prep classes as a sophomore? It doesnât hurt and if she likes it, why not?
Kids get really busy so fit it in when she can. Do it in the fall if she plans on being involved in the school musical in the spring. Do it in the spring if she likes to run cross country in the fall. Whatever works for her. One of my kids liked working with the flash cards (available at B&N or online). She liked to flip through them while we were driving in the car (usually on trips to her sporting events).
I agree that this is the most efficient bang for the buck. After multiple kids, we found that our independent SAT tutor was much better (more effective) and much less expensive than a one-on-one tutor from a large test prep chain and even less expensive than chainâs classes. Get recommendations by word of mouth.
Five kids, canât agree more, some were very self motivated, some not so much.
Fair enough. I speak from my personal experience as well. Most rising juniors with aspirational values are more than ready to take BOTH the PSAT and SAT by the time Aug rolls around. If you read my post, I said specifically to take the 10th grade PSAT cold and see what the baseline is. If it is not in the ballpark then thatâs that. One can take the SAT multiple times but PSAT 11 only once. Hence my suggestion.
SAT prep â OP said specifically that his/her kid needs to be guided and supervised. I am also guessing based on the style of writing that OP is likely S. Asian. I made the recommendation. It is not for everyone but do not disrespect the Grind! Lol. Those 1500+ scores you see here and on A2C are no accident.
But enough about me. Letâs talk about me!
Taking a test on electronic format is quite different than a paper format. Itâs harder (if itâs even possible) to go back and double check answers. When my S took the PSAT or SAT electronically, if you got answer correct, you were sent down one path. If wrong, you were sent down a different path. You couldnât check or correct any answers.
The one thing S liked was that the exam was quicker overall, especially since you couldnât check or change any answers. Since this was about 20 years ago, things may have changed, but understanding the format and ability to check or change answers is something important to know at the outset.
my oldest daughter wanted to be a NMF. very few from our school were nmfs, so we didnt know the drill.
i took her to a test prep place early august of her junior year. they looked at us like we were crazy and said âeveryone who wants prep started early in the summer or end of sophomore year. youâre behind.â
just thought Iâd share that for what its worth.
The key is well rounded and kids doing experiences they like and can grow from.
Sitting in a formal test prep course would be torture for my kid. Id rather they read a book or volunteer.
I do understand if a family is in a financial situation where they may not be able to afford college at all unless theres significant merit award.
I dont understand pressuring a child to chase prestige and rankings. The 99% of us who didnt get NMF are doing alright.
One of mine was a great test taker and had done well on the SAT in middle school for a talent search with no prep. He took the PSAT cold sophomore year and was very close to the NMF cutoff in our state (which is one of the highest in the country). Late summer/fall of junior year we got him a few sessions with a test prep tutor for practice and review. He did well enough to be an NMF which (over 10 years ago) got him a half-tuition scholarship at a top 35 college.
The other two were not likely to make NMF so they did the PSATs with no prep. We used a tutor for some sessions before the SAT and both did well (better in math).
In our case, it was money well spent. My kids were not that motivated to study on their own and were quite busy with school and activities. They would not have been able to pay as much attention in a prep class and didnât need that level of review. For us, the tutor was the most affordable and focused answer.
Good luck to your student!
This has been our experience as well. Kids that want to be NMFs start in the spring or early summer latest. And these are the ones that are well ahead of the curve. My kids were not, so we did not pressure, nor spend the money on test prep.
@2plustrio I agree 100%. However, many parents do not want their kids to be 99%. Particularly, many on here and on forums like A2C. To each their own! I try not to judge. 
Interesting. I was looking for summer prep and was advised that if you start too far in advance it just leads to burn out. I believe we started in August.
My friendâs son went to the top public school in NC. Did his prep as a sophomore during winter holidays. Got 1580 in one try and perfect score on PSAT. Is a NMS and goes to a T5 school. The key is to not drag on the prep work.
The ones that burn out are the slightly above average kids whose parents egg them on forever. My DD23 had one such friend. Whose parents made her take the SAT 4-5 times after going through Y2âs course. She barely cracked 1400 but had an impressive list of EC/volunteer activities. Decided to go test optional and landed a full ride at a UNC system school. This girl and her sis both have mental health issues and 1 is on meds.
A kid that is naturally good at these tests and is a good student does not need years of prep, contrary to what some test prep schools or event tutors say. Agree with 1dad that it is the kids whose parents have unrealistic expectations that may burn out or get overly stressed. Test prep will very rarely increase a good student with an accurate mid-1300 score into a 1550+ result.