<p>Does anyone know why high schools can withhold PSAT results from their students until a date set by the school? Since we paid a fee to take the test and it is unrelated to a course at the school, it feels inappropriate that the scores are not immediately released, not to mention an invasion of privacy that the school has access to them. Can anyone explain this? Thank you.</p>
<p>I don't get it either. I think they'd probably say that they want to release the scores at a time when the counselling staff has time to deal with the inevitable questions.</p>
<p>That's pretty much a joke this time of year. I'd guess that most counselors are buried in recommendation letter writing for seniors.</p>
<p>When the high school begins paying for the tests, then the high school should be able to control release of the scores. Holding back scores for six to eight weeks accomplishes nothing. (In our district many juniors take the January SAT, and it would be extremely helpful to get the PSAT results back as soon as they're ready so that they can better prep for the real exam.)</p>
<p>i dont see what the big deal is, its not like it affects anything if they give it back to you now, or in march. </p>
<p>PSAT is done through the high school as a tool for high school guidence counselors, thats why it only costs $14. So the high school can do with them whatever they want to.</p>
<p>Bay:</p>
<p>why not ask your GC? (I raised that question to our GC last year, and he said that he had planned to hold a parent meeting in January, but agreed that there was no real good reason to wait, so he sent them home.)</p>
<p>I asked my GC. The district sets the policy that they won't release results until after the holiday break but have to do it by Jan. 31. I told her that I already had my results, that everyone would be able to see them online next week and didn't get what the big deal was. They decided to move the date up several weeks, to that first week back from the break. They do some big presentation to parents about what it all means, etc.</p>
<p>My understanding is that this district decision is to keep from counselors from being overburdened at this time of year, when they already have their hands full with college recs, just like someone said earlier.</p>
<p>I did ask our GC and the answer was similar to Youdon'tsay's response. A big presentation is planned for the parents with a guest speaker who explains what the results mean. The students can pick up their test results at the meeting or afterwards at her office. (I have an older child who has been through this already, so I don't need to attend this event).</p>
<p>Obviously, receiving the scores now or later won't change the results, but students take the PSAT for a reason, i.e., to evaluate their standardized testing skills in preparation for the SAT (as well as NMS). Getting the results back as soon as possible allows more time if additional test prep is needed.</p>
<p>Also, I'd like to know the rationale for allowing results to be disclosed to GCs at all. I lack confidence in our public school GCs, I don't think my child's test results are any of their business, and I worry that a poor score seen by a GC might affect her evaluation of my child for recommendations at a later date. Maybe I'm being over-protective, but for some reason it bothers me.</p>
<p>Juniors usually pay for their tests even in places where the district pays for freshmen and sophomores. They should get the scores as soon as they are available and do as they wish with them.</p>
<p>As for the counselors knowing the scores, it's their job to know. Having confidence in what they do is a different kind of problem if it is a problem at all.</p>
<p>Bay, who was the speaker (I'm talkng credential-wise, not by name) and what did he/she say? Why didn't the counselors do the presentation?</p>
<p>
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Maybe I'm being over-protective, but for some reason it bothers me.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>College Board specifically recommends to high school counselors that they schedule a joint meeting for parents to explain what PSAT results mean. For many high school students the PSAT is the first College Board test they have taken, and they may have a vague idea what a standard score is, what a percentile score is, how the National Merit Scholarship selection process works, etc. The intention is to give people accurate information in a format where they can ask questions so that everyone is less nervous. But the delay (understandable at this busy time of year for high school counselors) probably also makes people nervous. </p>
<p>For what it's worth, we are a homeschooling family and should receive the scores by postal mail to our home (as happened the last time my son took the PSAT). We haven't seen the scores here yet, and I'm not worried about it.</p>
<p>You,</p>
<p>The speaker is a representative from Princeton Review, and it hasn't taken place yet but it is intended to address what tokenadult said. I think the GC doesn't do it because she is not qualified/competent to explain it.</p>
<p>J'adoube,</p>
<p>Why is it the GC's job to know my child's scores? We (and the testing services), NOT the GC, provide test results to colleges with the applications. I can understand why a hs would want to know how all of its students did on the PSAT/SAT/ACT as a way to monitor the school's success, but I can't think of a reason why the GC or school needs to know my child's personal scores. Can you?</p>
<p>Does your student need to be guided or misguided? Or if he needs no guide at all he may be at the wrong school.</p>
<p>Honestly, I have no intention of seeking any guidance from our GC for my child. Having been through the college app process already with older D, I feel (rightly or wrongly) about as qualified as my child's GC who has 400+ students assigned to her attention. Obviously, I can't avoid having the GC write a rec for my child, because that is what some colleges require for admission, but I would prefer not to disclose my child's standardized test scores if there is no reason to do it. To be more specific, my child scored well on the ACT, but not well on the SAT, so I would prefer that that information not color the GC's impression of my child. I feel that is our prerogative. Do you think I am wrong about this?</p>
<p>If any school your child is interested in requires the SATII's for admission, all SAT scores will be submitted to them. Nobody sees the PSAT scores except you and your school. Unless the GC is writing a letter of recommendation the color of her impression has little weight. However, if your child is a Jr, then the GC's opinion has weight in what classes can be taken next year.</p>
<p>If you took the PSAT through your high school then you signed on to the program that the high school and collegeboard run. COLLEGE BOARD WANTS guidance counselors to do a big meeting with parents or students, thats part of the point of the PSAT. </p>
<p>Not everybody is so savvy that they knew about the PSAT for years in advance and many parents don't know what they mean or the significance of it. In a way, its just a way to lessen the advantage that comes with knowing more information about these things then others.</p>
<p>You have to stop being selfish to understand. There are more kids that took the PSAT in your school than just you.</p>
<p>My school never hosts a meeting for parents when they give out PSAT scores. They usually just pass them out during second block or homeroom.</p>
<p>I had my mother call the school to get them to tell her what I made. They refused and said that they would be passed out "before Christmas Break" which is another week and a half. I highly doubt that they'll be passed out before then.</p>
<p>I don't understand how they can withold MY property and not tell me what I made on a test that I personally took.</p>
<p>I do think that the scores greatly impact the impression of the guidance counselor on the student's ability. My sister was in a situation that the guidance counselor spelled out her name and address to her, even though she told her that it was okay. She tried to get her to sign up for TP (Tech-prep) classes even though she had been in all Honors classes. The guidance counselor opened her PSAT scores, and then tried to get her to sign up for 3 AP courses. </p>
<p>However, they've never gone over my PSAT scores with me before. Granted, I don't trust my guidance counselor further than I can throw her. She called me in to ask me if I "knew how to get to the school webpage" Uhm... What? Did you seriously just ask me that? Then she asked me if I wanted to go to college... The lady has my transcripts sitting right in front of her. She tried to get me to go to the local technical school (nothing against technical schools, but when you have someone's transcripts in front of you, you should at least look at it.)</p>
<p>Ha, she also told me that there weren't any classes available for me first block second semester and that I would have to be a Teacher's Aide. Unless of course, I wanted to take Intro to Dance or Drama 1 with all of the freshman. Ha, she also tried to get me to sign up for a course that I had already taken. Her other suggestion was "Agriscience." I don't really think that I look like the farming type? Then, I went back after registration because I still didn't have a class for that period. I talked to another guidance counselor, and in about three seconds she let me take physics, even though I was already in AP chem :).</p>
<p>Guidance counselors at my school are useless. They come in about an hour late everyday. They take about two-three hours for lunch. Then they leave about an hour early. They don't ever do any work.</p>
<p>Oh, another guidance counselor story: She called me out of class (to ask me if I knew how to use the internet) then let me sit in the lobby for half an hour because there was someone in front of me and she figured that "I wouldn't show up"... Uhm. Are you serious? Why did you call me down there then? At least I got to skip half an hour of the class that she tried to get me to sign up for twice. ((Foods)).</p>
<p>Our high school does not offer a PSAT parent informational meeting of any kind. Furthermore, we have a specific guidance counselor devoted entirely to OUR grade level, besides separate college counselors, so there is no reason why the grade level counselor should be especially busy this time of year. And yet, we still haven't gotten our scores, nor have we been told when we'll get them.</p>
<p>But then again, not much about our guidance department makes sense. It almost makes me want to become a guidance counselor/college counselor myself, so I can make sure kids don't go through the same thing.</p>
<p>I wonder why so many people have so much trouble with the GCs. They have a bad rap at our school as well. Actually, in the whole district. I've heard negative stuff from elementary on up. </p>
<p>Any GCs on here who can shed some light on the lack of respect? I like both of my boys' counselors, but I'm involved in their schools, they know me by first name, etc.</p>
<p>It's silly that ANY of those standardized tests are sent to high schools. I think they should only be sent to the student and (for the SAT) the colleges that the student wishes to have them sent to.</p>
<p>the PSAT is NOT your property until the high school gives them to you. </p>
<p>It doesn't even matter, when they give you your score isn't going to change what it is. And you won't even find out if it means anything until the spring.</p>