Life After the PSAT
The middle of December is a time of important revelations for many young people as they apply to college. If you are a high school Junior, the chances are you will learn your PSAT results in the next few days. As momentous as this event (the unveiling of your scores) might seem, you need to keep it in perspective.
The results you receive are probably the first, official scores that define your opportunities as a college applicant. Despite everything you’ve done to post the highest possible score—pre-tests, test prep and practice tests—this one is real. If you like what you see, congratulations! You’re off to a good start. And if your numbers don’t measure up to you expectations, relax—your life isn’t over.
As a matter of fact, the last thing you want to do is jump to conclusions that either, “Wow! Look at that score! I’ll be able to get in wherever I want to go!” or “I might as well forget it—I’ll never get into a ‘good’ school.” I have talked with families whose students posted amazing scores that attracted a lot of unsolicited attention from colleges—and considerable advice from anyone who had an opinion about where their kids should be looking. And I have heard from families lamenting low scores and wondering, “What can we do next?”
However you feel about your scores, don’t let them change you. Big scores are no more a guarantee of admission and scholarships than modest scores are a limitation of opportunity. Use what you learn from the results to help yourself. Stay focused on your priorities. Do what you do as well as you can. And look for colleges that value you for what you do well.
And now a few words of caution for students with high PSAT results:
While some institutions will offer you the “sun and the moon” because of you are qualified for selection as a National Merit Scholar, make sure those places are good fits for you. Will they be able to offer you the kind of learning environment as well as the program of study that is important to you? Don’t make any commitments until you have visited their campuses. In addition, understand that the more selective institutions will see hundreds if not thousands of candidates with scores just like yours—and turn down most of them. A big score is not a guarantee of admission.
How to Use the PSAT Results
While I am not a fan of standardized testing as an evaluative tool in the admission process, your results can help you arrive at a short list of schools at which you should be able to compete for admission. Here is what you can do. Multiply your PSAT results by 10 and then add 60 points. This will enable you to approximate your SAT result. For example, a PSAT Critical Reading score of 57 is multiplied by 10 to become 570. The addition of 60 points to the combined Critical Reading and Math scores reflects the typical improvement shown over the course of 2-3 test administrations. Therefore, a PSAT Critical Reading and Math combination of 114 (that translates into an SAT score of 1140) could become an SAT score of 1200 down the road.
With that information in hand, look at the range of SAT Critical Reading and Math scores for enrolled students reported by the schools that interest you. Focus on the places where your projected result would put you in the top half of the scores reported. Do the same for your ACT results if you took that test. This approach to selecting schools isn’t full proof, but it will help you identify the right competitive “playing fields” for you given your credentials.
Additional Tips
Now that you have “gotten your feet wet” with testing, keep the following in mind as you proceed with additional testing.
- You have testing options. Try the SAT and the ACT to discover the style of test that fits you best. Then, focus on preparing for that test. Every college in the country accepts ACT and SAT results.
- Limit yourself to three sittings for the test you choose (ACT/SAT). There is a point of diminishing return!
- Students applying for admission next fall will have “score choice” at their disposal which means you can choose the scores you would like to forward to colleges. When you take the SAT, you will be given the opportunity to designate up to four colleges to receive your results. Don’t list any schools unless you don’t care that they see all of your scores. Instead, wait until you have taken the SAT several times to determine which scores you’d like to send.
- Speaking of options, 779 colleges universities now welcome applications without test results. Go to http://www.FairTest.org to see the list of “test optional” schools.
COMING SOON!
A dynamic new membership program, Best College Fit™, will be unveiled in the coming days. If you like the frank, insightful commentary about the college planning process provided by Peter Van Buskirk, you will love the program features (listserve discussions, webcasts, “Action Plan for College”) brought to you by Best College Fit.
Stay tuned for details!
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