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Standardized Testing : Take the PSAT for practice. Test Preparation : Take SAT/ACT in your fall or spring semester. Teacher Relationships : Build strong relationships with teachers who might write recommendationletters. Request letters in spring semester before senior year rush.
Junior Year – Fall (September to November) Take the PSAT. The PSAT, or Preliminary SAT, is a standardized test that gives you a sneak peek at what the SAT will be like. Plus, taking the PSAT puts you in the running for the National Merit Scholarship Program , which could help you earn some serious scholarship money for college.
An example of this might be that each student must take 2 natural science classes, 2 social science classes and 3 semesters of a language etc. Letter of Intent: Not to be confused with a letter of continued interest. There is also an optional Writing section which very few colleges require.
Take the PSAT in October Even if you took the PSAT during your sophomore year, this is the one that counts! The PSAT is used to qualify people for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. You will sign up for the PSAT at your school, so look for announcements from your guidance office.
Work back from there on the calendar, but I strongly recommend that juniors take one or two tests before winter break. You can prep on your own– you can sync your PSAT score to Khan Academy for adaptive learning– with a private tutor, or through a group course. See my Resource Room for the books I recommend.
If you’ve heard of the PSAT, thought about the PSAT, or taken the PSAT, chances are you’ve also heard of the National Merit Scholarship. I thought I just had to worry about the PSAT!” PSAT Selection Index Types of National Merit Scholarships How do you become a National Merit Semifinalist?
And schools like Northeastern and the University of Miami continue to offer students spots on their main campuses only after they do a semester abroad or on a different US campus. In addition, the format of the questions on Khan does not mimic those on the digital PSAT, so this is an imperfect though useful resource.
We will have those junior year PSAT results in mid or late November, so if your student has not already decided whether to test, these results can be predictive, helping a student decide whether to take a test and which one to take, SAT or ACT. Activities Do’s and Don’ts & Letters of Recommendation Remember that NACAC survey ?
Take the PSAT and plan your test dates for the ACT or SAT; typically, you will take either of these standardized tests for the first time during the winter or spring of your junior year. Confirm that your teachers have enough information and time to submit your letters of recommendation on time.
You now have quite a few items to tick off your to-do list, but don’t freak out if you’re already a rising senior — (or even a fall semester senior for that matter if you’re reading this much later). Definitely take one in the early part of the spring semester. You have plenty of time to get all this done.
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