This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Taking the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is a great way to familiarize yourself with standardized testing, determine your strengths and weaknesses, and qualify for scholarships. The PSAT is also considered a predictive test in that it can inform how well you’ll perform on the SAT without any additional prep. WHAT IS THE PSAT?
Breaking Down the Score Report Like the SAT, the PSAT has two sections: Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math. The PSAT is scored out of 1520 (while a perfect score on the SAT is 1600). The National Merit Scholarship Corporation compares a student’s score to the eligibility score for that student’s home state.
Test scores and test-optional admissions, which have been in the spotlight for several years now, are getting renewed attention as of late. Many colleges have still not decided if they will become permanently test-optional for admissions. I want to thank my colleague Meg Joyce for co-writing this blog post with me.
Not everyone feels confident when it comes to taking tests. You’re not alone— around 40 to 60% of high school students experience test anxiety, a type of stress that makes it tough to focus and perform well during exams. As a high school student, you’re probably no stranger to big tests like AP exams, the PSAT, or the SAT and ACT.
Marks Education breaks down what your PSAT results mean and how you can use them. This month, most high school sophomores and juniors will receive the results of the PSAT they took in October. For many juniors, receiving their PSAT results marks the beginning of a concerted push to get ready for the SAT or ACT.
A guide to the standardized test that determines National Merit and prepares students for the SAT. What is the PSAT? If you’re the parent of a high school senior, your child is likely focusing on the ACT or SAT , the standardized tests that are a crucial part of college admissions. What’s a good PSAT score?
Even better when you realize that just by taking the PSAT in the fall of your junior year, you’ve already entered yourself for this award! million high school juniors took the PSAT, but the National Merit Scholarship selected only 7,500 finalists. Students qualify for the National Merit program by achieving a high score on the PSAT.
College/University Terms: Accelerated Degree Programs: An accelerated degree program reduces the amount of time it takes to obtain an undergraduate degree by at least one year. Most accelerated degree programs allow a student to obtain a bachelor’s degree in three years or less. Colleges typically do not have graduate students.
If you’re reading this, we’re guessing one of three things is true: you’re about to take the PSAT (don’t worry … it’s just practice!), you already took the PSAT and are waiting for your PSAT scores (woohoo … you did it!), or you already received your PSAT scores and you’re now wondering, “what do these numbers even mean?”
What is a “good” PSAT score? What is the point of the PSAT? And are there other merit scholarships out there? The College Board PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), taken October of sophomore or junior year, is more than just a warm up for the SAT or the ACT. Who selects winners?
Updated December 2022 Did Your Student Just Receive PSAT Scores? This One’s for You: Everyone has questions about PSAT scores when they come out each December, and I am here with answers for you. What Is the PSAT? Most high schools offer the PSAT to juniors as part of the National Merit Scholar (NMS) search process.
What is the National Merit Scholar Competition/Test (NMSQT) and How Does it Relate to the PSAT? Junior year PSATtest takers are automatically considered for the National Merit Scholar competition, so the PSAT for juniors is officially known as the NMSQT/PSAT.
Those assessments include: PSAT/NMSQTP SAT 10 SAT School Day The College Board estimates that these student populations will represent about 1/3 of students in the College Board network in the 2023-2024 subscription year. Geographies will available) 5 Test Score Band options. Here is what we know and how we can help your institution.
We assume you’re here because you have standardized testing questions. TABLE OF CONTENTS (click to skip ahead) Defining terms: What’s the difference between “test optional” and “test blind/free”? How can students find out what a “good score” is? How much do standardized tests matter for colleges? How about APs?
Testing Tips and Timeline for High School Juniors (Class of 2025) October - Taking the PSAT Most high school juniors in the US will take the PSAT on or around October 11. It is meant to be a warm-up to the real test, and it is! The PSAT will still be the qualifying exam for the National Merit scholarship (the NMSQT).
With Dartmouth and Yale now requiring test scores, will the test optional trend reverse? A March 2024 Update As we head deep into the middle of the school year, many juniors are taking the ACT or SAT– or wondering whether they should in this largely test-optional world.
What Is the National Merit Scholar Competition/Test (NMSQT) and How Does It Relate to the PSAT? Junior year PSATtest takers are automatically considered for the National Merit Scholar competition , so the PSAT for juniors is officially known as the NMSQT/PSAT. For the Class of 2025, New Jersey and D.C.
With Dartmouth now requiring test scores, will the test optional trend reverse? As we round the bend on the middle of the year, many juniors are taking the ACT or SAT– or wondering whether they should in this largely test-optional world. Sophomores looking ahead to fall testing are starting to prep.
Here in Washington state, PSAT results came out a few weeks ago, and since then I have received a steady stream of new junior inquiries. (It Usually the biggest stressor for families is what to do with these scores and how to move forward with a testing plan for the next year. But test optional (or even test blind !)
These tests loom large in the college admissions process. And yet, every student seems to be asking these days, “do my test scores matter?” ” No other aspect of the college preparation process generates as many questions—and anxieties—as the standardized tests. Do my test scores matter?
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?
The SAT is already being offered digitally in 2023 for international test sites and will convert to a digital format in March 2024 for US test sites. The SAT is already being offered digitally in 2023 for international test sites and will convert to a digital format in March 2024 for US test sites. CTK College Coach.
About two-thirds of applicants come from the United States, with the remaining applicants coming from outside the country. About two-thirds of applicants come from the United States, with the remaining applicants coming from outside the country. TABLE OF CONTENTS (click to skip ahead) What is the Research Science Institute?
Illinois high school students are rethinking their standardized testing plans. Following an announcement by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) , the ACT will replace the SAT as the state’s high school accountability assessment. Key takeaways: Testing is still free. PSAT/NMSQT is no longer required.
When you’re planning to go to college, one big hurdle is that, for many schools, you must first complete a standardized test (if not a few). Keep reading to discover all of the important differences as well as which test you should take! What is on the ACT test? What is on the SAT test? What is on the ACT test?
The highly selective nature of the school means that you will need to stand out with your grades and scores to make it past the first round. Harvard states that there isn’t a single path of academics that all applicants are expected to follow in high school. and across the world. or above, and 18% had GPAs from 3.78
Additionally, the PSAT will go digital in October of this year. The maximum score for the SAT will remain 1600 and students will take the test at a school or test center. They may use their own or one provided by their school or test center. The test has been pared down to two sections, rather than four.
BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK While you should take some of this with a grain of salt—schools like Vanderbilt, Wash U, and Emory are not exactly "Plan B" for even the most qualified applicants out there—maybe Plan A-Part 2?— Every year our students tell us how happy they are to be done well in advance of the winter break and January deadlines!
BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS PSAT SCORES (AND NATIONAL MERIT CUTOFF ESTIMATES) RELEASED PSAT scores were released on November 6 or 16, depending on the date students took the test (if your student hasn’t received their score reports, have them go see their school counselor!).
Here are my top five tips: 1) Prepare well and early for standardized (SAT and ACT) tests. That said, don’t pursue testing if it is not the right option for you. Know your landscape on testing. We are in a test optional world , and I predict it will remain so. How do I know which test to take– SAT or ACT?
Last year its acceptance rate plummeted to 33% for out-of-state students , less than half of what it was the year before. Other schools, like Clemson and the University of South Carolina , are deferring high percentages of out-of-state students as their application numbers soar.
Starting in March 2024, the SAT is switching to a shorter, denser, computer-adaptive online test, replacing the current paper version of the SAT. For more information on the new version of the test, check out our blog on the new digital SAT ( LINK ). What does this mean for test takers in the United States?
The last ECA post commented on some issues arising out of the brief filed with the United States Supreme Court on May 2 by Students For Fair Admissions (SFFA) in its case alleging discrimination against Asian-American applicants to Harvard and UNC-Chapel Hill. That includes recruiting students differently based on race.
(Originally published in Inside Higher Ed ’s “Admissions Insider” January 30, 2023) In case you missed it, there was a bizarre news story coming out of the D.C. Students who score in the top one-half of one percent on the PSAT taken in the junior year, the qualifying test for National Merit. area a couple of weeks ago. “So
Department of Education is turning to two executives at the College Board to fix the problems that have plagued the launch of the “simplified” Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a launch that turned out to be anything but simple. The word “loan” implies a payback. What does the College Board get in return?
UNC provides easy-to-locate, detailed information about average GPA and test scores, applicant and admitted student data, class profiles, and demographics. Can I qualify as an in-state student for residency or tuition purposes? The State of Texas accommodates students born outside the state or country yet reside there full-time.
Juniors: What to Do and When As I launch our high school seniors out the door with their early college applications this month, I have one eye on the kids queuing up to begin the college application process: your juniors. The Test-Optional Movement and How it Affects You Should I Take the ACT or SAT or Neither One?
What does this change mean for you, the test taker? The digital SAT will be offered for the first time in the United States in March 2024, but international SAT students took the digital SAT for the first time in March 2023. will become familiar with digital testing this fall when the PSAT will be offered in the digital format.
Maybe if you have an outstanding academic record, near-perfect test scores, and a resume that's beaming with extracurricular achievements. First off, applying to college during your junior year is typically only done by students with nearly perfect GPAs and test scores who are seeking a competitive edge in the admissions process.
My recommendations will not change because of UT-Austin going test-optional, which I discuss here. In the Fall 2018 cycle, UT required all students to write an Academics short answer discussing their academic record. Some students used this as an opportunity to present special circumstances. Write an essay describing that information.
Instead of waiting for official notification, we just compare the student’s selection index on their 11th grade PSAT with the score cutoffs online. BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK CYBER ATTACK SHUTS DOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT Students in Des Moines, Iowa, received two unexpected days off of school last week.
Notably, this aid comes from the institutions themselves, making it distinct from the federal aid that students can apply for by filling out the FAFSA online. You may need to create a CSS login and password, but if you already have a College Board sign-in for AP tests , the PSAT , or the SAT , you can use that to log in.
These institutions are swamped with applications, and a detailed resume not only makes their job easier but also gives you a chance to stand out beyond just grades and test scores. A resume lets you go deeper, stretch out, and paint a fuller picture of your story. Do You Need a Resume for College Applications? Not really!
You’re applying to college and you want to make sure that your college applications stand out among all of the rest. Time to channel your inner Vogelkop Superb Bird of Paradise and pull out all of your finest courtship moves as you attempt to woo your perfect college match. But maybe how exactly you do that feels a little … nebulous.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 5,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content