If I were to do well on the PSAT, would that make up somewhat for my freshmen year grades? My freshmen average was an 86, pretty dismal compared to other applicants. I’m applying to some selective schools for the eleventh-grade. For reference, well means 1450+.
If you showed improvement over time, those freshman grades won’t obliterate you–at least I know that is true for colleges. Typically, your PSAT or SSAT grades should be in-line with your regular grades or better for the best effect. That being said, it really depends. But you always want to shoot for the highest possible grade on the SSAT.
However, if you have are failing all your classes but get a 99th %-tile on the PSAT, it would look like either you cheated, or you don’t try in school which is not the impression you want to give.