It’s a relief to have it done, isn’t it? Whatever the score, there are no retakes on this one. We get to just move along now.
Oh, now I see. Yeah, it’s fun. It’s sort of like Naviance scatter plots. Possibly just another way of slicing the data to fool yourself into seeing what you want to see, but it helps pass the anxious waiting time…
I don’t think there is real use, just like CC Chances threads.
Son19 took the psat today and said it was pretty easy, going as far to say he doesn’t even think he got anything wrong on the math section. Yeah sure, lol.
Anyways, this is just a practice test for him, so if it builds confidence and relieves some stress about having to take the real thing it’s all good no matter the score.
Coming from a student c/o of 2018: As far the college match tool goes, it’s not very believeable. I have over a 4.0 but it’s not like a 4.5 (which is the highest you can get at my school (one of the hardest high schools in my state)), and it keeps matching me with ivies. While I’m applying to some ivies, my chance of admission is low. So, I wouldn’t let your kids build up a lot of hope. While they should certainly apply to where ever they please, I don’t want them to get their hopes up because of false notions. Also, it says “100%” match…ok…I’m sorry, but is anyone REALLY a 100% match with Harvard?
Also, as far as scatter plots go, yes they can be helpful, but it kind of sucks because you don’t know who had hooks such as being a URM or recruited athlete. Someone from my school got into Dartmouth with a 21 on her act, WHAT? I don’t know this for a fact, but I’m 99.9% she was a recruited athlete. There’s just no way a hook like legacy or URM could get her in like that. I honestly don’t understand how she was at my school with that score. Maybe she’s a bad test taker.
Anyways, just be careful with Naviance. Yes, it can be helpful, but can also create false hope. Maybe your kid can ask your counselor about certain people. i.e.: Was this admitted student an athlete, urm, etc.
if SAT doesn’t work out, i’d try the ACT. My sat score was much lower than my act. On my act I got a 33 (which i recognize isn’t that good, but I’m retaking it) and on my SAT…well…I fell asleep, literally. I’d probably be lucky to get the equivalent of a 30…that test bored me to SLEEP.
@JustLivingLife Your assessment that a 33 and a 30 on the ACT “isn’t that good” is inaccurate . A 33 is in the 99th percentile and a 30 is in the 95th percentile. It’s all relative depending on the schools that a student is targeting . We have students targeting any variety of schools on this thread , please don’t dismiss the ones not targeting superselective schools with inaccurate info and humble bragging.
@JustLivingLife Good luck on your admissions journey! Don’t hold anything back and really put yourself out there on your essays…no regrets!
If you are targeting Ivy’s and other similar tippy top schools, I would agree that it might be a good idea to retake the 33 because you do have enough time before RD deadlines. Don’t let information on other acceptances (hooked or not) get you down, just try and focus on your applications and things you have under your control.
Positive vibes and best of luck! With your GPA and already achieved 33, I’m sure you’ll have a lot of great options open to you as long as you apply broadly.
My D took the PSAT yesterday as well and felt it was quite easy (something she did not say last year, or after any of her practice tests). She had a number of other friends who were saying the same thing.
I’m worried that the curve (if any) on Saturday’s version will be brutal.
@justliviglife Yes, people should definitely consider the ACT. Especially if math is their weak area. Math is half of the SAT, while it is one-fourth of the ACT.
D19 is an anomaly, so YMMV. But her first practice ACT was a 32, which concords to a 1450-1480 SAT. But her individual sections (34, 25, 35, 35) concord to a 1350-1390 SAT (750 to 770 verbal and 600-620 math). Because she did really well in reading and writing, but only 79th percentile math.
Agreed, @gusmahler.
My d19 did practices for each and her practice SAT was higher. More importantly, she was more comfortable and felt less stressed with the SAT format. But had she felt the opposite, we would have very easily switched focus to the ACT. I will definitely keep that in mind when my d22 has her turn too.
@zipstermom we’ve thought about that curve issue but the reality is my d put everything she reasonably could into the test Saturday. Even if the curve is nicer for Wednesday, there is really nothing she could have done about it. She couldn’t have studied harder or longer while keeping herself emotionally and physically healthy while keeping grades up. She couldn’t have taken the test Wednesday instead. Whatever the curve is, that’s out of her hands.
At least that’s what we remind ourselves any time we start to perseverate on it 
Yeah, I don’t understand people who worry so much about a test that’s in the past. Move on to the future and stop asking “what if.”
Thinking about what you did wrong might be useful for the ACT/SAT, because you might take the test again and don’t want to make the same mistake again. You’re never taking the PSAT again. Look at your scores in December to determine weak areas, then plan a study plan for the SAT/ACT.
I’m pretty sure S19 wouldn’t get a 222 on any PSAT even with a more generous curve, so we likely won’t give it another thought until mid-December.
I am starting to get a little antsy for the SAT results, which could be ready Friday morning! S19 even seems mildly interested. I have a ballpark “one and done” score in mind, but ultimately, further testing is up to him unless he ends up needing a certain score for merit aid.
Yes @eh1234 !
I mean, waiting is the hardest. Whether the score is enough to be one and done or whether it gives us a good idea of areas to focus practice on, we will be good. But we just want to know!
I’m thinking of not looking until the afternoon though. I don’t want her to see it in the morning and be disappointed but still have school on Friday.
But I also don’t know if any of us will be able to wait.
@mom2twogirls When the Aug SAT scores came out, I checked before S19 got up. They were out early around 5:30 CST I think. The score was good, so I told him to check when he woke up and let him be surprised. If the score wasn’t what I thought he hoped for, I would have fibbed and told him the scores aren’t out until the afternoon. Don’t know if that would work with everyone but he doesn’t know his College Board password since I set up the account and he would have been so busy at school that he just would have HAD to wait until he got home!
Yeah, I’ve thought about doing something like that but I’m a terrible liar. Like horrible, so she would know at some point that I lied. Also, if her score isn’t a one and done, and I did lie, then she might think I didn’t tell her because it was something to be ashamed of or disappointed in. It’s just how she thinks. I’m considering not checking until after she leaves for the day, since she won’t be able to check herself from school. That way I can satisfy my own curiosity!
Signed up today for Dec 2nd SAT. Will see how that works out. Back as a freshman S took the ACT and only scored a 26 (though he got a 31 in math). Think we will stick with SAT for him, as it seems a better fit, but might try the ACT again.
The CB PSAT Score Release Schedule indicates that it will be released based on “your state”. The info is:
California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon, Missouri, Colorado, Wisconsin, Nevada, Kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Nebraska, West Virginia, Montana, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa, Minnesota.
December 11
Texas, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Arizona, District of Columbia, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Delaware, New Mexico.
December 12
Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Vermont. International students should also expect scores on this date.
December 13
Here’s the link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/scores/getting-scores
Of course, don’t know if this is based on from what state you are accessing your scores, which state your high school is located…
Thanks @ThinkOn !
I guess I’m not super curious. Are we all just thinking that we would have a better idea of NMF once we have these scores in hand? They don’t report the cut off for another year. I suppose we could just assume the state’s cutoff number stays the same and cross our fingers with that. I wonder if there’s any chatter yet on whether the cutoffs will stay high (since I think last year they went up in many states).