HS juniors have gotten their PSAT scores back – should you create college lists based on these results? https://www.collegeconfidential.com/articles/should-hs-juniors-create-college-lists-based-on-psat-scores/
Good question. My son got his first SAT score back before his junior year PSAT (took them around the same time) and his SAT score was better. 1420 SAT, 1400 PSAT. So they are kind of the same. But they are on different scales, so I"m not sure how that works.
I would recommend waiting. However, it does not hurt to research some schools that your child may be interested in. His/her score could increase immensely after taking the real SAT.
According to its PSAT/NMSQT Understanding Scores document, College Board designed the PSAT and SAT so that, in theory, the scores would be the same if taken on the same day and show “growth” in between the fall junior year PSAT and an SAT taken at a much later date such as spring of junior year or fall of senior year. (However, the harsher scoring scales of late may make the PSAT a less reliable estimate for high scorers, not to mention the difference in ceilings.)
Yes, that’s absolutely where I would start.
Applications go out in fall of Senior year. So, at least in my house, that means that the college visits take place from the start of Junior year until about mid summer before Senior year. For many kids, that May SAT date is too late to start focusing on which schools they have a real shot at. So the PSAT gives you a ballpark and gets you started.