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How does taking the PSATs help your child? December 2019
In this blog, we discuss how taking the PSATs can help your child. PSAT or Preliminary SAT is an exam usually taken in the junior year of high school. It can be taken from the 8th grade to the 11th grade. We have discussed in detail about the PSAT in several of our blogs. (Please scroll down to view the additional list of blogs related to the PSAT and click on the links provided)
So, if you are thinking of enrolling your child to take the PSATs and wondering whether it is really worth the time and effort, we have summarized the analysis so that you can decide if taking the PSAT will be helpful for your child.
The following are the ways taking the PSAT can help your child:
Improvement in SAT Scores
Most of the students taking the PSAT see significant improvement in their SAT scores. With the SAT score being the deciding factor in college admission, preparing for and taking the PSAT provides a good base to do much better in the SAT.
Feedback on PSAT scores
High school Students enrolling for PSAT also get access to My College Quick Start, which is an online personalized kit for college and career planning. Here, the students are given feedback on their strengths and weaknesses, need for improvement areas based on their PSAT performance.
Comparison with other Students
Apart from individual score analysis and being a preliminary exam for the SAT, the PSAT can also give you a comparative analysis of your child’s performance with that of other high school kids applying to college.
Scholarship from National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Students in grade 11 who take the PSAT are entered for the scholarship competition from National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Although it does not guarantee a scholarship, it does provide gifted students a unique opportunity for scholarship.
Familiarization with the SAT
Since the PSAT is based on SAT type questions and scoring, if your child appears for the PSAT, then it provides a base to become familiar with the types of questions and the exact exam directions given in the SAT.
Prepares the student for college well in advance
Even though your child might just be a sophomore or junior in high school, taking the PSAT exposes your child to the next step of college, well in advance. It makes the students more aware of the choices available, their strengths and skills and also pushes them to think about career and college skills needed. This gives your child a head start compared to other children who directly appear for the SAT.
Do refer to additional blogs in our website if you needed more information on how to prepare for PSAT, PSAT scoring etc. The following are the links to the blogs on the PSAT:
For latest official information about PSAT, please visit www.collegeboard.com