Do you remember a time when the PSAT didn’t mean anything? I do. My sophomore year, I took my first PSAT. Our school had given us Saturday off to take the test – yes, my boarding school typically has us in class on Saturdays. Weeks earlier, our college counselors handed us a practice test, just in case we wanted to familiarize ourselves with the test. At the time, I was not concerned about how I would do, as the test would not count. The night before I briefly looked at the practice. No big deal, I just wanted to refresh my memory on some of the math. On the actual morning of the test, I did pretty well, especially considering I had no expectations.
Recently, I took the PSAT again. This time around, things were completely different. I was no longer a carefree sophomore, but a very anxious junior. All summer, I got acquainted with my SAT study guide. I brought it to work, to school, and even to bed. It’s hard to believe that this time next year I will be applying to college. With acceptance rates getting lower and lower at almost every school, I’m getting worried. This year, the PSAT actually means something. A great test score could mean scholarships and recruiting. A great score could mean the difference between an acceptance or a rejection letter.
I finished taking the test, but here comes the hard part—waiting. Until December. I can definitely say that I improved from the first time I took the test. Five weeks prior to taking the PSAT, I started a five week long SAT prep course. I learned some useful test-taking skills and my instructor did a great job of pinpointing questions I would normally struggle with on the PSAT and SAT. Although I am certain that my scores improved, I am worried they are not where I need them to be. It seems like everyone at my school is capable of achieving at least a 2000 on the SAT or a 34 on the ACT, so I definitely feel a lot of pressure going into the college process because I have steep competition. Right now, I’m trying not to stress about my scores too much. I figure that since I have done the best I could do on them, I should probably focus on things I can change, like my grades. Let me know what you thought about your PSAT and SAT experiences.
HCXO,
Jessica