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There are a series of tests that are required by many colleges and optional at others. No doubt you’re familiar with them: the PSAT, the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests, the ACT and TOEFL exams.
In October of junior year, students are given the PSAT, either during school hours or on a Saturday in October. The official name of this test is the Preliminary Scholarship Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. For most students, this can simply be thought of as a Practice SAT (PSAT), but for
others this, exam and the index created by its scores will qualify a student as a Commended, a Semi-Finalist, or a National Merit Scholar.
Being chosen as any of these is something about which you should be very proud; it is also a valuable advantage. Colleges will look favorably upon your application, and should you reach the status of Merit Scholar, substantial amounts of tuition money may be available for you, whether you are applying for financial aid or not.
Your PSAT results and answer sheets will be available in your Guidance Office in mid-December; definitely retrieve your score sheets so you can work on your weak areas. If you
are going to hire a tutor, it would be wise to use the results to
create your learning strategy. Incidentally, colleges do not see PSAT scores.
SAT Subject Tests are offered in Literature, US History, World History, Math (Levels I and II), Biology (Ecological or Molecular), Chemistry, Physics, and Languages. Each is an hour long,
so you can take a maximum of three at each sitting. If your counselor and teachers recommend that you take these very rigorous tests (approximately one hundred colleges require them), we suggest that you take them as you finish the course in the corresponding subject.
Susan has a number of tutors for ACT and SAT tests
who are also available to assist students with difficult subjects.
She can be contacted for those names, or you can go to
www.allanschneidertutoring.com.
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