PSAT Scores Back
Session
Your Speaker today is:
Racquel Reber
Director of Outreach
You can reach me at:
949-836-5539
Racquel.reber@review.com
Or visit us at
Agenda
 The PSAT
 National Merit/MeritBased Aid
 Improving Test Scores
 Testing in College
Admissions
 Your Testing Timeline
 Q&A
Why did I take the PSAT?
It’s a predictor of how you will do on the
SAT.
It’s good practice for the “experience” of
taking standardized exams
It determines your eligibility for a National
Merit Scholarship
At some high schools, your junior year
PSAT score goes on your transcript
Your Scores
The PSAT has 3 sections: Critical
Reading, Math, and Writing. Each
section is scored on a 20-80 scale.
An average score in each section is
50.
Selection Index
The sum of all three scores. (158)
Get an estimate of your SAT score by
adding a zero to your selection index
number. (1580)
Your Scores
Score
You can see your projected SAT
score online in My College QuickStart
(www.collegeboard.com/quickstart).
Score Range
Percentile
If you are a junior, your scores are
compared to those of other juniors.
If you are a sophomore or younger
student, your scores are compared to
those of sophomores.
How is the PSAT Scored?
Section
Math
Critical
Reading
Writing
Total
Score Range
20 – 80
20 – 80
20 – 80
60 - 240
Avg Jr Score
47.6
48.3
45.6
141.5
Avg Jr Score (CA)
48.4
47.3
46.1
141.8
Avg Jr Score (NY)
46.4
45.2
42.9
134.5
Avg Soph Score
42.6
43.5
41.2
127.3
• California National Merit Qualifying Score: 223
What’s a good score?
A “good” score is the score that helps YOU get into
AND PAY FOR your top-choice college.
SAT
ACT
National Average
1500
(500 per section)
21
Solid High Score
1800
26
Highly Selective
2100+
31+
7
Where could your scores take you?
School
Average SAT
Average ACT
Boston University
1970
29
Columbia University
2230
33
Georgetown University
2220
33
McGill University
2070
31
New York University
1950
29
Northwestern University
2160
32
UCSB
1840
27
UCLA
1950
29
USC
2080
32
University of Michigan
2030
30
University of North Carolina
1940
30
University of Texas at Austin
1860
28
Washington University (St. Louis)
2230
33
Scores are not just about getting in. High scores can help you get $ for college.
8
Your Scores = Money
Strong PSAT, SAT, or ACT scores
can turn into money for college.
Most scholarship, grant, and
merit-based aid awards include
test scores as part of their
decision making process.
National Merit Scholarship
Corporation Information
The Selection Index is the sum of your critical reading,
mathematics and writing skills scores.
If it has an asterisk, you do not meet all of the eligibility
requirements for the competition.
The Percentile compares your performance to that of other
college-bound juniors.
The Entry Requirements section displays information you
provided on your answer sheet.
National Merit Scholarship
Awarded to the top 1% of the country
Automatically entered if you meet certain
criteria
Other factors considered such as GPA and
official SAT scores
Commended, Semi-Finalist, Finalist
California Selection Index: 223
@PrincetonRevuOC
Your Skills
See how you did on each skill. The same skills are tested on the SAT.
You can try hundreds of practice questions, organized by skill, online
in My College QuickStart (www.collegeboard.com/quickstart).
Your Answers
You will get your test book back with
your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that
you can review the questions.
You can also review each test
question in My College QuickStart.
Your Answers:
Student-Produced
Responses
Some of the math problems required you
to grid in answers instead of selecting an
option. For these questions, you will see
the correct answer(s) written out.
Next Steps
What’s next?
Use the access code on your report to log in to My College
QuickStart, a personalized college and career planning kit. There you
can:
•Search for colleges
•Get a personalized SAT study plan
•Take a personality test to find majors and careers that fit you
www.collegeboard.com/quickstart
The Four Pillars of
College Admissions




Test Scores
Grades
Strength of Schedule
Academic Curiosity
Testing in College
Admissions
All colleges accept the SAT
or ACT without preference.
It’s worth trying out both to
see if you perform better on
one over the other.
SAT vs. ACT
SAT
ACT
Frequency?
Seven times per year
Six times per year
What is tested?
Math, Reading,
Writing, Essay
Math, Reading, Writing, Science,
Optional Essay
What is the test
structure?
Ten sections with a
masked experimental
Four sections. Optional
experimental clearly marked
Length (w/o
breaks)
3 hours, 45 minutes
3 hours, 25 minutes (With Essay)
Penalty for
Yes
wrong answers?
No
How is it
scored?
800 per section, 2400
total
36 per section, 36 total
Average Scores
Math: 516
Critical Reading: 501
Writing: 492
English: 20.5
Math: 21.1
Reading: 21.3
Science: 20.9
SAT vs ACT - More Differences



SAT tests vocabulary
ACT has a Science section
SAT essay is required. ACT essay is optional








SAT essay is philosophical
ACT essay is high school friendly
SAT is trickier but tests easier concepts
ACT is harder, but straightforward
SAT is more technique-based (easier to learn)
ACT is more content-based (harder to learn)
Easier to improve SAT score b/c it’s a sum of 3 sections
Harder to improve ACT score b/c average of 4 sections
*If you have a PSAT and PLAN score, we can determine the better test for you.
19
WHICH TESTS ARE FOR YOU?
• PSAT / SAT I
» This is the big one that everyone talks about. It was changed because of criticism from the UC’s
and it is longer than ever. You will likely take this once or twice in your junior year and then again
in your senior year.
• SAT Subject Tests (Formerly SAT IIs)
» These are subject based tests that are similar to the curriculum you learn in school. Many students
take 2 or 3 of these in May of their junior year, but might also take 1 or 2 in their sophomore year.
• ACT
» This is an alternative to the SAT I and has been very popular in the Midwest and the South
historically. It is given on alternate Saturdays from the SAT. It is accepted by every 4 year school
in the U.S. in place of the SAT.
• AP
» These will be taken at your school in May. If you do well, you can receive credit for college classes
Redesigned SAT
Redesign SAT Spring 2016
21
Why the changes?
More students are choosing to take the ACT and
the SAT wants to regain its dominance.
The Princeton Review has been around for 7 SAT changes
and they always proclaim the same things. They want to
align the test with curriculum and make it less preppable.
What about the NEW SAT?
SAT vs. ACT
Sold to
Consumers
Sold to
States (19)
SO HOW DID THE SAT REACT WHEN IT BECAME LESS POPULAR?
1. SAT realized the most spoken phrase in education today is
“Common Core”.
2. Hire David Coleman, the architect of Common Core.
3. David Coleman proclaims that SAT must align itself to
Common Core standards.
4. Voila – the New SAT is touted as “very similar to the ACT but
more rigorous”.
Topic
Big Picture
Math
More advanced and complex on R-SAT including more Grid-In
(not multiple choice) questions
Reading
Less vocabulary on R-SAT, but more charts, graphs and
references to historical documents
Writing
More grammar on R-SAT and tested in passages. Optional
essay doesn’t count toward Composite score.
Answers
Fewer choices on R-SAT is easier
Guessing
No penalty for wrong answers makes it easier to guess
Will the Redesigned SAT be as coachable as the current SAT and ACT?
Yes, the new SAT will be harder, but it will still be coachable.
Class of 2017 students deciding between ACT and Redesigned SAT?
• If they like higher order math, they may prefer R-SAT.
• If they do better with language than math, they may prefer the ACT.
What do the changes mean?




Affects Class of 2017 and beyond.
Class of 2015 and 2016 will take current SAT.
Class of 2017 may have option to take both tests.
Revised PSAT will take place in October 2015 before the
redesigned SAT rolls out in Spring 2016.
Whether it's new or old, a test is still a test. All
standardized tests are coachable and it all starts with
creating a plan to set yourself up for success.
25
Class of 2017
Find the Selection Index from your October 2014 PSAT:
SAT
• If your SI is 154 or
higher, take the current
SAT. (It will be offered
4 times in your junior
year.)
SAT
• If your SI is between
145 & 153, & your
highest subscore is
Writing, take the
current SAT
Class of 2017
Find the Selection Index from your October 2014 PSAT:
ACT
ACT
• If your SI is 144 or less,
take the ACT
• If your SI is between
145 & 153, and writing
isn’t your highest
subscore, take the ACT
Class of 2017 test date options in junior year (20152016)
Current
SAT
ACT
•
•
•
•
•
•
September 2015
October 2015
December 2015
February 2016
April 2016
June 2016
•
•
•
•
October 2015
November 2015
December 2015
January 2016
Option 1: Take ACT only.
Option 2: Take current SAT only.
Option 3. Take redesigned SAT only.
Option 4: Take a combination of the above.
Redesigned
SAT
• March 2016
• May 2016
• June 2016
High School Timeline
9th Grade – grades and extracurricular activities
10th Grade – grades, tough classes, activities, build relationships,
take practice PSAT, try a Subject Test if needed
Summer after 10th Grade – start prep for PSAT and SAT or ACT,
continue activities
11th Grade – grades, tough classes, activities, take SAT and/or ACT,
try a Subject Test if needed, explore colleges
12th Grade – grades, take SAT or ACT again if needed, apply to
college in the fall and for financial aid after January 1.
Improve Your Test
Scores
 Free Options:
•
•
Kahn Academy or
MyCollegeQuickStart via
College Board
Number2.com
 Lower Cost Options:
•
•
Books
In-School Courses*
 “Guaranteed” Options:
•
•
30 hour(+) preparation
Private, in-home tutoring
How The Princeton Review Can
Help
Our job is to raise scores on
standardized tests
• We are the experts: we
know these tests cold
• We have developed testspecific strategies—that
other companies copy
• We’ll teach you the content
you need to know
• We’ll help you develop an
appropriate pacing strategy
• We’ll help you manage test
anxiety
• We have options for every
schedule and learning style
• We are passionate about
what we do and are so
confident with our results
we actually GUARANTEE
them!
Q&A
Your Speaker today is:
Racquel Reber
Director of Outreach
You can reach me at:
949-836-5539
Racquel.reber@review.com
xxx@review.com
32