Here comes the PSAT!

On Saturday, October 20th, IRHS will be conducting the PSAT/NMSQT.

The majority of juniors probably should be taking that exam. While this is a practice exam to determine areas for improvement leading up the SAT, the NMSQT portion is also the qualifier for National Merit, Semifinalist, Commended, National Hispanic and National Achievement Scholar status.

From this sitting, your scores and information are purchased by colleges nationwide. Your mailbox will begin to swell with pamphlets, viewbooks and invitations to visit. It's all part of the process. Know you are wanted.

You may purchase your PSAT/NMSQT in the bookstore. Equally important is to prepare for the exam rather than take it cold. Thorough test prep can do a few things: preparation will raise your scores, it will put you in a position to rank among the higher test scores and it will separate you from the pack of students who don't conduct test preparation.

By scoring among the highest you may find you are a commended scholar or better. That's a nice feather in your cap and in conjunction with your academic GPA likely will mean scholarships and admittance to the honors portion of your desired college.

Honors is a nice and sought after designation at many colleges-better housing, better registration times, access to faculty and smaller class sizes. All sorts of professors will seek you out because you've proven you're studious and curious.

There is a movement afoot to look at test scores differently though and for the flipside of high stakes testing you may wish to visit www.fairtest.org. Some of the stuff on there is controversial but it is information for parents nonetheless and for many of you, being apprised of conflicting information leaves you better informed.

Finally, the PSAT is best used as a prescriptive tool. While the scores earned may or may not have huge importance to your child, the analysis and feedback is invaluable. On a similar note, the military's ASVAB also provides excellent feedback. What subject matter your child has mastered and what material needs work will become apparent when you seek out the details inherent in the scores.

A note about test preparation. This can be as simple as using The College Board's material found online. Or, you can turn it up a notch and head to Barnes & Noble and purchase a test prep book. Your child spends a few hours on that per week and that may work for you. Also, the for-profit test prep centers such as Kaplan provide great information on how to school the exam.

Editor's FYI:  

Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen are encouraged to purchase the PSAT at the bookstore for $25.00 through Friday, Oct. 5th. There are only 300 tests available so have your student get to the bookstore soon!