PSAT Scores… Now What? Northwestern Lehigh High School Presenter Leslie Robinson High School...

PSAT Scores…Now What?Northwestern Lehigh High School

PresenterLeslie RobinsonHigh School Territory Manager-The Princeton Review

Phone: 215-514-3498Email: Lrobinson@review.com

Agenda for Today• Understanding your PSAT/NMSQT Results• Intro to the SAT• College Admissions/Testing Timeline

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.

Your Scores

What happens when you answer?

If you get it right...

If you leave it blank...

If you get it wrong...

Your Scores

What happens when you answer?

If you get it right… You get a point!

If you leave it blank… You gain/lose nothing!

If you get it wrong… You lose ¼ of a point!

Your Scores

Low Scores(Lowest = 20)

Medium Scores(Middle = 50)

High Scores(Highest = 80)

Your Scores

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sample-psat-nmsqt-student-score-report.pdf

Your Scores

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sample-psat-nmsqt-student-score-report.pdf

Your Scores

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sample-psat-nmsqt-student-score-report.pdf

National Merit ScholarshipCorporation 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 students in your grade.

In 2012 the average score for juniors was 142. The average score for sophomores was 127.

National Merit Scholarship Information

The Bottom Line:

•If you are scoring extremely high, push to get recognized on your junior year test.

•If not, don’t stress – use the test as a learning experience!

Only 1% of junior test-takers are National Merit Scholarship Finalists.

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 ResponsesSome 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 StepsWhat’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 your aspirations

www.collegeboard.com/quickstart

The SAT:

A Brief Introduction

Convert PSAT to SAT

Simply add a zero to each of your PSAT scores.

EXAMPLE:

PSAT SAT

Critical Reading 52 —> 520

Math 51 —> 510

Writing 53 —> 530

Total 156 —> 1560

Lower End of This List: SAT: 1850ACT: 27

(Elon University)

Lower End of This List: SAT: 1850ACT: 27

(Elon University)

Higher End of This List: SAT: 2260ACT: 34

(CalTech)

Higher End of This List: SAT: 2260ACT: 34

(CalTech)

Middle of This List: SAT: 2050ACT: 31

(Georgetown University)

Middle of This List: SAT: 2050ACT: 31

(Georgetown University)

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Visit PrincetonReview.com for more score data!

Where will your scores take you?

What do P/SAT Scores Really Measure?

How well you performed on the P/SAT.

Not a measure of intelligence.

What makes the P/SAT difficult?• These tests are different from the tests you take in

school

• Number of questions – too many to finish

• Tricky language in the questions

• Common errors (traps) in the answer choices

• No partial credit on math – process doesn’t matter

• Points deducted for wrong answers on multiple choice

SAT – Quick Facts• Frequency: 7 times/year• Duration: 3 hours, 45 minutes• Sections: Math, Critical Reading, Writing• Cost: $49 (fee waivers available)• Max score: 800 per section• Avg. score:

– Math: 516– Critical Reading: 501– Writing: 492

SAT – Scoring

• Each correct answer earns 1 full point, regardless of level of difficulty.

• Each unanswered question earns 0 points.

• Students lose ¼ point for each incorrect answer to a multiple-choice question.

If you don’t know an answer should you guess?

DO NOT GUESS RANDOMLY.

Use Process of Elimination to cross off wrong

answer choices and then take a guess.

SAT – Critical Reading

• 67 multiple-choice questions

• 70 minutes total

• Tests critical reading, diction, and vocabulary

• Passage Reading

• Sentence completion

SAT – Writing

• 49 multiple-choice questions, 1 essay question

• 60 minutes (one 25-minute section, one 10-minute section, and one 25-minute essay)

• Tests your ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences, improve paragraphs

• The Grammar portion of the Writing section makes up about 70% of your Writing Score

SAT – Math

• 54 questions (44 multiple-choice and 10 grid-in)

• 70 minutes (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section)

• Tests basic arithmetic, algebra I & II, and geometry

How many questions?

Slow down and answer fewer questions. You do NOT have to finish the test to get a good score.

Even though the questions have different levels of difficulty, they are all worth the same amount of points.

So, if easy questions have the same point value as hard ones – which type of question would you want to spend the most time on?

THE EASY ONES!

Math Pacing

Question #1 Question #20----------------------------------------------------------------

Easy Medium Difficult

Math Tips:

• It’s all about the pacing. Getting the easy ones = more raw points = high overall Math Score.

• SLOW DOWN and SCORE MORE!

•Not difficult math. Everything you need to know for SAT math you’ve learned by the end of your sophomore year!

•Questions in 2 math sections of the SAT will be in order of difficulty. The first third will be easy, the middle third will be medium difficulty, and the final third will be hard.

•Keep in mind that easy questions will have easy answers. Difficult questions will have difficult answers.

•Knowing the order of difficulty in a test section helps you significantly when eliminating answer choices and determining your testing strategy.

SAT Math

SAT – Math Sample Problem

In the figure above, what is the greatest number of non overlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines?

A)6B)5C)4D)3E)2

How many actually understood what the question was asking?

Using 2 straight lines they are asking you to dividethis DOUGHNUT into the maximum number of shaded regions.

SAT – Math Sample Problem

In the figure above, what is the greatest number of non-overlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines?

A)6B)5C)4D)3E)2

By a show of hands, who thought the correct answer was?E) 2 D) 3 C) 4 B) 5 A) 6

Go ahead & give it a try!

SAT – Math Sample Problem

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

The question basically asked you to divide this doughnut into the highest number of shaded regions possible using 2 straight lines!

SAT – Math Sample Problem

In the figure above, what is the greatest number of non-overlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines?

A) 6B) 5C) 4D) 3E) 2

no way that easy

P.O.E.

50% chance of getting this right - why might you eliminate 6?

SAT – Math Sample Problem

23

4

5

1

If there is an error in the sentence, it is underlined and

numbered. Some sentences contain no error. If there is

an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed

to make the sentence correct.

4. In the year 1492, Columbus discovered the New World

A

even though he was actually trying to reach India. No error

B C D E

SAT Writing Question

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8. Darting from room to room and twitching, the cat’s strange behavior worried her owners.

(A) Darting from room to room and twitching, the cat’s strange behavior worried her owners.

(B) Darting from room to room and twitching, the cat worried her owners with her strange behavior

(C) With her darting from room to room and her twitching the cat’s strange behavior worried her owners.

(D) The cat, darting from room to room and twitching, her owners were worried by the cat’s strange behavior.

(E) Darting from room to room and twitching, the cat’s owners were worried by the cat’s strange behavior.

SAT Writing Question

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SAT Sentence Completion

Elizabeth played six musical instruments equally well; her ------ musical skills made her a valuable member of the orchestra.

SAT Sentence Completion

Elizabeth played six musical instruments equally well; her ------ musical skills made her a valuable member of the orchestra.

(A) grandiose (B) residual (C) pristine

(D) fluent (E) versatile

SAT Sentence Completion

Elizabeth played six musical instruments equally well; her ------ musical skills made her a valuable member of the orchestra.

(A) grandiose (B) residual (C) pristine

(D) fluent (E) versatile

The Princeton Review Testing Timeline

When should you take the SAT?

•Prepare to take it once, plan to take it twice, leave time to take it three times.

•Take at least once or twice in spring of junior year (March, May or June).

•You can repeat in October or November of senior year.

Why take the SAT more than once?

If you take the SAT multiple times, then you can send all of your scores and colleges will take your best score from each subject.

Make sure you prep each time you take the SAT.

College Admissions

College Admissions

What’s important for college admissions?

•HS Transcripts

•Standardized test scores

•High School GPA

•Extracurricular activities

College Admissions

Nine Factors Colleges Look For:•Student and college match•Challenging high school curriculum•Grades show an upward trend•Standardized test scores•Involvement demonstrating leadership•Out-of-school experiences illustrating responsibility, dedication and development•Essay and/or personal statement•Letters of recommendation•Resume

Q&A

For official information from the test makers, visit:• CollegeBoard.com (SAT, PSAT, SAT Subject Tests, APs)

• ACT.org

For other information from us:• Call 1-800-2-Review

• PrincetonReview.comw.princetonreview.com

For information about colleges:• Check out our best-selling guide: The Best 377 Colleges, 2013 Ed.

• Visit PrincetonReview.com

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Questions?

Leslie Robinson

215-514-3498

Lrobinson@review.com