Do Colleges Use PSAT Scores?

Most generally, the PSAT/NMSQT (literally Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test / National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) serves as practice for the SAT. This test is usually taken in the first semester of 11th grade, while the newer versions, which include PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 , are taken in 10th and 8th or 9th grades respectively. Since you probably won’t be taking the SAT before your junior year, the latter tests serve as measures for what you’re learning and indicate whether you’re on track for college. Colleges usually don’t see your PSAT scores. In most cases, just you and your high school are able to see the report. These reports offer details on your performance in different areas and can help you determine which areas you need to improve and hone your practicing. Your PSAT/NMSQT scores may enter you in the National Merit Scholarship Program if you take the test as an 11th grader. Your scores may also be used as qualifiers for other scholarships. So while college probably won’t see your PSAT scores, that doesn’t mean they don’t matter. The earlier you take the PSAT, the more likely your score will change when you take the SAT. That’s one reason why it’s not the most solid indicator of your SAT performance, though it can show you where you should focus your practice efforts. When you receive your report, you’ll see college readiness benchmarks that indicate how prepared you are for a college curriculum. Still, remember that you have more than a year and a half of high school education, so there’s plenty of time to improve. Check out Are PSAT Scores Related to SAT Scores? for more information on how your results on the tests correlate. You raw scores, or total number questions you answered correctly, are converted to a score on a scale of 160–760 for each section, for a total of 320–1520. The tests themselves mirror the SAT and include Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. You will also see subscores for specific skill sets and percentiles that indicate how you did relative to others taking the same test. For instance, if you scored in the 80th percentile, you scored better than 80 percent of test takers. Whatever your personal goals and objectives are for the PSAT, you should definitely aim to exceed the College Readiness Benchmarks. The good news is that if you don’t, you have time to improve for the SAT. Each skill will be color-coded according to when you’ve reached the benchmark. Green means you’ve met or exceed it in that area, yellow means you’re approaching the benchmark, and red means you need to strengthen your skills in the area. With our free SAT guide, you'll get ’s top tips for mastering the SAT. Enter your name and email below to download the checklist. As we’ve discussed, colleges don’t typically pay attention to PSAT results. In most cases, they won’t even see your results. However, you shouldn’t blow off the test. It can help you a lot in preparing for the SAT and understanding your college readiness and where you need to improve. If you take the PSAT seriously and prepare for it as though you were taking the SAT, you may have a less stressful admissions and financial aid process. Doing well can also boost your confidence, since scoring well can alleviate fears that you might not do well on the SAT, and the practice can help you cope with test anxiety before the tests colleges will see. Think of it as a rehearsal for the real test. Your PSAT scores can also help you win scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation cosponsors the test and will automatically receive your results. (Check out How to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program for information on the award.) Some other scholarship committees, including National Hispanic Recognition Program, the National Scholarship Service, and Telluride Seminar Scholarships, use these results, too, although you may elect to not have them sent. Ultimately, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the PSAT. It can help you a lot with practicing, studying, preparation and, ultimately, getting into college. Looking for some help with acing the SAT? The SAT Tutoring Program will help you achieve top scores on your test. We’ll pair you with two private tutors, one for English and writing, and one for math and science. All of our tutors have scored in the 99th percentile on the section they are teaching and are chosen based on teaching skills and ability to relate to their students.

Mission and Values of Loyola Marymount University Essay

Mission and Values of Loyola Marymount University - Essay Example If my friends are going bungee jumping or parasailing I usually will find that I have something pressing that needs to be attended to immediately, such as tidying my sock drawer. The issue is not if I ever take risks; I do. The real issue for me is deciding if the risk warrants the reward. Fr. Robert Lawton’s words have helped me to see that taking risks in order to discover who I really am during my college career are risks that will pay great rewards. Who doesn’t want to have happiness and a feeling that God approves of who we are and what we are doing? Ultimately, if I accomplish this level of happiness and closeness with God, I will feel as though I have lived a life of real substance and value. Fr. Robert Lawton said that this journey would be risky, and I believe him. In my mind, I see three potential risks that will need to be faced when journeying to discover how to be myself. I believe that if these three risks can be overcome, I will have accomplished somethin g great during my college education in addition to all of the knowledge I will gain. The first of these three risks is the risk that I will discover I am a very different person than I am now. We all have preconceived notions about our state of being. I have a whole list of likes and dislikes. One of my great failings is that I tend to be judgmental about those who have different tastes and values than myself. I catch myself forming opinions about others based on wholly superficial criteria more often than I care to admit. A nice pair of shoes, the type of car and the city or neighborhood a person lives in too often informs my opinion. The risk of journeying to discover my true self and being judgmental of others scares me because I may discover the things I have used to differentiate myself from others really do not matter to me anymore. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like who I am right now. I recognize that I have much to learn but I am comfortable with me. The risk for me centers on discovering I’m not who I thought I was and that I might mourn the loss of my old self. I have no desire to look back on my high school self and be glad that I am no longer that person. I would like to think I have arrived at most of my authentic self at this point in my life, but I have the suspicion that everyone looks back on their high school self and has regrets. The risk of becoming your true self is you must necessarily reject portions of the person that you are today. To me, that sounds very uncomfortable. A second risk that needs to be overcome on the road to becoming my authentic self is the risk of defying expectations. I have a way I would like to see my life turn out. So do my family and friends. The risk of opening myself up to change is apparent when I realize that the change may disappoint some of the people I love. I will be exposed to new people and ideas at college. What if I find myself changing course and it is a course I’m not su re my loved ones will accept? I feel that taking this risk to find my true self will be perhaps the hardest. My family has always been loving and supportive. I would never want to disappoint them in any way. But according to the words of Fr. Robert Lawton, I may need to take that risk or I may be sacrificing my own happiness and relationship with God. A final risk I anticipate in this journey is never knowing when you have arrived at the journey’s end. How will I now when I have arrived? I know too many people from my parent’s and grandparent’s generation that seem to think their happiness lies in their new yoga class or the next protest movement they can join. They seem to be constantly seeking but never finding what they are looking for. I think they are looking for a sense of self. The risk for me looking to identify my true

Christianity and the Secular Point of View of Gun Violence Essay

Christianity and the Secular Point of View of Gun Violence - Essay Example A political debate has also been sparked by these mass shootings over gun violence and gun control. In this perspective, the church has adopted a secular view with regard to these shootings. Drawing on the variety of literature, the paper will discuss Christianity and the secular point of view of gun violence/school shootings. Discussion The American Secret Service defines school shootings as the deliberate selection of a school as the location of the attack. The number of mass shootings and gun violence in the U.S is as rampant as the number of people living in America. According to figures from the US Department of Justice and Council on Foreign Affairs, there have been 60,000 people affected by gun violence and mass shootings in 2015 alone. As a result of the magnitude and effects of gun violence and mass shootings, the Church has adopted a secular view to the issue. Conversations about mass shootings often devolve around emotions. In the recent times, the Christians are agitating for their right to bear and own firearms. There is still debate on the effectiveness of guns used in personal defense. A survey carried out by the U.S Department of Justice placed the rate of using guns for personal defense at 1.6 million. However, this is twice the crime rates. The Christians share the view that the Bible was authored long before the gun was invented. It, however, mentions the use weapons in battles and wars. War is portrayed as something that is part of a fallen world (Mark 13:7; James 4:1).