PSATs Options

[MiSSxMELON]

So, I'm a junior and I recently got back my PSAT. (I swear my school was the last to pass out scores ><). I'm curious as to whether or not I have a chance to qualify for national merit. I'm not sure if my score is good enough.

I've asked around, and I haven't really gotten a straight answer from anyone since juniors won't find out until their senior year. One senior got a 206 when she was a junior, but was only commended. And another scored a 208 and just made it; she was a semi-finalist. My other friend made a 207, and missed it by just one point, but he's also commended.

I'm very interested in everyone's opinions, and I assume there has to be someone in cB that knows what they're talking about!

So to cut to the chase, I scored in the 98 percentile; I made a 209.

Do I have a good/bad chance?

[MiSSxMELON]

Yeah, guessing on the PSAT is definitely not rewarding. I suppose you only learned after taking it that there is a penalty for giving a wrong answer?

I think the fault does not completely lie with you. Does your school give any sort of preperation for the PSAT/SAT? Mine doesn't. It leaves a lot of students ignorant about the test, so they don't do so well. Of course, students should always put forth the effort to prepare for the PSAT, BUT schools are sometimes to blame. Teachers should at least tell students the bare essentials of the test, such as the grading system.

My school is obsessed with preparing for the state test, TAKS, which is possibly the easiest test anyone could ever take. Their reasoning is understandable; they are more concerned with the school's rank in the state. But still, by preparing for the PSAT/SAT, students would be overqualified for TAKS.