December 2016
Dear Parents of Juniors,
On Monday, December 12th, your student’s scores for the Preliminary Scholastic
Aptitude Test (PSAT) will be available online. Students who provided an email address
on their answer sheet when they took the PSAT will receive an email from College Board
with instructions on how to access their scores. To see the scores, they will first need to
set up a College Board account at https://studentscores.collegeboard.org. (They may
have done this last year to access their 10th grade PSAT scores. Do not create a
duplicate!) This account will be used later to register for the SAT, for SAT practice, and
ultimately for sending SAT scores to colleges when they apply.
In January, CWA will receive paper copies of student PSAT score reports, which we will
mail to you along with your student’s test booklet. Whether you choose to wait for the
paper version or access scores online, please take some time to review the full report with
your student. It includes helpful information for understanding these scores and putting
them in context. We also welcome any questions you may have.
For some, the arrival of PSAT scores may produce excitement and thoughts about college
prospects. Others may feel anxiety: “How does my child measure up?” “How important
are these scores for college applications?” Whatever your reaction, we urge you to keep
these scores in perspective and remember two key points. First, the PSAT is for practice,
an early milepost in preparation for college entrance. Colleges do not see PSAT scores.
Second, standardized testing is one of many factors, by no means the most important, in
college admissions.
For juniors, this report will be familiar from last year, but perhaps more relevant now, as
they’ll soon take the “real” SAT. For those who take the ACT practice test at Charles
Wright in January, the college counselors will be able to provide a comparison of their
performance on that assessment to PSAT performance in order to determine if the ACT
or the SAT will be better suited to the student.
The PSAT also serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to recognize
students of exceptional ability. Typically this affects 10% to 20% of a CWA class.
Please see the note at the end of this letter for further information.
There are several ways to make the most of the PSAT Score Report. First, it provides an
analysis of each test question, indicating the difficulty level for any missed item. By
using this together with the test booklet, one can focus on identified weaknesses to secure
and reinforce understanding. Secondly, the College Board provides, at no cost, access to
individualized online SAT Practice through Khan Academy, with interactive analysis and
full explication of every test question and personalized practice recommendations. We
encourage students to take advantage of this helpful resource.
Solid progress in challenging courses is the best preparation for the SAT. Over the
summer, take in a varied selection of outside reading. If math is a challenge, lean into it
and get some help. For those eager to begin more structured SAT Preparation, we advise
waiting until the summer after junior year to do a formal course. For now, simply
focusing on reviewing this Score Report and doing some practice tests online using Khan
Academy or with an SAT Preparation book should be sufficient.
College admissions --- and one's overall development and success --- depend less on test
scores than on attitude and lively day-to-day engagement: a balanced lifestyle,
appropriate challenge at school, extracurricular activity, outside reading, interesting
conversations, cultural exposure, and time to reflect. When questions arise, please contact
us. We look forward to working with you.
With kind regards,
Katie Ryan
Director of College Counseling
[email protected]
Noel Blyler
Associate Director of College Counseling
[email protected]
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Eligibility and Procedures
To be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Competition, one must be a U.S.
Citizen and complete high school in four years. If you do not meet these criteria, you
will see an asterisk by your name.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation was established in 1955 as a not-for-profit
organization to identify exceptionally able students and to encourage pursuit of academic
excellence. Its annual program of recognition begins in October when several million
juniors take the PSAT at some 20,000 high schools.
About 15,000 juniors qualify as Semifinalists, roughly 300 per state, announced publicly
in the fall of senior year. Another group, about twice that number, are designated
Commended Students and receive letters of commendation in recognition of their
exceptional potential. While just short of the Semifinalist cut-off level, the scores of the
Commended Students usually fall above the 96th percentile of juniors who take the test.
Semifinalists may choose to continue in competition for National Merit scholarships by
completing application materials sent to them in September of their senior year.
The qualifying selection index for Semifinalists varies by state and changes each year
based upon the score percentiles and number of test-takers for that year. The
Semifinalist selection index cut-off for Washington has ranged from 216 – 220 in recent
years. A national selection index cut-off for Commended students is also determined
annually and has ranged from 200 – 203 in the recent past. Charles Wright will be
notified in September of our Semifinalist and Commended qualifiers for the Class of
2018.