Are PSAT Scores Important for College? Yes! Here’s Why

Are PSAT Scores Important for College?

Yes! Here’s Why

By Neil Chyten

First, let me be 100% clear. PSAT scores are not reported to colleges unless, of course, a student is a National Merit Scholarship finalist, in which case colleges will become aware that the student’s PSAT scores are among the top ranking in the country. Other than that, rest assured that colleges will never see the student’s PSAT scores. So, if PSAT scores are not reported to colleges, how can they possibly be important? The answer is very simple: the return of PSAT scores starts you thinking about college.

For many families, the discussion of college does not begin until PSAT scores come back. Even then, many families make the mistake of believing that the steps that lead to college admission do not begin until spring of a student’s junior year. While it is possible to begin the process as late as then, doing so can severely hamper a student’s ability to identify and matriculate to a top-choice college.
College admission is a complex process that can begin as early as eighth or ninth grade. Many of the factors that are measured by colleges are those that students accumulate over time. Examples include holding down a job, establishing a history of passion, establishing a history of charitable deeds, earning high test scores in SAT Subject Tests and APs, earning a high GPA, and participating in specialized pre-college programs such as the Johns Hopkins talent search.

Based on my 32 years of college admission experience, I strongly suggest the moment you get your PSAT scores, you pick up the phone and give us a call. At that point, we will arrange to meet with you and discuss a concrete plan for moving forward in the most advantageous way. Do not wait until March or May to take steps to help your child to college. The sooner we begin, the sooner we can help you build profile that will identify appropriate colleges and strengthen the characteristics that will dramatically improve the odds for your child.

Among the choices we will help you make are: ACT or SAT, when to take tests for maximum efficiency, whether or not to take SAT Subject Tests, how to choose summer and extra curricular activities, how to identify best-fit colleges, how to improve profiles to give your student the best chance of acceptance, how to have a stress-free college process, and many more. Please call Chyten Educational Services at 800-428-TEST for more information, or see us online at chyten.com.