College Planning Timeline for Juniors: 5 Tips

college-bound high school juniors

 

Junior year of high school marks a turning point in the college admissions process.

When it comes to navigating the college admissions process, having a well-structured college planning timeline for juniors is crucial.

It’s a year filled with milestones.

Researching colleges, developing teacher relationships, visiting campuses…the list goes on. College-bound juniors have a lot on their plate.

And did I mention testing?

Yes—ACT or SAT testing takes up a big chunk of junior year for college-bound teens!

The academic workload in eleventh grade is usually kicked up a notch or two as well.

Juniors are starting to ask themselves questions like, “What’s next?” and “am I on the right track?”

Friends and family also start to ask: “Where do you want to go to college?”

Especially for a junior who is not so sure what to say about their college prospects, junior year can be a bit of a pressure cooker.

I put together these five tips for college-bound juniors who want to get into the college of their choice and get the money to do so at the same time.

5 Tips for College-Bound High School Juniors

These tips will help college-bound juniors (and their parents) make the most of the year as they prepare for college.

1. Take challenging courses.

Colleges want to see that students challenged themselves during high school.

Every student is different, so a challenging course to one junior may be easy to another.

At the same time, juniors should maintain balance. This means taking a mix of courses that allow you to be challenged by course content as well as those that come more naturally.

2.  Research colleges.

When I say “research” colleges, I mean a thorough, consistent gathering of information on colleges that could be a good fit.

During your research, you want to consider how your options would be a good academic fit, social/cultural fit, and financial fit for you.

When it comes to a college’s financial fit, knowing what costs to expect will help you know the steps you’ll need to take to secure the funds to attend.

(By the way, you won’t want to miss this post outlining case studies of how students earned big scholarships!)

Juniors can gather information from college websites, books, directories, and other resources. The goal is to learn about each college at a deeper level.

william and mary for premed3. Get to know teachers.

It’s very likely that your college applications will include teacher recommendations.

The 3 things that qualify a teacher to write a strong recommendation are:

  • The student knows the teacher.
  • The teacher knows the student.
  • The teacher can write well about the student.

If they don’t already have a teacher who fits all of these qualifications, juniors can develop positive relationships with teachers to “qualify” them as recommenders.

In fact, this is an important task for junior year!

Juniors should plan to meet with one or two teachers on a regular basis throughout the year. They may also check-in with teachers after graded assignments, during free periods, or at the beginning of each term.

4. Visit college campuses.

Spring break of junior year is a great time to visit college campuses.

Many other juniors around the country are visiting campuses in the spring as well. Juniors should be prepared by researching and scheduling campus visits well in advance.

Before your campus visit, be sure to review the college’s website and have questions prepared.

(Note to parents: Let your student schedule the visits, not you!)

On the day of the visit, remember to take notes and have an open mind and good attitude. From the moment you arrive on campus, you’re being interviewed!

5. Take the ACT or SAT.

College-bound teens should take either the ACT or SAT in junior year.

If the first test is taken in the winter, it allows time for a retake before summer.

The goal is to avoid taking any standardized test in the fall of senior year.

In my experience working with college-bound students, senior year is already so busy with course workloads, college deadlines, and application essays. Having to take standardized tests too is a big nuisance.

Besides that, retake scores usually go down.

Junior year may come with a lot of stress and unanswered questions. With consistent steps taken throughout the year, it can be pivotal on the path to college admissions success!

And there’s plenty of help available for students and parents.

The fact you’re reading this means your motivation and focus to help your teen get to the front of the line has already moved them a leap ahead of the pack!

All you need now is to create a winning plan to help your teen Get In and Get Money.

If you are a busy parent who wants to help your college-bound junior reach their full potential, don’t miss my “Get In and Get Money” Workshop!

Need a little more guidance?

For one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college click here.

If you’d like to learn more about getting into college and getting money for college, don’t miss these articles either:

How to Save Time When Seeking Money for College
College Essay How-to: Who is someone you admire?
How to Avoid Overpaying for College

What other tips for 11th grade success would you suggest? Please let me know in the comments below!

Pros and Cons of ACT vs SAT: Why Taking Both May Be a Waste

taking both sat and act is biggest mistake

This article was originally published on February 20, 2017, and was updated in 2024.

When parents tell me their children are taking both the SAT and the ACT, my response often shocks them…

“Really? What a waste of time and money!”

On their own, the SAT and ACT aren’t a waste of time or money. But taking BOTH the SAT AND the ACT isn’t the right choice.

In fact, this ends up costing you way more money and taking up more time than it’s worth.

Preparing for college can be hard enough without the extra pressure of preparing for multiple entrance exams.

I wrote this article to not only help your teen avoid some of this stress – but to save valuable time and money, too.

Here are three reasons why taking both the SAT and ACT might be a big waste of time and money:

1. Colleges accept either test

Colleges don’t prefer one over the other! Yep – it’s true.

Decades ago, some colleges required the SAT while other colleges required the ACT. This meant college-bound teens in the 80’s would take either the SAT or the ACT based on where they were applying.

Now, college-bound teens can focus on taking the test that’s best for them because all colleges will accept both the SAT and the ACT – great news for high school students who have enough on their plate already!

2. Teens usually perform better on one test

Rather than taking both tests, I suggest students stick with the test that’s best for them. (More on choosing the right test later…)

Why?

It’s likely the score on one test will be higher than on the other.

Now you might be asking, “but won’t I want to be able to choose the better of the two results?”

But here’s the thing: some colleges request ALL test scores.

In those cases, a student may not want to reveal all of their results!

The best way to avoid sending unfavorable test scores is to take the test that will yield the highest score for the individual student.

3. Taking both tests takes too much time

Let’s say your teen is planning on taking both the SAT and the ACT. They also want to retake one or both tests.

There isn’t enough time!

The testing calendars don’t easily accommodate taking each test more than once.

A high school junior who’s planning to take both tests twice during 11th grade could have a testing schedule that looks something like this:  

6 weeks of SAT prep

November – Take first SAT

January – Retake SAT

6 weeks of ACT prep

April – Take first ACT

June – Retake ACT

You know what I think when I look at this testing schedule?

Junior year is far too important to the spend majority of time prepping for standardized tests!

Don’t you agree?

And don’t forget about the SAT II

Your teen might also have a couple of colleges on their list that request 2 SAT Subject Tests.

The 20 available SAT Subject Tests are also referred to as SAT II — and they’ve only been around since 2005.

College Boards write the SAT Subject Tests AND the Advanced Placement exams. So, when students take an AP course, they’re preparing not only for the AP exam, but also for a similar SAT Subject Test.

If a student has AP exams in May, they’d be better off forgoing the May SAT and taking 2 SAT Subject Tests in June instead.

How to decide between the SAT and ACT

Ultimately, decisions about when to take the SAT or ACT and/or SAT Subject Tests must make sense for the teen’s test-taking abilities and college list options. That’s why doing your research ahead of time and getting to know both tests is essential.

And plenty of help is available for this process.

To discover whether the SAT or ACT would be the right choice (and how to ace either one!), don’t miss these articles:

What sophomores must know about the SAT and ACT
Best tips for Acing the ACT or SAT
When to Retake the ACT

Need a little more guidance?

For one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college click here.

When is the AP Exam necessary?

advanced placement exam

Parents often ask me about the importance of taking Advanced Placement courses and the end-of-course AP exams. My best answer is that “it depends” . . . 

How many Advanced Placement courses?

vanderbilt engineering and music programsWhen parents ask me about how many advanced placement courses their teen should take, they are really asking me how many courses their teen should take to “look good” to colleges. Advanced placement courses are about taking a rigorous course load in high school to signal that a student would be academically successful in college. 

Rather than “looking good” to colleges, I believe that students should take the level of courses that are most appropriate for them personally and be true to what their interests are. If a college admits you only because of AP courses you took, it doesn’t say much for how you will fit or thrive at that college.

A reasonable number of AP courses to take is relative to the number of AP courses that your high school offers. Colleges understand that the number of AP courses available vary by high school. If a school offers no AP courses, then students aren’t expected to have AP courses on their transcript. On the other hand, if a high school has a lot of AP courses available, then students should make an effort to take a few AP courses. For example, if a high school offers 10 AP courses and students can take AP courses starting in junior year, then it’s reasonable to have about 3 to 5 AP courses on your transcript. Those AP courses should be in appropriate areas of academic strength for the student . . . if a student is weak in math, it doesn’t make sense to take the AP Calculus courses just for the sake of “looking good” to colleges.

How important is it to take the AP Exam?

In most cases, the AP Exam is not used in college admissions. The exams that students take for college admissions are either the SAT or the ACT. Scores on the AP Exam are most often used to determine the level of courses taken in college. Every college sets its own policies to grant credit for AP level course. For example, at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, a non-engineering student who scores a 4 or 5 on the AP Statistics exam could get 3 credit hours for the Math 1010: Probability and Statistical Inference course. Also, the credit for AP exam scores may not apply towards a major in that same subject area. Complicated, huh?

I have heard many college students say that they regret using their AP credit because they could have benefitted from having that first level course at the college level. 

Where I find the AP exam helpful to take is in preparation for an SAT Subject Test. The AP courses are mostly aligned with SAT Subject Tests. If a student, for example, is taking AP US History (APUSH) and plans to take the SAT Subject Test in American History, then it could be good preparation to take the AP US History exam in May and the SAT Subject Test in American History in June!

When are the 2019 AP exams scheduled?

Here’s a schedule of when the AP exams are scheduled in 2019.

AP Test Schedule: Week 1

TEST DATE MORNING EXAMS (8 A.M.) AFTERNOON EXAMS (12 NOON)
May 6, 2019
  • United States Government and Politics
  • Chinese Language and Culture
  • Environmental Science
May 7, 2019
  • Seminar
  • Spanish Language and Culture
  • Japanese Language and Culture
  • Physics 1: Algebra-Based
May 8, 2019
  • English Literature and Composition
  • European History
  • French Language and Culture
May 9, 2019
  • Chemistry
  • Spanish Literature and Culture
  • German Language and Culture
  • Psychology
May 10, 2019
  • United States History
  • Computer Science Principles
  • Physics 2: Algebra-Based

AP Test Schedule: Week 2

TEST DATE MORNING EXAMS (8 A.M.) AFTERNOON EXAMS (12 NOON) AFTERNOON EXAMS (2 P.M.)
May 13, 2019
  • Biology
  • Physics C: Mechanics
  • Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
May 14, 2019
  • Calculus AB
  • Calculus BC
  • Art History
  • Human Geography
May 15, 2019
  • English Language and Composition
  • Italian Language and Culture
  • Macroeconomics
May 16, 2019
  • Comparative Government and Politics
  • World History
  • Statistics
May 17, 2019
  • Microeconomics
  • Music Theory
  • Computer Science A
  • Latin

When do AP scores come out?

2019 AP scores will mostly be released in mid-July 2019 .

Good luck!

How is your teen preparing for AP exams?

Get the Best Teacher Recommendation Letters for College

How to Ask for a Teacher Recommendation Letter | Compass College Advisory

One of the qualities that every junior should develop is networking/building relationships with peers and adults. Teachers are important adults both inside and outside the classroom. Junior year is an important time for students to continue developing relationships with teachers. Teacher relationships are important because it is highly likely that the teachers from junior year will be writing recommendation letters for college. Understanding how to ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation is a crucial part of this process.

How to Ask for a Teacher Recommendation Letter

Here are my top 3 tips for how juniors can build good relationship with their teachers:

  1. Meet after school to ask questions and discuss lessons from class. These meetings should be sincere in that students are making an effort to meet with those teachers that they want to get to know or have an interest in their subject area.
  2. Review graded exams or assignments with teachers. This extra action will help not only with building a relationship with you teachers but also help with learning the content better. I especially encourage students who may need extra help with written assignments to meet with the teacher afterwards to understand how to improve their writing.
  3. Request a recommendation for summer program. Applying to a summer program is a low risk way to find out if a teacher can write a strong letter of recommendation for a student. In the past, I have actually had students request a recommendation for a summer program and they were denied acceptance because the teacher didn’t submit the recommendation letter. That was a good lesson for the college applications. The student learned that they should perhaps allow more lead time and/or ask a different teacher!

The wonderful thing about high school teacher relationships is that they often last for years. It’s common for students to go away to college but still return to visit their high school teachers during breaks. I recently had dinner with a high school chemistry teacher and was impressed that two former students stopped by our table to say hello and thanks. The teacher remarked that many former students even from her earliest years of teaching still stay in touch.

Even when meeting after school with a teacher may seem like an extra assignment, it will begin a lifelong relationship.

What other steps can students take to build relationships with teachers?

What University of Southern California has that no one else does

cademic and social st university of southern california

The University of Southern California is a renowned private research institution that fosters both a stimulating academic environment and a vibrant cultural community. Through the years, USC has come into its own as a center for the arts, technology, and communication. USC students enjoy solid academics and a lively social scene.

 

Part of those solid academics is the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation. This undergraduate degree program seeks to promote original thought in self-driven students via networking with professors and fellow students, interactive learning, small class size, and mentorship, with the the hopes of creating breakthrough products, systems, and technologies. By offering lectures, presentations, discussions, tutorials, and trips throughout the year, the Iovine-Young program fosters a culture of constant learning and empowers these exceptional cohorts to change the world.

 

Academics

A core curriculum at USC requires students to take nine courses: six general education, two intensive writing, and one diversity. The school offers a “thematic option” to those students with high GPAs and test scores which allows them to be in smaller classes with some of the university’s best teachers and writing instructors. USC also strongly encourages pursuit of double majors, and offers a wide variety of choices within their seventeen professional schools.

 

USC’s global connections allows for unique study abroad experiences. The Global Leadership program invites academically talented first-year students to travel to China after a year-long seminar and meet executives from regional and international companies. Another program, Learning About International Commerce, features a two-unit course with eight day trips abroad to meet with business leaders in Budapest, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Santiago, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo.

 

Additional quick facts about the University of Southern California

Acceptance: 17%

Freshman retention: 96%

Freshmen from out of state: 44%

4-year Graduation rate: 77%

Most popular majors:  cinema arts, business, engineering, communication

 

Social scene

USC has a diverse student body with 115+ countries represented on campus, which offers a wealth of cultural value and global connections.

 

Since University of Southern California has one of the top football teams, a lot of student life is centered around sports. Trojan athletics, which competes in the Pac-12 Conference, has won more than 115 team national championships in men and women’s sports ranging from baseball to water polo.

 

Housing

30% of USC’s student population lives on campus, with freshman guaranteed a spot in luxurious dorms, equipped with swimming pools and tennis courts. Since there isn’t enough space in the dorms, the other 70% live in nearby apartments or fraternity and sorority houses.

 

Similar colleges to consider

UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Stanford, NYU, Boston University

 

Financial aid and Scholarships

Although tuition and fees are about $72,000, the average financial aid package is $51,000. 56% of students get need-based financial aid, 49% get need-based grants, and 24% receive merit scholarships. 80% of students have their need fully met.

 

What do you think about University of Southern California? What about this college is a good fit? Please post your comments below.

Should my teen visit a campus in the summer?

The campus visit – even in the summer – is the best way to learn if a college is the right fit. Summer campus visits can be worthwhile, but families must weigh the tradeoffs of visiting when there may be few students on campus. However, when I toured Williams College in the summer with my oldest son, there were so many students on the campus visit that we took separate tours with student guides. If there are few students on campus, prospective high school students can still have the opportunity to learn about what the college offers.

Campus visit options

Many colleges offer summer visit schedules and the planning should be done weeks in advance. Here are a few different campus visit options that may be available in the summer:

  1. Individual visit – includes an information session and campus tour.
  2. Open House – comprehensive visit which may include faculty/student panels, financial aid presentation for parents, dorm tours, and/or eating in the dining hall.
  3. Self-guided tour – the short description of this . . . “you’re on your own!”

How campus visit matters

While it may be more ideal to visit during the school year to see the campus in action, the summer may be the only time that parents are available to visit with their teen. A summer campus visit is still better than no visit at all. For colleges that track “demonstrated interest”, the campus visit is a clear indicator that the student is interested in attending. This is especially important if a student lives within a 4-5 hour drive of a campus.

Summer campus visits can be most important for high school juniors. As juniors are finalizing their college list, a summer campus visit can be considerably helpful for writing applications in the fall. Likewise, given how busy the fall of senior year will be, it’s usually not enough time to go on a campus visit, especially if a teen plays a sport or participates in marching band.

When not to visit in summer

For one of my junior students, however, I did recommend a visit during fall of senior year, rather than the summer. She’s a tennis player and will have a couple rigorous AP classes and an Honors course in her busy schedule. Here’s why I made that suggestion . . .

The college she would visit was a small campus in an even smaller town. I have personally visited that same college in the summer and there was not even a student guide available to give me a tour. The campus was extremely quiet and the nearby downtown area was quieter, even on a sunny afternoon.

There’s a strong likelihood that if she visits this college in the summer, it will be hard to picture herself there. That first impression may be hard to overcome and cause her to falsely decide to not apply.

It can be a tough call, for sure, when teens and their parents are already so busy. Traveling a distance to visit college campuses can also be expensive.

The investment for college will be far greater so it makes sense to get the list right the first time. When a student has a strong impression of a campus during the summer, it will still be valuable to get a feel for how spirited a campus may be during the academic year. That visit during the academic year can be done after the student has been admitted, which will be even more telling if that college is the right fit.

Where are you planning to visit this summer?

How to have a Stress-free Campus Visit

how parents have a stress-free campus visit

Many families who take their teen on campus visits, usually visit several colleges at once to make the most of their time away. While it may save time to do these marathon visits, seeing several colleges in a 3-5 day time span can be draining. (Been there, done that!)

Top 5 tips for a stress-free campus visit

  1. Avoid bringing friends or others who may influence your teen’s perspective. It can be a distraction. Sometimes, you may not have a choice in whether you bring your teen’s best friend, family members or a neighbor. I understand so . . . keep reading to tip #2.
  1. Take separate tours. For some campuses, there may be more than one tour guide, especially when you visit during their
    columbia campus
    Concerned about safety? Visit campus at night!

    busy summer or fall months. If you have choice I would encourage you to go with a different guide than your teen. The tour guides bring their own unique experiences and backgrounds to the tour. You may hear different facts and figures about a campus that you can compare with your teen later. Also, when your teen follows a separate tour guide, it gives them the freedom to reflect and take in the tour for themselves, or ask questions that they not ask in front of you! 🙂

  1. Attend the information session even if you think there’s nothing new to learn. There will be some nuances that you will learn during the information session that for whatever reason, you haven’t already read or heard before. (I do these tours year round and some colleges I’ve visited 2-3 times. Each time, I learn something totally new.) Foregoing the information session compromises the purpose of visiting the campus.
  1. Avoid dominating the Q&A session. Most information sessions will have a Q&A session. It’s OK for parents to ask 1 or 2 questions, but please avoid asking too many questions. If you’re on a separate tour, perhaps that’s a time to ask additional questions in private. I would especially discourage parents from asking a lot of questions of the admissions officer. That’s what your teen should be doing!
  1. Check out the neighborhood surrounding the college campus. If there’s time, you may want to walk through the nearby “town” area, check out a restaurant or browse the retail shops. When your teen goes away to college, it will be their home away from home so they should feel comfortable either on campus or off. If you are concerned about safety in the area, I would also even suggest checking out the area at night.

Ultimately, the campus visit is about your teen . . . from making the reservation to deciding to apply or not. These tips are meant to keep the focus on them, their reflections and impressions.

How were your visits? Where did you go and for how long??

Last-minute Campus Visit Tips for College-bound Seniors

campus visits in senior year

Every fall, there are are college-bound seniors who decide to add a college (or 2!) to their list that they haven’t visited. In some cases, maybe a senior hasn’t been able to visit any colleges at all. There are still last-minute opportunities to visit a campus prior to the early November deadlines.

I urge seniors to visit those campuses where they have a strong interest. The campus visit can help with determining whether to keep that college on the list and writing the “Why this college?” essay. Also, many high schools encourage campus visits by permitting seniors to visit colleges without an absence penalty.

3 top tips for Senior campus visits

For those college-bound seniors who are visiting in the fall, here are 3 tips to get the most from a last-minute visit:

Blue lights are everywhere!
Blue lights are everywhere!
  • Sleep overnight –This is a great way to experience dorm life, meet students, and getting sense for the campus vibe. You’ll know right away if you “fit in” or not.
  • Interview – The admissions office may offer interviews. This will be a time that you can shine beyond your application. Be careful though . . . if you think that the interview with hurt your application, rather than help, then don’t interview.
  • Visit the campus at night – Almost every campus has a blue-light system. However, walking around the campus at night or the surrounding neighborhood will help you determine if you still feel safe in that environment. This is especially important if you’re concerned about safety and the college doesn’t offer an overnight opportunity.

Special visit programs for College-bound Seniors

So as stressful as the application season may be, the campus visit is still an important component to include on your schedule. Some of the campuses that offer overnight programs or special senior weekends are

This is a short list of colleges but there many others. Check out the admissions page of the college that interests you to learn about their special programs for high school seniors.

Where are you visiting?

Questions to Ask at a College Fair: Making the Most of It

questions to ask at a college fair

During the spring and fall of every year, there are numerous college fairs. The national fairs are often strongly represented with colleges from around the US, while the local and regional fairs tend to have more colleges from your area. The more prestigious colleges may have alumni representatives at your local and regional fairs as well. Either way, given the large number of colleges represented at these fairs, families can feel overwhelmed by where to start. Knowing the right questions to ask at a college fair can help you navigate these events effectively.

DAYS BEFORE THE COLLEGE FAIR
To get the most out of a college fair, teens should start before they even go. The three things to do beforehand would be:

1.  Set a game plan of which college representatives you want to meet before attending the fair. Going without a plan can be a headache ready to happen!

2.  Prepare questions (get our comparison checklist for sample questions) beforehand that you can ask college representatives at the fair. It’s OK to ask the same questions to ask at a college fair for each college you visit.

3.  Print pre-printed labels with your contact information. This will save you time. If there’s a long line to talk to a representative, you can still provide your information and follow-up when you visit the campus in-person.

DURING THE FAIR
Now that you’ve prepared for the college fair, it’s time to attend . . . making sure that you’re dressed appropriately, getting there in plenty of time to find parking and visit with your top choice colleges. 

4.  Use the comparison checklist to keep track of each college visited. This will prove invaluable for campus visits and writing application essays.

5.  Make sure you get a business card from the college representatives that you meet to email or call later.

6.  Surprise yourself and visit with a college representative that’s not busy and not on your list. Some of these representatives travel from far distances to meet new students. This can be a great, low-risk way to learn something new . . .you may be pleasantly surprised by what you learn. More importantly, this new contact can inform your perspective on other campuses.

Questions to Ask at a College Fair

Knowing the right questions to ask at a college fair can help you gather the most useful information. Here are some essential questions to consider:

  • Academics: What are the most popular majors? What is the average class size?
  • Admissions: What are the admission requirements? Are there any special programs or honors colleges?
  • Campus Life: What extracurricular activities are available? What is the campus culture like?
  • Financial Aid: What types of financial aid and scholarships are available? What is the average student debt upon graduation?
  • Support Services: What kind of support services are available for students (tutoring, mental health, career services)?

Which fairs will you visit? Safe travels and be sure to take our comparison checklist with you to make sure you make the most of participating in a college fair!

Questions to ask at a college fair

PSAT Tips: Does the PSAT Matter?

psat

College-bound teens take the PSAT every year in mid-October. The PSAT is the test that high school juniors take to qualify for National Merit recognition, although more 9th and 10th graders are taking this test each year. In addition, the PSAT gives students practice and feedback for the SAT. After taking the PSAT, students will get a full report which details the questions they missed. This report can be a useful guide to prepare for the SAT.

Does the PSAT Matter?

Each fall, parents with 9th, 10th, and 11th graders ask me about the PSAT and whether their teen should study for the PSAT. As with most things in college readiness, it depends.

Let’s start with a general description of the PSAT to make sure we’re all on the same page. It’s considered a preliminary SAT exam and students often take it to get an unofficial look at the SAT. “Unofficial” means that this test is “off the record” for college admissions purposes. It’s rare that students would submit these scores for consideration in college admissions.

PSAT Tips for Different Grades

PSAT for 9th Graders
Most high schools do not offer the option for 9th graders to take the PSAT, although I have seen it offered at several independent schools. Typically, I do not recommend that students take the PSAT in 9th grade. It adds too much unnecessary pressure and anxiety. The 9th grade is such a transitional period that the year is better spent acclimating to the new school environment, making friends, and getting to know teachers.

PSAT for 10th Graders
Taking the PSAT in 10th grade can be a good idea if your high school offers that option. 10th graders who take the PSAT can get familiar with the format and determine their own level of comfort with the question types. The results would also closely project SAT scores. In addition to the PSAT in sophomore year of high school, I highly recommend that students also consider taking the pre-ACT. The pre-ACT is an unofficial preview of the ACT. Taking the pre-ACT would be an opportunity for sophomores to get familiar with the ACT format and determine their level of comfort with the question types.

The results of the PSAT and pre-ACT can then be compared, using an SAT-ACT comparison tool to determine if a student should take the SAT or ACT in junior year. It’s a waste of time and money to take both tests, so I highly recommend that students stick with one test . . . either the SAT or ACT! Sophomore year is an important year for students to discover their interests and further their academic preparation. Spending time to study for the PSAT or pre-ACT is not a good use of their time. Certainly, students may look at practice questions if they like, but I would not suggest prioritizing PSAT and/or pre-ACT test prep over homework assignments and reading for pleasure.

PSAT for 11th Graders
The majority of high schools in the US require that high school juniors take the PSAT. The PSAT is used in junior year as the qualifying exam for National Merit Scholarships. Even when students take the PSAT in junior year, they must still take the SAT or ACT to meet college admissions requirements.

I have recommended that my students study for the PSAT in only a few cases. When I recommended that my students study in junior year, they met these criteria:

  1. Had taken the PSAT in sophomore year
  2. Had scored in the 99%ile on the PSAT in sophomore year (Each state has its own National Merit Scholarship baseline so be sure to look it up for your state.)

Those students were in striking distance of qualifying for National Merit Scholarship, so it made sense for them to study for the PSAT in advance. Their study plan often included the completion of two or more practice tests before the test date and thorough reviews of reading, writing, and math.

Reasons to Study for PSAT

  • To get a higher score than last year
  • To have a chance at a National Merit recognition
  • To present stronger scores for a summer program application

Reasons to NOT Study for PSAT

  • Did not take the test last year
  • Scores from last year were below 750 for each section
  • Academic course load is demanding
  • ACT is the best test for the student

In most cases, students do not need to study for the PSAT. It’s an annual test that plays a marginal role in college admissions. If a student’s best test is the SAT, then they would be better off focusing their prep efforts on the SAT, instead. The best time to prep for the SAT is usually 8-10 weeks prior to the scheduled test date. If the PSAT date coincides with the SAT prep, then it’s a win-win.

Rule of Thumb: Test prep should never take precedence over maintaining a strong transcript whether a student is in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade.

Please let me know your thoughts and/or comments on this topic.