The SAT Day

6:00 A.M.
Wake-up and eat a healthy breakfast: and I do not mean two pop tarts! Students should have been arising at least 6 weeks before the exam to prepare their bodies for the stress. Family should gather around and pray for student.

6:30 A.M.
Last minute check-up: focus scripture, six-sharpened #2 pencils, calculator with fresh battery, snack (no candy), ticket and picture ID, watch

7:00 A.M.
Parents should take student to test site and then stay and pray for students trough the morning. It is a good ideal to scout out the location the week before. Pray over the building. Relax in car and meditate on scriptures.

7:30 A.M.
As soon as the test site opens, go get a seat. Then return to car. Do not hang around in the test site until you have to do so. Save a seat on the end of the roll fairly distance from high traffic areas (doorways and bathrooms).

8:00 A.M.
By this time you should begin moving to your seat. Parents should pray for student one last time.

9:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M.
Take the exam. Be sure and write on the exam (not on the answer sheet)! I do not recommend sending your scores to a college until you get the score you want.

12:30 P.M.
Celebrate! No matter what you have scored, it is over! Celebrate God’s faithfulness! In the next few weeks, meditate on what God has done in your life through this preparation process. Consider Joshua 4. You will receive your scores in six weeks.

Senior Year

Senior year should be devoted to college admission; however, that process may need to be delayed for an SAT retake senior year (normally in October). Unless your score in May is completely unsatisfactory do not have this distraction. Raising a 1020 to 1080 makes no sense. If, however, you had a bad day and scored 890 you can improve your score if you are willing to work hard all summer.

During your senior year you have several options: early admission to the college of your choice (which will open more financial aid options to you); regular admission (complete your applications as soon as possible); delayed admission to a college and take a year off to save money or to go on a mission trip.

You need to consider prayerfully these options.

SHOULD I TAKE THE PSAT? Not necessarily. There is no correlation between frequency of aptitude test taking and increased scores; indeed, the opposite may happen. In fact, many students are discouraged by low PSAT scores and find that their SAT preparation is hindered. Therefore, I recommend that all students take a mock SAT [enclosed with this curriculum] and discover how well that they will do on the PSAT. If in fact the student scores high [above 1100] then take the PSAT.

The PSAT/NMSQT will measure verbal and math reasoning ability. It is not an achievement test–that measures knowledge acquisition. Ergo, there is no specific corpus of knowledge that students can learn to achieve high scores. There are, however, more questions about reading passages. And to answers some reading questions, students will be asked to read two passages and compare information from both. There are no antonyms (a big change!) but there will be more reading passages. There are some short questions about analogies and sentence completions. Concerning math–you will be allowed to use calculators. Look closely at the PSAT/NMSQT Bulletin you can obtain from Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ. Beginning in the fall, 1997 a writing sample will be included in the PSAT.

Without doubt the best score for most students will come in the spring of junior year. If the score is too low, study all summer and take the fall exam. If the score is ok then you are in a position to pray all summer about your next step and to apply for colleges next fall. SAT preparation should continue until about April 15 (c. 2 weeks before the May SAT). During the last two weeks I recommend students review and rest.

WHEN WILL THE EXAM BE HELD, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE, WHO WILL ADMINISTER IT, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The PSAT will be administered on the second Tuesday in October in most schools or on the following Saturday. It will last about two hours and cost $7 in 2005. I see no reason to take it sophomore year. It doesn’t count towards a National Merit Scholarship until junior year and taking an aptitude test more than once does not guarantee a higher score. In fact, in my twenty years of coaching experience, the first score on the PSAT is oftentimes the best score. So, how will you feel if you scored high enough to be a National Merit Semifinalist when you were a sophomore but not when you were a junior–when it really counts?

WHAT IS THE NMSQT? The scores of the PSAT will be used to determine if a student is Recommended National Merit Scholar or a National Merit Scholar. Both awards are prestigious and assure scholarship/aid (see PSAT/NMSQT Student Bulletin, phone 847-866-5100). Remember, though, only the junior year PSAT score will count toward the NMSQT. Scores on the PSAT range from 20 to 80 [SAT I scores range from 200 to 800]. During October of each year the PSAT is administered in your local high school. It lasts about an hour. In early December your scores will be mailed to you. After all the scores across the world have been analyzed, your score will be compared to others and you may be designated a Recommended National Merit Semifinalist. Only the top scores–1.5%–reach a recommended National Merit Semifinalist status and only .7% actually win a scholarship.

In March, May, or June all Recommended National Merit Semifinalists must take the SAT I if they wish to be considered for a National Merit Scholarship. In early September, PSAT scores, transcripts, high school [and homeschool] evaluations will be evaluated and National Merit Scholarships will be awarded. Most scholarships come from corporations. NMSQT scholars, however, have to attend colleges that corporations choose to support if they wish to receive a National Merit Scholarship. Most colleges will award an equal or higher scholarship anyway–so go to where God is telling you to go regardless of where corporations want you to go.

In 1996 one million students took the PSAT. Fifteen thousand were Recommended National Merit Semifinalists. Fourteen thousand were National Merit Finalists and only seven thousand students were awarded scholarships. If you are not part of the fourteen thousand, neither was I, and I received several academic scholarships anyway.