PSAT Test Prep Leads to Top Scores, More Financial Aid, Better Scholarships

Scoring as high as possible on the PSAT test sets your child up for more scholarships, including the highly revered National Merit Scholarship. Preparing for the PSAT is the first step for success on the SAT test, which leads to a greater chance of attending a top-notch school. As the following article states, begin PSAT test prep early to reap the maximum benefits and put your child on the path to success.

Extra scholarship dollars is just one of the incentives for taking the PSAT

PSAT preparation is never a waste of time, even if you don’t reach the contest’s lowest recognition level: Commendation, you’ll be preparing for the SAT. The PSAT prep test is a critical – but often overlooked – step for college students seeking financial aid. Over 1.4 million US high school students take the PSAT every year, yet only 8,400 are successful National Merit Scholarship finalists. At a time when high school sophomores and juniors are juggling pressure to get top grades and be involved in extracurricular activities, the preliminary SAT exam has never been more important. However, students and families that opt not to take the PSAT are leaving the opportunity for $2,500 or more in financial aid on the table. It’s worth your time and effort to prep for the PSAT. The PSAT that you will be taking in October of junior year serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Scoring big on this test as a National Merit Semifinalist could set you up for significant merit money or for admission to top colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, Amherst, and Davidson, which are known for generous scholarships based on family need.”
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corp., there is a 0.6% success rate for students trying to qualify for the available scholarship. This makes preparation for the test extremely important.
“Spending money for tutoring might seem extravagant, but the payoffs could be significant,” explains Proctor. “But consider the case of one student who prepped hard with a tutor for his PSAT the summer before junior year and became a National Merit Semifinalist and later a Finalist. He won a $40,000-per-year merit scholarship to a big-city university at the top of his list, along with entree into its honors program and a slick new dorm.”