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Campus Visit Checklist

When it comes to campus visits a little preparation can go a long way. Help your child make the most of visits with the campus visit checklist.

Expert Advice

"Many students who are not accepted enroll in a community college. We encourage them to complete their associate's degree and after that they can transfer."
John V. Fraire, Dean of Admissions, Western Michigan U.

PSAT/NMSQT® Score Report Plus

Helping Your Child Use Score Report Plus

Be sure to look beyond the scores when you read your student's PSAT/NMSQT Score Report Plus. You'll find a thorough review of his performance and suggestions for improvement in school and out, as well as advice and tools for college and career preparation.

Scores

Your student's PSAT/NMSQT scores are printed right at the top of the report. Each score—one each for critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills—is based on a scale of 20-80. But the scores are just the beginning. Other important data available on the report include score ranges and percentiles.

Score ranges show how much scores might vary if your student were to take the PSAT/NMSQT repeatedly without learning additional skills. In other words, the scores within this range are considered equal, statistically.

Percentiles compare your student's performance to that of other students, nationally. If he's in eleventh grade, his score is compared to the scores of all eleventh-graders who took the test. If he's in tenth grade or younger, his score is compared to the scores of all tenth-graders who took the test.

Review Your Answers

Here you'll find the correct answer, your student's response, and the difficulty level of each question. For math questions, the general area of math that is covered is also indicated. Your student should receive his original test book along with his Score Report Plus. Reviewing questions he got wrong is an excellent way for your student to prepare for the SAT®. Encourage him to look into the reasons he got them wrong: Send your student to
My College QuickStart
for complete answer explanations
and more.

  • Did he not know the answer? Or was there another reason he responded incorrectly?
  • Did he make a careless error?
  • Did he guess instead of leaving the question blank?

Reviewing answers and going over difficult questions with a teacher will help your student improve his skills and performance.

Improve Your Skills

This section lists some specific skills that your student needs to improve. These suggestions are based upon his pattern of responses across test questions. You'll find personalized feedback on up to three critical reading and mathematics skills and up to two writing skills. While other areas may also need improvement, the skills listed here are the ones that can be best improved through additional attention and learning. Share this information with your student's teachers because these skills affect classroom performance and are important for success in college.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation Programs

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) cosponsors the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The scholarship competitions are for eleventh graders only. Eleventh graders are automatically entered into the NMSC scholarship competition. Qualification is based on the Selection Index—the sum of critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills scores. In September, NMSC will notify principals of students who have been commended or are eligible for continuing in NMSC scholarship competitions.

If your student's selection index has an asterisk, it means that he is in some way ineligible to enter the competition. This is not because of his scores, but most likely because he is not yet in eleventh grade.

Educational Plans

This section offers college major information. Before the test, your student provided his grade average and the college major he's considering. Here, you'll find a description of the major he chose and recommended high school courses that will help him prepare for college-level work.

My College QuickStart™

Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT receive free access to My College QuickStart, a personalized college planning tool that complements the Score Report Plus. With the access code provided on his score report, your student can access the following:

  • My Online Score Report—an enhanced score report that allows students to review each test question, their answers, and the correct answers with answer explanations
  • My SAT Study Plan—a customized SAT study plan based on students' PSAT/NMSQT test performance, highlighting skills for review and practice
  • My Personality—a detailed personality test that helps students learn about themselves and discover majors and careers that fit their strengths and interests
  • My Major & Career Matches—extensive information about majors and careers, including insights about what to expect and what courses to take now
  • My College Matches—a starter list of colleges based on students' home state and indicated choice of major

Students can access My College QuickStart until they graduate from high school.

Next Steps

With the help of teachers and counselors, students should use the information provided on the PSAT/NMSQT Score Report Plus and in My College QuickStart to improve their academic skills and plan for college and a career. Your student should also take the following next steps:

  • Review his high school transcripts with his counselor and select strong courses for next year that will help him reach his educational and career goals.
  • Consider taking AP® and honors courses in high school.
  • Take the PSAT/NMSQT again in the fall of his eleventh grade, if he's in tenth grade.
  • Register for the SAT in the spring, if he's in eleventh grade. Register online for upcoming SAT tests.
  • Get involved in extracurricular and community activities. College admissions officials weigh the contributions that students will make to the college community.
  • Visit collegeboard.com for Action Plans for all four grades of high school.