Testing Context and Next Steps
Message for 11th graders who took the PSAT and 11th graders curious about testing
We in College Advising hope fall continues to go well. We also write with information about College Board’s planned release of PSAT scores in early November.
As you will read further below, some Seattle Academy students test, some Seattle Academy students are unsure about testing but wish to explore it further, and some Seattle Academy students know they will not test. These differences are normal and reflect a testing landscape that has changed considerably since the pandemic and since parents and guardians applied to college. 11th graders and their families will talk about individual interests and needs during 1:1 College Advising meetings this winter.
In the meantime, students who took the PSAT and provided their mobile number on test day should receive a text message from College Board when scores are available. This should direct the tester to College Board’s BigFuture mobile app where students should be able to access scores quickly.
While test takers may receive a message directly from College Board, all testers may also be able to access their scores by accessing or establishing a College Board account using the student name under which you were registered for the PSAT. While this is the same name you encountered on test day, it may be different from the name you use on a daily basis, especially if a family member registered you. If you wish to confirm which name you or a family member used to register you for the exam, please feel free to email collegeadvising@seattleacademy.org and we can let you know.
Please try first to access scores through either of the above approaches. Only if neither works, email collegeadvising@seattleacademy.org and we can try to send you your scores.
In the past, regarding PSAT scores, families have found helpful a bit of additional context. Upon seeing scores, the tendency sometimes is for families to jump straight to the numbers themselves. The score reports, however, should also contain other good information that students can use to prepare for possible future tests. While digital testing and reporting is new this year, in the past the score report included a question-by-question summary which you may share with test prep providers. A not-exhaustive list of various test prep providers students have often used is available here (password protected; log in through SAAS account).
The score report should also include the National Merit Selection Index, used as an initial screen of entrants to its National Merit Scholarship Program. Each state has a different cut-off for National Merit eligibility and those eligible for participation in the program will find out more details later this year. Generally some National Merit information is available in late spring with specific information about Semifinalists in September.
Just because you took the PSAT doesn’t mean you should devote time and resources into more testing. As we said above, 11th graders who have taken a practice test of any kind (including through Compass Prep which continues to provide practice ACT and SAT exams) as well as 11th graders wondering in general about testing will discuss all things testing in forthcoming individual meetings with College Advisors, including whether or not to test or to prep, one tool for which is the free Khan Academy prep through College Board.
Students who are sure they want to test officially may take an official SAT (register here when available) or ACT (register here when available) beginning this winter. While the winter certainly isn’t the only time to take a first exam, registration is sometimes easier in December, for example, and testing at this time may yield official results you can bring to your college advisor for advice and next steps. In 2023-2024, official SATs taken prior to March will be “paper and pencil” exams different than the recent October PSAT. Beginning in March, the SAT will be a digital exam similar to the October PSAT. With either the PSAT or an official exam, you may be able to determine whether you should:
- Keep prepping and testing for additional/future tests
- Stop because you have a sufficient score
- Discontinue prepping and testing because your application will emphasize other strengths
In advance of those 11th grade meetings we ask that families review their score reports but save questions for the individual student conversation with College Advising in the context of broader and deeper plans around college. Additional information about testing is available below.
Families with questions specifically about testing accommodations should contact Dawn Abbott at dabbott@seattleacademy.org.
All grades
The pandemic was only one catalyst for changes to standardized testing which have been underway for a long time. Well before the pandemic, approximately 1000 colleges, many of them well known, had already adopted test optional policies. Working in College Advising at Seattle Academy has always meant advising strategically a wide range of testing profiles relative to a variety of college testing policies. Our current test advising relies on that long experience and attention to college behaviors.
Changes to colleges’ use of standardized testing mean Seattle Academy testers (current or potential) fall into three strategic groups. Our experience has been that none of these groups is at a particular advantage over the other. Students should choose based on what is best for them:
- Some students who know testing is not for them now have sufficient test optional college options that they can opt out of testing entirely if they wish.
- Some students have always been exceptionally strong testers and know that they would like standardized testing to be part of their application profile.
- Some students have mixed feelings about testing, either they are unsure whether they should test and would like to explore it more, or would like to take an exam that they may or may not send to colleges pending College Advising’s advice.
As with all things, we coach our 11th and 12th grade college advisees as individuals with many strengths. We bring to those meetings information about how high test scores need to be (near or above the middle 50% for each college at that link) to be additive (or even “submittable”) for particular college applications. The majority of our students have grades and stories so compelling that they may choose to emphasize these strengths and not send scores. In general, test scores alone were not variables that “moved the needle” for recent graduating classes Scores certainly did not supercede strong grades, compelling classes, rich stories, and the use of strategies like carefully chosen Early Decision colleges. Students with perfect scores were not admitted at their favorite colleges while students without perfect scores who did not submit them were admitted at their first choice colleges. Just having a score, especially “at any cost,” is not the key to a college of choice.
Consider attending this event (bottom of linked page) where a dynamic guest speaker discusses changes to and next steps for standardized testing (recording will be available).
Testing with accommodations requires evaluations sometimes with significant advanced notice. For additional information about this please contact Seattle Academy Accommodations at accommodations@seattleacademy.org.