Dear Montfort Parents,
This year we have a comprehensive strategy for our students, especially those taking the SATs for the first time.
1. When we return from the Christmas break (January), Mr. Antonios and I will be offering short, guided study sessions on Tuesdays, from 3-4pm. This will consist of discussing the test parameters for particular sections and questions, laying out strategies for time-efficiency and process of elimination, and doing practice exercises. We will alternate between verbal/writing and math every other week. These sessions will be open to students of any grade, but are especially designed for juniors. No additional fees will be requested. Please keep in mind that our preparation at Montfort will be limited in time and scope and are not intended to replace intensive SAT preparation courses.
2. We will build a momentum leading up to the SAT I exam on Saturday, March 13, 2010. We strongly encourage juniors to register in advance for this test date, so please mark this on your calendar. You must set up an account on The College Board web site to register: http://www.collegeboard.com/
3. After March 13th, we will concentrate on preparing juniors for SAT Subject Tests (or SAT IIs) in History and Literature, on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Admissions offices across the nation now recognize SAT IIs (and ACTs) as an important addition to the student's academic profile. Many of the more competitive colleges and universities now require two or even three subject tests for the application! At present juniors are following an AP curriculum in History and in Literature, and so it makes good sense for them to take these subject tests towards the end of their junior year.
Juniors
Juniors will have the summer months to study further, and we strongly recommend enrolling in an SAT summer course. Unless a student happens to be a super-highly-motivated individual, willing to work long hours for many days by himself or herself, there is no better way to get to know the substance and parameters of the SAT. As last summer, we will arrange for courses to be offered at Montfort by an experienced SAT prep teacher, so that our students can benefit from a reduced rate.
A new series of test dates will be offered in the fall of 2010, and all students have the opportunity to improve their scores before college applications are due. Please keep in mind that early decision application deadlines are set any time between October and January (deadlines vary greatly according to the institution).
Thank you for working with us so that our Montfort students will strive for greater achievements and have an increased potential for scholarship opportunities in the future. Wishing God's blessings on all.
John Pilsner
Director of College Admissions and Academic Guidance
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The PSATs are in!
Dear Parents,
The results for the PSAT arrived yesterday morning. Congratulations to all!!! Needless to say, some students were highly satisfied with their results, while others were a bit disappointed. So now it is time to take advantage of the results, devise a study plan, and prepare to aim higher!
I distributed to each student his or her Score Report Plus, which offers a detailed analysis of test performance as well as each of the questions on the test. I've outlined three of the most important items to consider:
1. Please see the web page which explains the Score Report Plus distributed to each student yesterday and go over the results with your son or daughter. (pasted in below, or link) In mid-December, each student will have access to "My College QuickStart," an online guide to the test questions and a personalized college planning tool. It is explained below. While the PSAT is a low-stakes test, it is also a vital indicator of strengths and weaknesses in the areas tested.
2. There are two basic ways of looking at scores:
a) the numerical scores: Multiplied by ten, these scores correspond to the SATs. For example, a 64 in Critical Reading = 640 (out of 80 = 800).
b) the percentage: This ranks a student based on those sophomores and juniors who took the test. Any student younger than a sophomore (that is, freshmen) are ranked with sophomores. The percentage measures how many others you scored higher than in your grade level, therefore 99 is the highest.
3. Please note that the National Merit Scholarships apply to juniors only. Juniors can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship IF they apply to one of the colleges listed in the information/practice test booklet and if they score well on the test. See the information/practice test booklet for details.
My sincere wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your families!
John Pilsner
Director of College Admissions and Academic Guidance
____________________________
PSAT/NMSQT® Score Report Plus
Helping Your Child Use Score Report Plus
http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/tests/meet-tests/31008.html
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 or she is in eleventh grade, his or her score is compared to the scores of all eleventh-graders who took the test. If he or she is 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 or her original test book along with his or her Score Report Plus. Reviewing questions he or she got wrong is an excellent way for your student to prepare for the SAT®. Encourage him or her to look into the reasons he or she got them wrong:
* Did he or she not know the answer? Or was there another reason he responded incorrectly?
* Did he or she make a careless error?
* Did he or she 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:
* Complete answer explanations, state and national percentiles, and projected SAT score ranges
* A personalized SAT study plan based on his PSAT/NMSQT results (high school students only)
* An initial list of colleges that can be personalized using additional search criteria
* Personalized lists of majors and careers. Using the Personality Profiler, students can also find their personality types and receive suggestions for related majors and careers.
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.
The results for the PSAT arrived yesterday morning. Congratulations to all!!! Needless to say, some students were highly satisfied with their results, while others were a bit disappointed. So now it is time to take advantage of the results, devise a study plan, and prepare to aim higher!
I distributed to each student his or her Score Report Plus, which offers a detailed analysis of test performance as well as each of the questions on the test. I've outlined three of the most important items to consider:
1. Please see the web page which explains the Score Report Plus distributed to each student yesterday and go over the results with your son or daughter. (pasted in below, or link) In mid-December, each student will have access to "My College QuickStart," an online guide to the test questions and a personalized college planning tool. It is explained below. While the PSAT is a low-stakes test, it is also a vital indicator of strengths and weaknesses in the areas tested.
2. There are two basic ways of looking at scores:
a) the numerical scores: Multiplied by ten, these scores correspond to the SATs. For example, a 64 in Critical Reading = 640 (out of 80 = 800).
b) the percentage: This ranks a student based on those sophomores and juniors who took the test. Any student younger than a sophomore (that is, freshmen) are ranked with sophomores. The percentage measures how many others you scored higher than in your grade level, therefore 99 is the highest.
3. Please note that the National Merit Scholarships apply to juniors only. Juniors can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship IF they apply to one of the colleges listed in the information/practice test booklet and if they score well on the test. See the information/practice test booklet for details.
My sincere wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your families!
John Pilsner
Director of College Admissions and Academic Guidance
____________________________
PSAT/NMSQT® Score Report Plus
Helping Your Child Use Score Report Plus
http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/tests/meet-tests/31008.html
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 or she is in eleventh grade, his or her score is compared to the scores of all eleventh-graders who took the test. If he or she is 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 or her original test book along with his or her Score Report Plus. Reviewing questions he or she got wrong is an excellent way for your student to prepare for the SAT®. Encourage him or her to look into the reasons he or she got them wrong:
* Did he or she not know the answer? Or was there another reason he responded incorrectly?
* Did he or she make a careless error?
* Did he or she 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:
* Complete answer explanations, state and national percentiles, and projected SAT score ranges
* A personalized SAT study plan based on his PSAT/NMSQT results (high school students only)
* An initial list of colleges that can be personalized using additional search criteria
* Personalized lists of majors and careers. Using the Personality Profiler, students can also find their personality types and receive suggestions for related majors and careers.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)