Alright, I've been hearing different things, and I'm a little confused now. Should I be taking the PSAT in sophomore year, or is junior year the time when it really counts? I want to be strategic about this, especially since I heard that it can qualify you for scholarships.
Hi there! It's great to see you're thinking ahead about the PSAT. To clarify, many students opt to take the PSAT in their sophomore year as a practice run since it provides a good baseline to understand where they stand and which areas they need to improve on.
However, your junior year PSAT is the one that counts for National Merit Scholarships. You’ll want to be as prepared as possible for the junior year PSAT, not just because of the scholarship opportunities, but also because it's your last chance to experience the SAT format before you start sitting for the actual SAT.
A strategy some students use is to treat the sophomore year PSAT as a diagnostic tool and then use the score report to guide their study plans for the next year. So, while both years can be important, focus your main preparatory efforts on the junior year PSAT for scholarship eligibility. Best of luck, and don’t hesitate to ask for more guidance if needed!
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