Aside from being practice for the SAT, what's the real point of taking the PSAT? I heard it might have other benefits, but I’m a bit in the dark here. Can anyone shed light on its additional purposes?
The primary additional benefit of taking the PSAT is eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program. In your junior year, achieving a high score could qualify you as a Commended Scholar or even a Semifinalist in the competition. The top 1% of test-takers may advance to Finalist status and compete for National Merit Scholarships, which are prestigious and can offer significant financial awards from both the program itself and from individual colleges that sponsor Merit Scholarship awards.
Moreover, even if you don't become a Semifinalist, a strong performance on the PSAT can lead to recognition and sometimes scholarships from corporations and other scholarship programs that partner with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Lastly, taking the PSAT is a great way to receive feedback on academic areas you may need to strengthen before taking the SAT or ACT.
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