My kid got a 740 on the PSAT

[G650 14257]

12 hours ago, Helobious said:

What the fuck is the scale of the SAT/PSAT now? I took the SAT on the 2400 scale, but I think it moved back down now. I took the PSAT my freshman year. I swear I scored a 184 (not 1840, 184) and I barely missed the National Honor Society cutoff score. My friend scored a 192 and he qualified for it. I did make the National Hispanic Scholar with that score though. 
 

When I saw thread title I thought OP was bragging about his son being a super genius.

I was going to ask this as well. I am an old who had the 1600 scale.

[Guest Lobo]

I did shitty on the PSAT.  No idea what the score was, but remember it was average (at best) and that everybody became a national merit scholar in my class, but me.  

Don't let it get him down.  The prep books (they were books in my day, I'm sure they're online modules now) really do help, especially for those of us that have trouble focusing for significant amounts of time.  Also, you need to leave each section behind when you're done with it.  No use in second-guessing yourself.  That's a trait that is invaluable in so many ways.  Which always made me wonder why females consistently score higher on those things than males do, because they can never leave shit in the past.  

Anyway, here's a modicum of cold comfort.  Between the my leadership academy at McCombs and serving on the Forty Acres scholarship selection committee, I get to give away several million dollars of other people's money every single year to the best and brightest.  In ~decade of doing that, the PSAT scores of these students has never once come up (good, bad, or indifferent).  I got a shit score and two years later, I was on partial academic scholarship to an expensive private school in Florida with a D-I walk-on roster spot to boot.  

But yeah, in the moment---it's a tough thing to overcome.  As with most numbers in your life, it will shock him how much this never happened.  

[Guest Lobo]

I did shitty on the PSAT.  No idea what the score was, but remember it was average (at best) and that everybody became a national merit scholar in my class, but me.  

Don't let it get him down.  The prep books (they were books in my day, I'm sure they're online modules now) really do help, especially for those of us that have trouble focusing for significant amounts of time.  Also, you need to leave each section behind when you're done with it.  No use in second-guessing yourself.  That's a trait that is invaluable in so many ways.  Which always made me wonder why females consistently score higher on those things than males do, because they can never leave shit in the past.  

Anyway, here's a modicum of cold comfort.  Between the my leadership academy at McCombs and serving on the Forty Acres scholarship selection committee, I get to give away several million dollars of other people's money every single year to the best and brightest.  In ~decade of doing that, the PSAT scores of these students has never once come up (good, bad, or indifferent).  I got a shit score and two years later, I was on partial academic scholarship to an expensive private school in Florida with a D-I walk-on roster spot to boot.  

But yeah, in the moment---it's a tough thing to overcome.  As with most numbers in your life, it will shock him how much this never happened.  

[luke duke 6413]

A 740 isn’t bad, for a 7th grader.

[Hanrahan 1306]

Good, cause he's in fifth grade.

[The University 851]

that's well above the cutoff for a full ride in the aggy corps. what's the issue?

[G650 14257]

2 hours ago, luke duke said:

A 740 isn’t bad, for a 7th grader.

That is very close to what I got when I took them in 7th grade. 760 I think.

[Beau Vine 54230]

15 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

This reminds me of the time I nailed a chick who was (technically) dumber than a chicken.

Iowa's an ACT state.  36 is a perfect score.  A chicken pecking at random once got a 13 on the ACT.  Junior year at ISU, a chick comes to one of our parties, and things go well.  She's cute, but I was 20 and horny and not reading too deep into anything.  She was currently a freshman at a local community college.  Whatever - maybe she's frugal? She's also my brother's girlfriend's roommate's cousin (insert Ferris Bueller meme). We start chatting and planning to hook up again, and I mention it to my brother's girlfriend, who knew the chick as she always stayed with the cousin while in Ames.

Brother's GF:  Oh, Kinsey's nice.  I just didn't think she was your type....

Me:  Why not?  She's cute and seems fun.

Brother's GF:  Do you know why she goes to DMACC?  She got a 12 on the ACT.

Me:  <blank stare>

 

I didn't draw a lot of lines with the opposite sex in those days, but sub-poultry intelligence levels was one of them.

[Beau Vine 54230]

15 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I didn't draw a lot of lines with the opposite sex in those days, but sub-poultry intelligence levels was one of them.

You'll never get into Texum A&M with that attitude.

[Michael Knight 12981]

lucky for you he can still grow up to be president

[luke duke 6413]

3 hours ago, G650 said:

That is very close to what I got when I took them in 7th grade. 760 I think.

Me too. That's why it stood out.

[HRSchenker 2268]

I never took the PSAT. People told me it was a "practice" test so why the hell should I waste an entire day stressing over a practice test? I didn't find out about the whole national merit scholar bullshit until after. Whatever. Still got accepted.

[Grade of D as in David 13253]

35 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

I never took the PSAT. People told me it was a "practice" test so why the hell should I waste an entire day stressing over a practice test? I didn't find out about the whole national merit scholar bullshit until after. Whatever. Still got accepted.

[Helobious 9454]

1 hour ago, HRSchenker said:

I never took the PSAT. People told me it was a "practice" test so why the hell should I waste an entire day stressing over a practice test? I didn't find out about the whole national merit scholar bullshit until after. Whatever. Still got accepted.

My high school (large Texas public school) administered it to all the freshmen for free. This was a little over a decade ago. 

[RPM 26321]

[harpercollins 394]

I did shitty on the PSAT.  No idea what the score was, but remember it was average (at best) and that everybody became a national merit scholar in my class, but me.  
Don't let it get him down.  The prep books (they were books in my day, I'm sure they're online modules now) really do help, especially for those of us that have trouble focusing for significant amounts of time.  Also, you need to leave each section behind when you're done with it.  No use in second-guessing yourself.  That's a trait that is invaluable in so many ways.  Which always made me wonder why females consistently score higher on those things than males do, because they can never leave shit in the past.  
Anyway, here's a modicum of cold comfort.  Between the my leadership academy at McCombs and serving on the Forty Acres scholarship selection committee, I get to give away several million dollars of other people's money every single year to the best and brightest.  In ~decade of doing that, the PSAT scores of these students has never once come up (good, bad, or indifferent).  I got a shit score and two years later, I was on partial academic scholarship to an expensive private school in Florida with a D-I walk-on roster spot to boot.  
But yeah, in the moment---it's a tough thing to overcome.  As with most numbers in your life, it will shock him how much this never happened.  

everybody became a national merit scholar in my class, but me. 

No they didn’t. It’s less than the top 1% of scores.

Even St Johns who has more national merit scholars than any school in Texas has at most 25-40 each class.

[Guest Lobo]

5 minutes ago, harpercollins said:

 

 

No they didn’t. It’s less than the top 1% of scores.

Even St Johns who has more national merit scholars than any school in Texas has at most 25-40 each class.

 

 

Oh for fuck's sake man, I was being hyperbolic to prove the point that plenty of kids reach National Merit Scholar status based on one crummy test and don't do anything with it after that.  really dude, in Chicago where I was 1 of 1000 kids in my class, 999 kids weren't in the Top 1%?    Thanks, we understand the math.  Particularly those of us that control all the money for kids coming to UT.  It was the least significant part of the story.  But you want to get into specifics, you let me know Barbara.  You're gonna pick now to question hyperbole you fucking letdown?  Man you're depressing even in pretend life.  

Edited April 25, 2020 by Lobo

[ButtFumble 5180]

I was a national african American merit finalist and a Hispanic semi-finalist......I am White as rice

I bubbled in the three race boxes on the PSAT as a joke not knowing what would happen.....there were only 3 black people at the high school I went to so the counselor knew to call me down and ask me WTF (he danced around it for a bit) and I knew to expect something because I got a letter in the mail

the school I went to was 86% Hispanic......so he did not think twice about that and I found out about my selection on the morning announcements.....the counselor about cried when I told him I was not Mexican and he ask "not even a grand parent or great grand parent".....nope...

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

On 4/23/2020 at 2:12 PM, Hanrahan said:

I've got to figure out some way to motivate him.  Think whippin his ass would work?

 

After my freshman year at UT didn't go so well, my dad got me a summer job working on a roofing crew (residential shingle) in Austin. My grades improved my sophomore year.

[babysdaddy 2724]

Oh for fuck's sake man, I was being hyperbolic to prove the point that plenty of kids reach National Merit Scholar status based on one crummy test and don't do anything with it after that.  really dude, in Chicago where I was 1 of 1000 kids in my class, 999 kids weren't in the Top 1%?    Thanks, we understand the math.  Particularly those of us that control all the money for kids coming to UT.  It was the least significant part of the story.  But you want to get into specifics, you let me know Barbara.  You're gonna pick now to question hyperbole you fucking letdown?  Man you're depressing even in pretend life.  

Well actualllllly, 990 kids weren’t in the top 1%.

[Guest Lobo]

1 minute ago, babysdaddy said:

Well actualllllly, 990 kids weren’t in the top 1%.

Like I said, I didn't do well on the math portion  

[HRSchenker 2268]

14 hours ago, Helobious said:

My high school (large Texas public school) administered it to all the freshmen for free. This was a little over a decade ago. 

Wow! I went to a 3A school and the only tests they paid for were AP exams and the ASFAB. My senior year in 2007 they made all of us take the ASFAB and I didn't take it seriously so I answered C on everything. What do you know a few months later I was getting calls from military recruiters talking to me about how great I did on that exam lol

[bigcigar 1164]

This is a very poorly executed humble brag.

[Iceman 2713]

2 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Wow! I went to a 3A school and the only tests they paid for were AP exams and the ASFAB. My senior year in 2007 they made all of us take the ASFAB and I didn't take it seriously so I answered C on everything. What do you know a few months later I was getting calls from military recruiters talking to me about how great I did on that exam lol

"The world needs bullet catchers too..."

[luke duke 6413]

No they didn’t. It’s less than the top 1% of scores.

Even St Johns who has more national merit scholars than any school in Texas has at most 25-40 each class.

50+% of my class got some sort of National Merit recognition.

[harpercollins 394]

50+% of my class got some sort of National Merit recognition.

That’s all I was trying to clear up, sending lobo into a temper tantrum. 4 times as many people get commended or Hispanic scholar.

[CfRhTxStBobcats 600]

On 4/24/2020 at 5:54 AM, Bevo said:

Yeah, but then you will be stuck on Surly asking a bunch of other dumbasses what to do with your kid who scored a 740 TOTAL on the SAT. I guess you can look on the bright side and imagine your savings on college tuition. Though 'tis a bad look when your kid is voted most likely to drink fish tank cleaner.

Touche

[zork 629]

BTW, the Duke TIP program allows your eligible kid to take the PSAT on a practice basis which is likely what the OP was referring to since his kid is/was in the 5th grade when he took it.

Here is a way to see if your kid has the eligible test scores to be in the Duke TIP program(if your school counselor/GT teacher hasn't checked for you):

Fourth through sixth grade tests for eligibility, sort by state, (notice even scores from previous years work which I realized today since scores from 3rd grade last year work for 4th grade this year(no STAAR test this year)) :

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts4-qt

The program extends beyond the 6th grade.  I checked the 7th grade requirements here:

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts7-qt

 

Getting the experience taking tests can be good and bad I would think.  If you beat them up on a poor score it could be bad.  Look for positives and expand their experiences on those type of tests could be very helpful by the time they take it/them for real.

 

[Treefidy 1463]

7 hours ago, zork said:

BTW, the Duke TIP program allows your eligible kid to take the PSAT on a practice basis which is likely what the OP was referring to since his kid is/was in the 5th grade when he took it.

Here is a way to see if your kid has the eligible test scores to be in the Duke TIP program(if your school counselor/GT teacher hasn't checked for you):

Fourth through sixth grade tests for eligibility, sort by state, (notice even scores from previous years work which I realized today since scores from 3rd grade last year work for 4th grade this year(no STAAR test this year)) :

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts4-qt

The program extends beyond the 6th grade.  I checked the 7th grade requirements here:

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts7-qt

 

Getting the experience taking tests can be good and bad I would think.  If you beat them up on a poor score it could be bad.  Look for positives and expand their experiences on those type of tests could be very helpful by the time they take it/them for real.

 

Did that in 7th grade, in its early years, back then it was the SAT.  They took 2 kids from each local middle school, took the test in the Austin high library.   

Scored high enough for auto acceptance into UT if I were graduating HS at the time instead of being a dumbass in middle school. Was solely interested in chasing girls and was legitimately worried I would get sent straight to college and never get laid.  Priorities and what not. Welp, over 30 years later and I'm still a dumbass.  

Still better than being a smart aggy, that shit would scar you for life   

/csb 

[jkates 316]

9 hours ago, zork said:

BTW, the Duke TIP program allows your eligible kid to take the PSAT on a practice basis which is likely what the OP was referring to since his kid is/was in the 5th grade when he took it.

Here is a way to see if your kid has the eligible test scores to be in the Duke TIP program(if your school counselor/GT teacher hasn't checked for you):

Fourth through sixth grade tests for eligibility, sort by state, (notice even scores from previous years work which I realized today since scores from 3rd grade last year work for 4th grade this year(no STAAR test this year)) :

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts4-qt

The program extends beyond the 6th grade.  I checked the 7th grade requirements here:

https://tip.duke.edu/lookups/?lt=ts7-qt

 

Getting the experience taking tests can be good and bad I would think.  If you beat them up on a poor score it could be bad.  Look for positives and expand their experiences on those type of tests could be very helpful by the time they take it/them for real.

 

I participated in the TIP program in middle school. As I recall, it was math focused. We didn't get any extra instruction on the verbal stuff. All math. Our little group all scored really well in math from then on. /csb