Hey there! I'm a sophomore and just took the PSAT. I'm aiming for top-tier schools, but I'm not sure what score range I should be looking at to be competitive. What should a sophomore shoot for on the PSAT to have a good shot at elite colleges?
Congratulations on taking the initiative to think about college early on in your high school career! For elite colleges, while there's no official 'cutoff' for PSAT scores, you can use the score ranges for the SAT as a benchmark since the PSAT is a preliminary test and correlates to SAT scores.
Generally, a good PSAT score for a sophomore might be within the 90-99th percentile range. For example, scores above 1400 are quite competitive, keeping in mind that the actual SAT score for competitive applicants often falls above 1450.
Make sure to also focus on your coursework, extracurricular activities, and leadership roles as these are also significant factors in your college application. Remember, the PSAT is a great practice tool and can help qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship program in your junior year if you score particularly high.
Keep up the good work and continue preparing, both academically and with test prep, and you'll shine when application time comes around!
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