According to Elaine Schwartz, the director of the guidance department, scores on the PSAT/NMSQT exam, which most juniors took on Oct. 5, have been sent out in the mail.
Schwartz said Alan Jolley, a mathematics teacher who heads most of the standardized testing procedures for Staples students, received the scores on Dec. 5, and the guidance department has since been organizing them for mailing.
“We also put a booklet in the envelopes with the scores that have information for students and parents to accompany the scores,” Schwartz said.
For some students, such as Jake Chernok ’13, there exists a belief that the scores could have been received by students from guidance even sooner.
“I, like many other students, am curious to know how I did, and if Staples has the scores, I would like to know as soon as possible,” Chernok said. He adds that although he would like to receive his PSAT scores as soon as possible, receiving them in mid-December still leaves him time to prepare for the actual SATs.
In contrast, Brittany Healy ’13 shows a relaxed attitude with regard to the time frame of receiving her PSAT scores.
“I think that it took a while for the scores, longer than I would want, but I don’t really have a big problem with it, considering that it’s just the PSAT,” Healy said. “I would care much more if it was my SAT score, you know?”
Schwartz suggests that juniors should not worry too much upon receiving their PSAT scores, since the exam marked the first time they took a true standardized, College Board-administered test.
“Scores does not go on any records, they do not go to college, they do not count for anything except set you for a baseline,” Schwartz said.
In addition, she suggests that juniors take advantage of the booklet that contains all correct answers on the exam that will come with their scores.
“It must also be a good thing to go see and discuss your scores with your guidance counselor to see if you might want to consider taking a Practice ACT,” Schwartz said. “It’s a good way for students to get a feel on what they might want to work on.”
