During October of every year, juniors and sophomores get ready to take the PSAT, a test that will allow them to get a sneak peek on how well they will perform on the SAT and, for juniors, eligibility for scholarships.

For juniors, this time of the year is handled with the utmost care. If it’s what they desire, they really work towards preparing themselves for the best possible outcome.

“I’ve been using the [PSAT] booklet they gave me,” Hannah Hull (11) said. “I also have been doing online tutoring.”

This test is vital for juniors because now, unlike in previous years, they are eligible to qualify for scholarships such as the National Merit Scholarship. Awards like this one will grant them money to aid them in college.

“I would hope to get a scholarship,” Yasmin Mack (11) said. “Especially [since] I’m trying my best and put in the effort.”

This test is a great way to prepare for the real SAT because that is the test that colleges really look at.

“[It] gets students comfortable with the environment of how the actual SAT would be,” Hull said.

Although the test is meant of Juniors, many Sophomores will take the PSAT as a way to get a sneak peek for what they will dedicate their time studying for next year.

“I think the PSAT is important because I can see my strengths and my weaknesses through the report,” Mai Nguyen (10) said. “Then I can focus on a specific topic that I miss on.”

While Juniors spend a lot of their time studying for the PSAT, most Sophomores don’t because of the little effect it has on their grades and the fact that they are not able to qualify for scholarships.

“This test doesn’t really matter since I’m a Sophomore and this [is] really for Juniors,” Samantha Castillo (10) said. “I’ll worry about getting a good grade on it next year.”

However, some Sophomores want to do well even if the test doesn’t affect them as much as it does Juniors.

“I get that a lot of people aren’t studying, but I believe that the PSAT is [an] important way to measure myself on how well I’ll do on the SAT and also scholarships,” Sharon Han (10) said. “It’s just, the more I study now, the more time I have to focus on the little things later on,”