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I'm sorry that you were disappointed by your PSAT scores, especially because you got a great ACT composite. And with such a super ACT, you probably assume that there was a screw-up somewhere along the way (but not made by YOU!). However, "The Dean" suspects that you've only seen your online PSAT tally so far, but you haven't yet seen the complete score report. This report will allow you to look at the correct answer to every question and compare it to the answer you chose. (You can see a sample score report here.) Once you've gone through your full report, you may find out that you gave more incorrect answers than you expected. You may also discover that you accidentally skipped an answer along the way and so you ended up mis-numbering some of the questions, but a "right" answer in the wrong place still counts as wrong! If you discover that you skipped a question, it may solve a mystery for you but it won't enable you to re-test or appeal.
Although your PSAT score won't make you a National Merit finalist, you may be like the countless students and parents who put more emphasis on National Merit than it warrants. While National Merit scholarships can be a big help to students attending its member colleges and universities, many of the most sought-after schools don't even participate. If your grades are as high as your ACT score (and if you need financial assistance to attend college), you should be in the running at elite colleges that provide excellent need-based financial aid but that don't take part in National Merit. And even if your family qualifies for little or no need-based aid, an ACT score of 35 (along with good grades) makes you a strong contender for "merit aid" at many of the institutions that offer it.
So don't be too shaken by your PSATs. Remember ... the college admission folks will be impressed with your ACT score, and they won't even see your PSAT score!
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