This week 280 sophomores and juniors at OHS are gearing up to take the PSAT.  Some hope for testing practice, while others desire National Merit Scholar status.

“I’m hoping to get a good score,” sophomore Heba Marzouk said.

Sophomores taking the tests cannot qualify for National Merit, but they can gain real test-taking experience and practice before it is their turn to take the PSAT in a time that counts.

“My parents wanted me to know the format for next year,” sophomore Anneke Buskes said.

Although Freshmen are not taking the PSAT this time, they will have the opportunity to take it on March 22nd as a first practice-run before their junior year.

Some juniors taking the test this year were in the sophomores’ and freshmen’s shoes last year, hoping to see how they would do and what they could improve on in the future.  One of those juniors is Julia Swords.

“I felt fairly good about it,” Swords said, speaking of her first try at the PSAT. “My score was just below where I needed to be to get national merit.”

This year, she hopes to get those extra points and reach her goal of being a National Merit Scholar and all the benefits that come with such a prestigious title.

“That would mean that I would be better able to attend the college of my choosing, which is Auburn University,” Swords said.

Marzouk plans to graduate early and learned just this week that her scores for the PSAT will count this year as opposed to next.

“I was surprise,  because I didn’t think I would take it this year,” Marzouk said. “I’m not really thinking I’m getting the merit, but I’ll probably do fine on the score.”

Marzouk also found herself without much practice and preparation under her belt.

“I didn’t really prepare that much because they just gave us the booklet yesterday,” Marzouk said, referring to a booklet given to students taking the PSAT earlier in the week.

For some, especially those freshmen and sophomores only taking the test for the experience, preparing for the PSAT was never on their agenda.

“I have done nothing to prepare,” Buskes said.

But for those with more on the line, preparing and doing well on the PSAT was more on their mind.

“I got the resource book, the Kaplan, and I went through that, and I just took the practice test,” Swords said.

No matter the preparation amount or a student’s reasoning behind taking the test, it all comes down to Wednesday, October 19. Then, the students will begin the two hour and forty-five minute test.