High School Basketball: Top Reasons To Take the PSAT

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October of  junior year is a great opportunity for students to really start to think about what will happen after graduating high school. The PSAT exam is regularly given at many schools around the country the week of Columbus Day. Taking th PSAT is a great opportunity for a student athlete to see how well he/she can do on a standardized test. The PSAT booklet provides sample questions, test taking tips, and guidelines for how to take the test. It is recommended that a student prepare for the exam by reading the information and answering a few of the questions. Motivated students can complete the entire timed practice test. Reviewing the information will help alleviate anxiety and can help the student feel confident on the actual test day.

Reasons to Take the PSAT

  1. The Unofficial Start of the College Process: Not all student athletes will have the opportunity to play basketball in college, however, most student athletes will have the option of attending college or junior college. The PSAT is the first step in the college process. It is a good reality check that can serve as the starting point for students to seriously begin their college search. Some students may have already begun the college process, however, the majority of students do not begin to look at colleges seriously until the spring of junior year.
  2. Helpful Feedback: Feedback is very important to high school students. In terms of basketball feedback comes in many forms. Team placement (freshman, JV, or varsity) is the immediate feedback players receive during the 1st week of the season. Playing time is also another example of feedback a player receives. Academically, the PSAT is probably the best form of feedback a student can receive in relation to standardized testing. The college board has provided this opportunity to help students prepare for the actual SAT which is used by many schools to determine acceptance. A rare few students will be happy with the score they receive. Most will see there is room for improvement. The question now is what can you do to improve.
  3. SAT Test Prep: there are many ways to prepare for the SAT exam and fortunately many require no payment, they are absolutely free. Khan Academy is a great resource for teachers and students they provide free SAT prep online. So all a student will need is access to a computer or electronic device where the exam can be taken. Khan Academy will provide feedback to answers so students can understand the reason for a correct choice. Much like being a very good high school basketball player, being a solid standardized test taker requires practice and skills. If a student is willing to put in the time, there should be some very positive results over time. Like basketball it is a process that needs to be followed.
  4. Make it a Priority: if college is truly important to a player, it will be a top priority to do all that is possible to increase the chances of attending the best academic institution possible in to attain as much scholarship money as you can. Most students in America receive academic scholarships then athletic scholarships. It is likely if you are reading this you to have a better chance of an academic scholarship than an athletic scholarship, regardless of your GPA and SAT scores. If you are a high school basketball player, as a junior, you likely have developed a workout routine that helps develop your basketball skills. The one amazing thing about basketball is you develop life skills that can be transferred into other areas of your life. Develop a routine like you would develop a work out. Set aside time each week for your SAT workout. Attack the workout like you were attack the basket in offensive transition. Be relentless. Be focused. And be self aware.
  5. It’s All about You: not every basketball player understands this concept. But the reality is basketball is about you and being a better player today than you were yesterday. If you can make and embrace this process, you will have a very good high school career. The same is true in terms of SATs. Many students take SATs several times.

The time between SAT exams can be viewed like a basketball off-season. Some players take incredible advantage of this time. While others just watch the time away and make very little progress.

Good luck on your basketball and academic journey.