How to get National Merit on the PSAT

Quite a few people have asked me how to get national merit on the PSAT. First off, it is not easy by any means. This opportunity is usually reserved for overachieving 10th and 11th graders. The most common question I hear is what the minimum score you need to qualify for national merit. The answer is "it depends" on the state that you live in. Some states have lower standards for education, and have lower minimum cutoff scores for the PSAT national merit scholarship. Of the more than 1 million applicants (people who take the PSAT each October) only 50,000 qualify, and can become semifinalists, or finalists. More than half of the finalists win scholarship money!

Summer is officially over, so start college essays!

With the end of summer, there isn't much time before you have to start to get cranking on last minute test prep, and the dreaded college essays.  Here are a few tips to help you get started on college essays (which you should asap).

The common application essays are due December 31 for most colleges. You can access the common app at https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx. 

UC applications are due on November 30, which means you will have roughly 2 months from today to finish the applications if you wish to apply to University of California schools such as UCLA and UC Berkeley. Start the application if you wish to apply at http://www.ucop.edu/pathways/

If you don't know what to write about, you should start brainstorming for the college essays. Think about your talents, passions, achievements, etc.