It’s a fate that awaits every MSMS junior, but this year the fate was delayed.

MSMS chose to administer the PSAT in College Board’s new January test date that was added to accommodate schools that couldn’t administer the PSAT in October. 

Vidhi Patel was one of the juniors who walked into Hooper on Jan. 26 to complete one of the milestones of MSMS.

“Going into the test I was kind of nervous at first, but a lot of seniors told me the test was not something to stress about too much, so that kept me calm,” Patel said. 

Many of her peers felt similarly going into the PSAT. Some felt that the January testing date gave them more confidence about the test. 

“I think if I would’ve taken it in October, I would have not done as well, or not have been as confident in how I think I performed,” Patel said. “I was still adjusting to MSMS at that time and I’m pretty sure we were doing virtual classes at the time, so taking the PSAT in person on campus would have been weird.” 

“I think it [the later testing date] definitely helped,” Hayden Anderson said. “Since I took precalculus first quarter and trig this quarter, it helped with my math point of view and made a better math foundation underneath me.”

While some felt confident about their outcome, others were glad to simply be done with the PSAT.

“I thought it was a little bit easier than I expected, and relative to the ACT, which is the only other standardized test I’ve taken, I thought it went way faster and easier,” Hailee Sexton said. 

“It wasn’t too bad,” Anderson said. “I really don’t think that I got National Merit, but that’s okay because it isn’t that important.”

This year, with numerous colleges opting for test-optional admission, standardized testing’s importance has been questioned. The PSAT is something students are encouraged to take seriously; however, many feel its significance is overstated.

“I feel like for some students, for example, ones planning on going in-state and in need of aid or any financial resources they can get, it is a pretty important test,” Patel said. “But other than that, I feel like it’s just a sticker and not nearly as important as teachers make it seem. Sure, it’s an important standardized test, but it’s not something you should stress yourself about because you can demonstrate your academic ability in ways other than a standardized test. I guess it all comes down to how you view it.”