The proctor said, “pencils down,” to all students taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, also known as the PSAT. They dropped their number two pencils that were almost out of lead and wiped the eraser shards off their desks. Now that this important standardized test was over, they could sigh in relief.
Most students do not hear the term practice test and see an opportunity to open doors for them. This was not the case for eight students at Revere High School: Noah Restivo, Shane Yankovitz, Katie Nowakowski, Zach Iler, Kish Mendpara, Andy Long, Leah Valentine, and Neal Pannala, who earned the title of National Merit Semifinalist based on their PSAT scores. These students took the extra steps to turn “practice” into a gateway to their future.
The selection of the National Merit Semifinalists is a rigorous process. Juniors take the PSAT at their high school in October. There are multiple requirements that each student must meet to be named a semifinalist. These requirements include being enrolled as a high school student, planning to enroll full-time in college the fall following their high school graduation, being a US citizen or US permanent resident, planning to become a US citizen, and earning a top PSAT score. Each state has its own Selection Index score that the student must receive, which, in the end, puts them in the top 1% for their state.
Noah Restivo spoke about how he did not expect to be given the award and had not gone into the test with the goal of becoming a semifinalist.
“It wasn’t actually really a goal of mine . . . I thought it would be cool if I got it, but I did not think I would get it,” Restivo said.
The key to scoring high on the PSAT is to be strategic when taking it. Restivo added that he had a unique way of approaching each question and looked at it from a different point of view than most students.
“I looked at every question and just worked from the reverse. I tried to see what they were testing [for] rather than what the answer was,” Restivo said.
Resitvo touched on how, for consideration as a finalist, there must be another submission of an essay. He addressed the added stress that comes with yet another application to worry about since he already had to go through the college application process, as well.
“It still has a little bit of stress, just pressure, because, you know, it’s another application you’re going to make sure you fill out correctly,” Restivo said.
Restivo talked about how challenging it is to become a finalist and how competitive it is. Nevertheless, he is optimistic about the admission process and is putting his best application forward in hopes of advancing.
“The chances of . . . being a finalist are really slim, but [I] might as well try and go for it,” Restivo said.
Shane Yankovitz talked about the joy he felt after discovering he had received the recognition.
“It felt really nice, and I was really honored to receive this as one of many kids within our district,” Yankovitz said.
Yankovitz talked about the preparation for the test and what he did in order to be well-equipped with the knowledge needed to score high.
“I took a practice test just to see the different format . . . compared to the ACT, since they’re different,” Yankovitz said.
After being asked about the pros that coincide with receiving this award, Yankovitz introduced how becoming a finalist also comes with another benefit.
“Once [I] apply to become a finalist, [I] could potentially get scholarship money, which is very nice,” Yankovitz said.
Yankovitz is involved in a variety of extracurricular activities at Revere High School. He specifically noted Mu Alpha Theta, which he is the Vice President of, as one of the clubs that helped him excel during the PSAT.
“We do a lot of contest prep and just math activities in general, which helped a lot with the math section,” Yankovitz said.
Emily Rion, counselor at Revere High School, often collaborates with most of these students and has helped them throughout their high school career. She listed just a few of the attributes that the students have.
“They’re very kind, they’re very humble, they’re hardworking and they’re definitely very organized,” Rion said.
Rion also listed the qualities necessary for a student who wants to receive this award. She spoke about how some students have to put in extra time to prepare, but some obtain the knowledge from their everyday classes.
“You have to be a pretty good test taker. But further than that . . . you have to really know the knowledge,” Rion said.
Rion then gave her advice to someone striving to win this award and gave some encouraging words. She spoke about how great this achievement is, but also how the test does not define you.
“Try your best . . . but ultimately, know that you’re still an amazing human being, even if you don’t achieve that and you’re more than a test score. But for those folks who are able to achieve this, that is wonderful for them,” Rion said.
This award provides an opportunity for these eight students’ futures. Being able to put this title on their college applications as well as the possibility of winning scholarship money is a chance for them.
