North’s very own Sivani Gullapalli was awarded Merit Semi-Finalist for the PSAT this past March during her junior year.
Senior Sivani Gullapalli scored a 217 out of 240 on the PSAT, which placed her in the 99th percentile in the state.
The PSAT tests consisted of different subjects: reading, writing/language, and math. Prior to the actual PSAT tests, Gullapalli received much help and support from all of her teachers as they gave her certain materials to increase her studying habits.
“I utilized the book that we were given through the school to take the practice exams and I studied the vocabulary,” Gullapalli said.
Once the day of the actual test arrived, she was a bit nervous before taking it. But afterwards, she was hit with relief as for her confidence boosted up.
“Going into the test, I felt kind of borderline. I wasn’t sure if I was going to qualify or not. But after the test, I felt pretty good about it,” she said.
When she was awarded as Semi-Finalist, she knew that her placement would lead her to new aspects in her future life.
“I think that being a Semi-Finalist would be a good thing to put on college applications because they really look at that kind of thing. It was a great honor to place in the competition. Even though I wasn’t a Finalist, being a Semi-Finalist was a really wonderful thing,” Gullapalli said.
As the PSAT is very similar to other standardized tests, such as ACT or SAT, the PSAT was much different from the two.
“It was like taking any other standardized exam, like an AP exam, but this particular test acts as a prerequisite for scholarship access while most other standardized tests are used mostly for college admissions purposes.”
After earning the Semi-Finalist title, Gullapalli very much appreciated those who were involved in her journey to her success. Leading into the test, her teachers and family supported her with the care and materials she needed to achieve her goal.
“I really would like to thank all of my teachers because someone could prepare for the PSAT a month before, but it’s based off of what you learned through all your years of school. I would also like to thank my parents, of course, for pushing me to study as much as I needed to for the PSAT.”