PSAT Results - Compare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

No. NMSF is like the score itself but less precise. The actual score is strictly better.

I would agree that the actual score is better, especially a kid who has a high score coming from DMV or NJ versus a kid from Alabama or Florida who have a much lower index score cutoff for the NMSF.

What I don’t understand is how they are so many kids who seem to report 1500+ SAT scores and only a small number of students get NMSF (for Class of 2025, there were only 47 in DC, 296 in MD, and 394 in VA).

My kid is one of those 1500+ PSAT scorers who only got "commended" because her math score was higher than her verbal. The NM index weights the verbal twice as heavily as the math. (Also, DC's cutoff always matches the state with the highest cutoff--usually NJ--according to College Board's policy.)

[Anonymous]

My kid is 10th and got an 1060. She has never taken a standardized test and was also sick that day. I am totally fine with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

No. NMSF is like the score itself but less precise. The actual score is strictly better.

I would agree that the actual score is better, especially a kid who has a high score coming from DMV or NJ versus a kid from Alabama or Florida who have a much lower index score cutoff for the NMSF.

What I don’t understand is how they are so many kids who seem to report 1500+ SAT scores and only a small number of students get NMSF (for Class of 2025, there were only 47 in DC, 296 in MD, and 394 in VA).

My kid is one of those 1500+ PSAT scorers who only got "commended" because her math score was higher than her verbal. The NM index weights the verbal twice as heavily as the math. (Also, DC's cutoff always matches the state with the highest cutoff--usually NJ--according to College Board's policy.)

Mine was due to maturity.

DC took Psat in 10th grade. Was "commended. Didn't really prep for it or take it seriously.

DC took SAT junior year, first try, 1580.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What weirdo family preps their kid for the 10th grade PSAT? Who even has time for that? That is the prep, lol. Have them get a job instead. No wonder there is so much anxiety problems with kids now.

No one should have their kid prep before a 10th grade PSAT. However, plenty do take it in 10th for an indication of where they stand.

10th and 11th grade PSAT both count for the national recognition programs. So if your kid is eligible for one of those, they should prep for the 10th grade PSAT.

What national recognition program is there for 10th graders taking the PSAT/NMSQT? They don’t qualify for NMS, that’s only for 11th, is there something else? Or a program for the PSAT 10 (which isn’t what is being discussed in this thread - that happens in the spring)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

No. NMSF is like the score itself but less precise. The actual score is strictly better.

I would agree that the actual score is better, especially a kid who has a high score coming from DMV or NJ versus a kid from Alabama or Florida who have a much lower index score cutoff for the NMSF.

What I don’t understand is how they are so many kids who seem to report 1500+ SAT scores and only a small number of students get NMSF (for Class of 2025, there were only 47 in DC, 296 in MD, and 394 in VA).

My kid is one of those 1500+ PSAT scorers who only got "commended" because her math score was higher than her verbal. The NM index weights the verbal twice as heavily as the math. (Also, DC's cutoff always matches the state with the highest cutoff--usually NJ--according to College Board's policy.)

NP. Side note: that is INSANELY unfair they set DC’s score that way!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

There are about 20 - 30 schools that offer partial tuition to full tuition to full rides just for NMSF/F status. My kid is a senior now and applying to 10 schools on this list plus in state options and some T20 options too. For us, it’s a great option to have more options to consider. It will be hard to turn down a full ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

95% of semifinalists become finalists. It involves a transcript and recommendation from the high school counselor and an essay (most people just use their Common App essay). These are submitted in early Oct of senior year. Finalist is then announced in February.

See the NMSC site
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/blog.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=2096
Student Guide https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/student_guide.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61#page=33
Program Guide https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/guide_to_the_national_merit_scholarship_program.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

My kid is NMSF - once he was notified in September by his school he had a few weeks to complete an application by early October. Aside from personal info, he had to submit a short essay (500-600 words). School had to also submit info and a validating SAT score is also needed. The SAT score index and info is online.

There are 3 types of scholarships:

National Merit $2500
National Merit corporate partners (varies)
Colleges & Universities (varies)

Here’s the non-resident scholarship offered by University of Oklahoma - almost full ride

https://ou.edu/content/dam/recruitment/honors/National%20Merit_NRES_2024.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

Oh, and white male is irrelevant

[Anonymous]

My child did pretty well, and improved from 10th. Better than doing worse, but I also know that my wife did much worse than me on standardized tests but has done much better professionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

Regarding the white male factor, there are separate recognition programs sponsored by National Merit for URM including students from rural communities. Some schools also offer a lot of merit just for kids recognized as one of these program scholars.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/communities-events/national-recognition-programs

A tangible way to recognize the academic achievements of rural area/small town, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American, and (new in 2024) first-generation students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

Regarding the white male factor, there are separate recognition programs sponsored by National Merit for URM including students from rural communities. Some schools also offer a lot of merit just for kids recognized as one of these program scholars.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/communities-events/national-recognition-programs

A tangible way to recognize the academic achievements of rural area/small town, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American, and (new in 2024) first-generation students.

To clarify, the national recognition programs are from College Board. They are unrelated to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) that sponsors the National Merit program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

I was wondering the same thing, and whether it is worth it to try to qualify for a scholarship if you get NMSF. The actual scholarship amounts are pretty low, and the criteria seem a little silly (e.g., endorsement by the school principal). When I looked at some of the industry scholarships, it seemed not worth going through the process if your kid is a white male.

What is the process that you have to go through to actually become a NMS from a finalist? How does being a white male factor into that process? Where do we find out about the process? Thanks

Regarding the white male factor, there are separate recognition programs sponsored by National Merit for URM including students from rural communities. Some schools also offer a lot of merit just for kids recognized as one of these program scholars.

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/communities-events/national-recognition-programs

A tangible way to recognize the academic achievements of rural area/small town, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous/Native American, and (new in 2024) first-generation students.

But to add, for those that qualify, this is an underrated way for an applicant to indicate in the application that they are a high-scoring URM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does being awarded National Merit Semi-Finalist make any difference on the college application?

No. NMSF is like the score itself but less precise. The actual score is strictly better.

I would agree that the actual score is better, especially a kid who has a high score coming from DMV or NJ versus a kid from Alabama or Florida who have a much lower index score cutoff for the NMSF.

What I don’t understand is how they are so many kids who seem to report 1500+ SAT scores and only a small number of students get NMSF (for Class of 2025, there were only 47 in DC, 296 in MD, and 394 in VA).

I am confused by this comment. What was the index?
My kid is one of those 1500+ PSAT scorers who only got "commended" because her math score was higher than her verbal. The NM index weights the verbal twice as heavily as the math. (Also, DC's cutoff always matches the state with the highest cutoff--usually NJ--according to College Board's policy.)