Let us know what happens. My kid's 11th grade PSAT score is substantially lower than his 10th grade PSAT score. |
Most kids who have a serious shot at NMSF who are aware of selective college admissions may already plan to take the SAT fall junior year and prep for that over the summer, so they will also be prepped for PSAT. My college freshman is a NMSF. My junior, who already has a high SAT score, scored higher on the PSAT10 than on this PSAT/NMSQT. His PSAT10 score would have qualified him for NMSF in our state, but his PSAT/NMSQT score is not enough. A weird result. I don't know if it was the test/scoring or whether he was just too distracted by the rest of his junior year life, though his preparation was really no different than his older sibling NMSF. |
Yeah, that happens. Part of it is a lucky set! They want to do some prep before 11th, so we will do that. |
| NMSF doesnt have the same impact from even 5 years ago. Many schools eliminated or cut back on NMSF scholarships. My kid from class of 23 was one. Not sure how much it helped with the schools he applied to. Ended up attending a large OOS public. Received a little merit, but nothing related to NMSF. More for parents bragging rights. |
| 10th grade scoring in the 97th percentile, Ok? |
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Another data point. For my kid:
PSAT 10: Went in cold. Scored in 99th percentile; cleared NMSF cut-off with score in high 1400s. We didn't even check NMF - we are still not clear on the rules/procedures for that tbh. PSAT 11: Didn't want to study for SAT this summer as I suggested so he could take August SAT before junior year madness. (Regrets this now.) Did 4 practice SAT tests in Sept/Oct. Scored higher on PSAT junior year. |
| When do scores come out for kids who took the PSAT on 10/30? |
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/scores/k12-educators/score-release-dates |
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Question: I read on reddit yesterday (maybe incorrect info) that to be considered for NMF, you must score ABOVE your state's cutoff for NMSF. Is this correct?
Or is anyone who has a qualifying NMSF score also in the running for NMF (along with confirming SAT score, GPA, etc.)? |
No. If you are at or above the cutoff, you are a NMSF, and you then apply for NMF. 95% of NMSFs become NMFs. Absent unusual circumstances (like bad grades), the application process for NMF is a formality. |
Sorry, I should have added: actually getting a scholarship is a separate matter entirely. There are different types of awards and only around half of NMFs get one of those types of awards (corporate sponsorships, college-specific awards from the school the student has chosen to attend, and the $2500 awards from NMSC. |
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TY - have been trying to get correct info!
So what does one do then to get the scholarship money? Are they chosen based on the other criteria, like LORs, activities, or something else? |
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^^ And by "get the scholarship money" I mean, the $2500 from NMSC (direct?) scholarships.
Do the corporate scholarships you are speaking of come through NMSC directly also, or would those come from a separate application directly to the corporate sponsors? Sorry, I'm googling but am not having a lot of luck figuring this out. |
The $2500 NMSC and the corporate ones (which are typically also small) are based on the application for NMF. The college-specific ones are based on what the college offers - there is a list in the document with which colleges still offer something for NMF. Most awards are tiny. If you are merit-hunting, decide which colleges without worrying about the above process. As long as you are NMF and the college offers big auto-merit for NMF, you will get it. I'm referring to schools like U Alabama and U Tulsa. |
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It is my understanding that it is the same application for all three types of scholarships. Students who indicate on the application that they have a first choice College and accept a scholarship through them have forfeited the other two types of scholarships I believe. Corporate scholarships are given to students who have some kind of affiliation with those corporations, like a parent who works for them or they live in the same town as the corporations main offices. Students can only get one of the three scholarships.
I am far from an expert, but this is what I have gleaned from reading on pages like this |