Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any value to being a semifinalist for NMSQT (i.e. meeting the benchmark) -- other than having something nice to put on your college applications?

Realistically, my kid could meet the benchmark with just a little prep. But, he isn't going to win any scholarship competition b/c he doesn't have a "resume" of fabulous things he's done.

So, other than bragging rights on college apps, is there any value to being a NMSQT semifinalist?

Most semifinalists become finalists.

Can you back up a little. If you meet the benchmark score for your state (let's say 221)... then are you a "semi-finalist"? And if you are a "semi-finalist" what has to happen to make you a "finalist"? I thought that there were only a much smaller number who actually get the scholarships out of some 16,000 (?) who meet the benchmark.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is now up

My DC's says that they are not available until tomorrow. We are in MD also.

For my DC, College Board says "Your Score Is Pending" I admit that I am a little bit annoyed

original PP here- we got the email that said scores are there this afternoon, but still says not until tomorrow when we log in. However, I can see the score itself if I go into "My SAT" and scroll down. Still can't access the full report, but it shows the overall score and the scores on math and reading sections. My DC said this is the case for all of his friends at his (MD) high school.

Anonymous wrote:Is there any value to being a semifinalist for NMSQT (i.e. meeting the benchmark) -- other than having something nice to put on your college applications?

Realistically, my kid could meet the benchmark with just a little prep. But, he isn't going to win any scholarship competition b/c he doesn't have a "resume" of fabulous things he's done.

So, other than bragging rights on college apps, is there any value to being a NMSQT semifinalist?

Most semifinalists become finalists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do u compute the index? DC got 1510. I assume it’s good for nmsf no matter what?

"To determine who qualifies for National Merit, NMSC uses a scale called the Selection Index. To get this, NMSC adds your Math, Reading, and Writing section scores, which each fall between 8 and 38, and then multiplies that sum by 2. Thus, the PSAT NMSC Selection Index ranges from 48 to 228."

https://blog.prepscholar.com/does-your-psat-score-qualify-for-national-merit

If you add three numbers and multiply by 2, shouldn’t all Selection Index scores be even numbers? How are some of the cutoffs odd numbers?

The math subscore can have a decimal, e.g. 37.5 (= 750)

10th grader got a 1080. He's solidly in the 70th-80th percentile ranges. I'm very proud of him. He's amazing!

Anonymous wrote:Is there any value to being a semifinalist for NMSQT (i.e. meeting the benchmark) -- other than having something nice to put on your college applications?

Realistically, my kid could meet the benchmark with just a little prep. But, he isn't going to win any scholarship competition b/c he doesn't have a "resume" of fabulous things he's done.

So, other than bragging rights on college apps, is there any value to being a NMSQT semifinalist?

A number of universities offer full rides for National Merit Scholars.

College Board (in Maryland) says scores aren't available til tomorrow, Tues 12/6

1520

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is now up

My DC's says that they are not available until tomorrow. We are in MD also.

For my DC, College Board says "Your Score Is Pending" I admit that I am a little bit annoyed

Anonymous wrote:I'm also a little clueless about the PSAT. My DC is a 9th grader and just got scores back. But is the 9th grade test different than the "real" PSAT they take later in HS? Just trying to determine what their scores mean.

Yes, it’s different. 9th graders take the PSAT 8/9, which is scored on a 1440 scale (rather than 1520 for the PSAT/NMSQT and 1600 for the SAT). Your kid’s scores are accompanied by a percentile, which shows how they performed compared to other 9th graders. If they haven’t logged into the College Board to see their scores, that’s where you find the percentiles and all of the other relevant info.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do u compute the index? DC got 1510. I assume it’s good for nmsf no matter what?

"To determine who qualifies for National Merit, NMSC uses a scale called the Selection Index. To get this, NMSC adds your Math, Reading, and Writing section scores, which each fall between 8 and 38, and then multiplies that sum by 2. Thus, the PSAT NMSC Selection Index ranges from 48 to 228."

https://blog.prepscholar.com/does-your-psat-score-qualify-for-national-merit

If you add three numbers and multiply by 2, shouldn’t all Selection Index scores be even numbers? How are some of the cutoffs odd numbers?

I'm also a little clueless about the PSAT. My DC is a 9th grader and just got scores back. But is the 9th grade test different than the "real" PSAT they take later in HS? Just trying to determine what their scores mean.

Is there any value to being a semifinalist for NMSQT (i.e. meeting the benchmark) -- other than having something nice to put on your college applications?

Realistically, my kid could meet the benchmark with just a little prep. But, he isn't going to win any scholarship competition b/c he doesn't have a "resume" of fabulous things he's done.

So, other than bragging rights on college apps, is there any value to being a NMSQT semifinalist?

Anonymous wrote:How do u compute the index? DC got 1510. I assume it’s good for nmsf no matter what?

The computation is shown on College Board's website.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maryland is now up

My DC's says that they are not available until tomorrow. We are in MD also.

Virginia is tomorrow. MD is today. Scores for my MCPS kid were up as of about 7:00 am today. They were not when I first woke up.

It actually depends on where your wifi server has a switch center! Seriously. We have never lived in Maryland, but our Virginia (Fairfax County) wifi set up with Verizon is connected to a data switch center in Maryland. So, although I'm in Fairfax County, VA, my kid and I saw his scores this morning just after 7:00 a.m. Next year it will not work in our favor b/c the northern section of the country will be released on the second day, and since CB thinks we are in MD, we won't be able to get the scores on the day that the rest of VA gets their score (unless DS uses the school wifi, then CB will think he is actually in VA -- which he will be -- and he'll get the scores. But at home, we won't get them until Maryland's are released.) I actually called Verizon a few years ago and asked to be routed to a VA-based switch center... they said they have no way to do that! That's Verizon for 'ya.