<p>I encourage those of you who are on a mission. If we didn't hear by the end of this week, I was going to to down to the school and sit there until they told me. My sympathy goes out to those of you who have a longer wait, it's no fun. </p>
<p>But, we lucked out and my son was given his score today. The news is good but I'm still not sure what it means in real terms (ie merit fa, admission, etc.) Of course, he wants to be a theater major so now we've got auditions to get through as well. Oy!</p>
<p>Edited to add: Using last years scores, my kid scored one point above the cut off to be a semifinalist. I see people talking about scores going up or down year to year. So, my questions are:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Should students expect to need higher scores this year to be semifinalists and when does that official score come out? Does he need to do anything else if he does become a semifinalist or does it just continue on by percetanges?</p></li>
<li><p>If he does not make that cut off, I'm pretty sure he'll still make commended, which is awesome! But what does that mean to colleges? What about colleges that also require auditions? Does a student have to get into the school first and then audition? Or can auditions by-pass that?</p></li>
<li><p>Thank goodness for this board! My son has zero interest in this stuff, he's our only and the oldest of our family/friends kids, I don't want to stress him out and so thank you for letting me talking here and providing info. or pointing me in the right direction.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>pugmadkate--congrats to your son! I know theater is very competitive, but if he can manage to get accepted to a school that offers free or near-free rides to NM scholars...yay him!</p>
<p>Cause the job market being what it is, I wouldn't pay big bucks to be a theater major. :)</p>
<p>Pugmadkate, a student can be admitted to a university (based on academics, scores, etc.) but not be admitted into the performance program of choice. I assume that would apply to NMFs as well. A friend's daughter wanted to be a piano performance major at Rice. She got into Rice but was not offered a spot in the piano program, so she went elsewhere (changed her major twice as it was, so she could have gone to Rice!) So, the performance types have double the stress!</p>
<p>for infor on the NM program. If your S made the cutoff for semifinalist, he will be notified next September. Then comes an application, essay etc. and verification of academic prowess other than just the one test! But not to worry, 90% of semis go on to be finalists. Those are announced in early 2010, so you can see it's a long drawnout process.</p>
<p>I guess the delay on PSAT scores now is just to get us accustomed to delays. ;)</p>
<p>Thanks so much to both of you.! You are not kidding about this just being a "practice" wait compared to what is to come! </p>
<p>We don't have the big bucks to spend not matter what his major. We had him when we were young and so now his college and our need to get serious about retirement planning are at cross purposes. We've always been honest with him about how much money would be there and that we will support him in trying for any kind of scholarship. Which is why the merit fa looms so large. </p>
<p>Ironically, his "dream" program is the most difficult theater program to get into (accepts less than 10%) yet it is also the only out-of-state program we can actually afford to pay for on our own! </p>
<p>But this will open up, I hope, merit fa at some of the other schools that also have good theater programs that are right now beyond our financial means. He's got the academic record to get into the schools, but the auditions are much more hit or miss (in my opinion) so the more options, the better. </p>
<p>S got an error message over the weekend saying that he had a duplicate account in the system. He has <em>never</em> had a different CB account! Called CB this AM and the rep said we'd have to wait til the GC gave out access codes and she confirmed that he didn't have a duplicate account. He got home today, got the email, and boom. That said, his GF's scores haven't posted yet.</p>
<p>Very, very frustrating. I can understand that the HSs are still getting out transcripts and recs for the seniors, so there has got to be some better communication out there. I agree with everyone else -- just post the %$#@ things online and be done with it. Have meetings later.</p>
<p>I've been following the questions about why some people can see their scores without an access code, and some cannot. I wonder if it's an option the high school chooses in cooperation with the College Board.</p>
<p>Yes, it's very frustrating. I think that those who are new users get to access their scores online without the code, while previously registered members need a code. My GC hasn't even emailed e back yet--she must be putting it off. We should complain to CB about the injustice of giving the GC's so much power!</p>
<p>Okay, I have figured out to access PSAT scores without a code in theory--it just hasn't worked for me particularly. I created a second account, because only new users get the option of accessing without a code, and found the URL that lets you access it. Then I signed into my existing account and typed in the URL, and they let me fill out the questionnaire but I wasn't able to get my scores. I still suggest you try it--I'm not sure if I can give out the correct URL or not, though.</p>
<p>I would be wary of doing what you described, for fear I would mess up the existing account...or end up with two accounts and a bigger headache down the road.</p>
<p>Think I'll just wait for a few more days until the school releases the scores.</p>
<p>Doing what Ellex stated simply provides you with the link you would've found in the document pdf posted a few pages back anyhow. It doesn't really help with anything, as it will give you the same response each time you fill in the questionaire, that it was bound to a different CB account, even if you're using the correct one.</p>
<p>S thought scores would be released today. Apparently not until right before Xmas break. I'm not sure what the school hopes to accomplish in the era of IM and texting.</p>
<p>I went ahead and gave the website a try last night and was able to access it. D had an existing account, but didn't take the PSAT last year. Her school isn't planning on giving the Sophs their scores till around March?!</p>
<p>Anyway, she's only a Soph and this was her first time taking it. She scored a 172 (52W, 64M, and 56CR). Is NMSF even in the realm of possibilities next year if she works diligently using the Xiggi method? Oh, we're in a state where the cutoff has ranged from 213-216 over the last few years.</p>
<p>My younger son went from 187 to 206 with some practicing, but definitely not diligent studying. His math score went up the most - there were definitely things he just hadn't ever seen yet the first time - the second time most of his math errors were careless mistakes. In addition to studying I would guess your daughter needs to read a lot more - that's really the best way to up the CR score. You don't have to be reading Tolstoy - my kids mostly read sci fi and fantasy, but they read every day. My older son read computer science manuals, my younger son Air and Space magazine and Scientific American.</p>
<p>Even after reading all the hype about the release (or lack thereof) of PSAT scores on this thread, I was trying to be patient because we received a letter from our high school a while ago saying that scores and booklets would be returned mid-December. Couldn't stand it anymore, so I emailed S2's guidance counselor. She just sent a reply saying "have him stop down tomorrow morning". Simple as that.</p>
<p>Can't remember how they handled it for S1. I was clearly not so caught up in the excitement (as I hadn't found CC then :D ).</p>
<p>Checked with Guidance today. The score sheets are there, but they're still in sealed boxes. Guidance is still focused on getting applications, etc, out for Seniors before break. They have said all along that Jrs will get their PSAT scores in January. I was the 2nd or 3rd parent to ask about the "access code," and this was the first time they'd heard about it.</p>
<p>I'll just be patient till January. I have no burning need to know except for curiosity. I know guidance is really busy right now, especially since one GC is out with a seriously ill (hospitalized) toddler. </p>
<p>D's BF got his scores yesterday, he goes to a private school. He told her his percentile, so D began asking questions. I looked up her older brother's scores from 3 years ago and then told her she didn't want to know. But she persisted. Brother was 98th percentile overall, with a perfect 80 in Writing. D won't be in that range! But I'm sure she'll be fine. She always complains when I compare them, so I was kind of surprised she asked about S's scores. (He was commended).</p>
<p>S2 went up 370 points from freshman year PSAT to junior year PSAT. Did not do any practice work until September of this year -- no need to study for freshman and soph PSATs, IMO. We attribute most of the increase to the killer IB English curriculum.</p>
<p>@mathmom - that's encouraging! Although she needs to make a bigger jump than that, hopefully it's doable. She's turned into quite the book worm lately, so hopefully that will help and she's got nearly a 100% in Alg II right now, so that should help in the math dept. She just started going through the Direct Hits books.</p>
<p>You will never believe it. My husband raised a bit of a ruckus about the disrespectful way the PSAT scores have been handled. That the GC hasn't been honest and hasn't returned calls, and that the scores are missing. As a result, instead of being ignored, the question of where the box is has been discussed among the staff and the English teacher piped up "I have them. I've always had them. I was just waiting for instructions." So some kids got them today. Stay tuned . . .</p>