<p>^Thanks for the advice, I will mention it to my son and let him decide, whether he wants to disclose his PSAT scores or not on the application. I will say that last month when he spoke, directly, to an Admissions officer at an Ivy League school, (that had invited him for an info session), it was suggested he could mention PSAT scores in his application. Apparently, it seems to me, these bits of info are important but not deal makers or breakers. It seemed to me they were looking at the bigger picture and using these bits of info as just another point of reference.</p>
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<p>I asked son to take a practice SAT and ACT test today. He took the Math and CR of the SAT and scored 800s. So, you might be onto something here. Thanks to you (and to m2ck) for your sage advice on these forums.</p>
<p>I think putting PSAT scores in one’s application is fine (don’t remember if there’s a specific place to put them?). I think including scores in one’s essay can be a bit gauche (what do the rest of you think???). In all the essays that kids have sent me to review, none have ever mentioned their scores. </p>
<p>Since your son seems to be ready to get better SAT scores, then just have him retake if a higher SAT is desired. It sounds like you’re concerned that schools will see the 2000 SAT when he sends his SAT IIs and think less of him even with the better ACT score? If so, then just have him retake. One Saturday morning and the issue will be fixed. :)</p>
<p>"I will say that last month when he spoke, directly, to an Admissions officer at an Ivy League school, (that had invited him for an info session), it was suggested he could mention PSAT scores in his application. "</p>
<p>Ivy league schools dont sponsor NMF’s with any scholarships[ why would they? NMF’s apply without any prompting from the Ivy’s] and reject thousands of NMF’s each year. So why would they care about his PSAT score? They won’t. PSAT scores will have NO positive impact on your sons application . Your sons ACT scores may get him a second look, but if he can also get his SAT scores in the 2350 range it will only help his application.</p>
<p>I agree that ivies probably don’t really care. However, it’s one thing to mention PSAT scores in apps and mentioning them in essays.</p>
<p>menloparkmom, I think they care, they just do not care all that much. It seems to me academic ability is just one of many things they are looking at and the PSAT is just one point of reference in the academic picture. I do not expect them to admit him because of his PSAT score or use it as the sole determinant of academic ability. However, I would like them to know his PSAT because it tells a story about my son´s academic development.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, menlopark said “Just have him take the SAT again, if he wants a real chance at winning any NMSF scholarships.” While I agree he should retake for admittance to top schools, as far as NMSF scholarships go, my understanding is that the schools that grant them are concerned with whether you’re NMSF not. So if he is looking to take advantage of NMSF scholarship at Bama, OU, etc, etc, he just needs to qualify. If wants to get into an Ivy or the like, of course he needs to retake his SAT, but that won’t help in any way with NMSF money, since they don’t offer them anyway. Correct…?</p>
<p>Also, while of course Ivies don’t give money for NMSF’s and may not care about your PSAT in general - they DO care if you are NMSF (which hopefully your son WILL be since my D’s score is the same in TX!!). If you are NMSF, they DO care. Our NMF neighbor is going to Cornell and was accepted to 3 Ivies. They told him that while they don’t give any merit money, they all LOVE the stat about how many NMSF’s they have in each class. It’s not enough, by FAR, but it does matter.</p>
<p>Squidge…</p>
<p>A higher SAT score might help the student get picked for a one time NMCorp award.</p>
<p>^^True, that’s the only award I could think of that was dependent - but based on what I’ve seen here, those are few and far between, require an almost perfect score and are just a one time $2,500. The big money is in the school sponsored “full rides”. But, again, totally worth it to take again for a host of other reasons.</p>
<p>squidge, I hope your daughter makes nmsf too! Hopefully, the cut off does not rise or possibly falls this year. btw, did your daughter attend the three day intro. to UT program in Austin this month? My son wanted to attend but the dates conflicted with his plans to visit Europe. Presently, he is leaning more towards engineering at A&M as his most likely choice.</p>
<p>"However, I would like them to know his PSAT because it tells a story about my son´s academic development. "</p>
<p>Lets see if I can make this clear to perazziman and others:
The SAT is much HARDER than the PSAT. It is 3.5 +hours long vrs approx 1hr. The PSAT is considered by top colleges [ i.e Ivys, etc] to be only an INDICATOR that a student could POTENTIALLY achieve a high SAT score. If your DS does not take the SAT again AND score in the 2200 + range[ which is what his PSAT score suggests he could score] , or if he does NOT score a 34-35 on his ACT, then he will not have “verified” what his PSAT score suggested , and his chances of acceptance at highly selective schools, such as Ivy’s, NMSF or not, will probably be nil. College admins use standardized test scores such as the SAT, the ACT, plus they evaluate GPA, rigor of classes taken, EC’s, class rank, essays, recommendation letters, etc, etc. to try to determine who to eliminate more than who to accept. They do not give the “nod” to a NMSF with only a 2000 SAT over a non NMSF who scores 2300 on the SAT or 34-35 on the ACT. </p>
<p>“Our NMF neighbor is going to Cornell and was accepted to 3 Ivies.” </p>
<p>what were her SAT /ACT scores? My guess is they were pretty high, i.e 2300+</p>
<p>I have seen posts by molliebat on the MIT forum and others suggest that they are looking for something else, something more than scores. </p>
<p>I think xiggi believes that the percentile rank for 224 on the PSAT indicates potential to score in the 2300 range on the SAT. So, I do not know how much easier or harder one is than the other. Personally, I do agree with him, the potential is higher, since my son took his first practice SAT test yesterday to establish a baseline, without any practice this year and scored perfect scores. He had minutes left on each section and could have missed a couple more questions and still got 800s. So, it was a nice surprise. I was thinking he would probably start some where near 2100, practice all summer and get near a 2300 by the end of the summer.</p>
<p>*The SAT is much HARDER than the PSAT. It is 3.5 +hours long vrs approx 1hr. *</p>
<p>While I agree that the SAT is harder (I think it does have a higher level of math), I think the PSAT is given over a 2 hour plus period, while the SAT is given over a 3 hour plus period.</p>
<p>@perazziman - fingers crossed! We are in a different situation because she has already verbally committed and will receive a combo of athletic and academic money, none tied to NMSF, but she desperately wants the title (wants to be able to pull it out in college if anyone questions her intellect as a scholarshipped athlete 
plus, we want a “backup plan”. A player we compete against just had her full-ride from Tennessee completely withdrawn after a season ending injury, so we know well the risks. If athletics were not in the picture and she were to go the NMSF scholarship route, I think her 1st choice would also be A&M (she plans to major in Engineering). Good luck to your son!!</p>
<p>Menloparkmom - No one is suggesting that you would get automatic Ivy admission solely because of your NMSF status with 2000 SAT scores. Although, let’s face it, kids in those ranges DO regularly get in, based on other factors.</p>
<p>Yes, our neighbor had very high SAT scores - all I was saying was that at least 2 of the Ivies that accepted him said his NMF status gave him an edge over other applicants with high SAT and no NMF status - they like keeping that percentage as high as possible.</p>
<p>And I think we are getting the term “verified” confused. The National Merit Corporation requires a “verification” score on the SAT to move a student who qualifies from NMSF to NMF. 2000 IS an acceptable “verification” score. That was the original point of this thread, not an SAT score required to go Ivy. I’m pretty sure everyone’s clear that those are very different numbers.</p>
<p>“kids in those ranges DO regularly get in, based on other factors.”</p>
<p>Athletic recruits do not have to pass as high a SAT “bar” as non athletes, especially at the Ivys. But for non athletes, a score of 2000 makes acceptance very unlikely. A quick glance at the Common Data sets for Ivys and other top colleges confirms this.</p>
<p>I’m not confused. I was using the term "verified’ using the literal, Websters dictionary definition, not “verified” based on the NMSF minimum score they say is needed .Your neighbors hi SAT scores confirmed or verified the high SAT scores that his PSAT scores suggested he might be capable of. Those hi SAT scores got him over the first hurdle to a possible Ivy acceptance.The rest of his application won them over.</p>