I will be taking the SAT In about a week to submit it in lieu of my PSAT. I was wondering what score I should be trying to get to qualify for NMSF. I live in Missouri. I purely want to know what I need to qualify. I’m not worried about what I need on my SAT to get NMF.
Can you do this? Is there an alternative entry? Could you post a link?
http://www.nationalmerit.org/faq_competition.php#QA4
Unlike past years they don’t expressly mention using SAT scores but I’m thinking they will require either the NEW SAT scores from March or PSAT10 scores and not scores from the old SAT.
I just read the last sentence. My school and collegeboard have agreed to give me the SAT as an alternate test. Does that help any? Is there any way to know what the acores should be?
I’m surprised they agreed to let let you take the old SAT in place of the new PSAT. I wonder how they will figure the conversion?
No one has any idea what score anyone needs on the PSAT or SAT because the the scores will be determined by the new test PSAT. We don’t even have the scores back yet, let alone know what the cut off will be. You should try to make the highest score possible on your SAT.
I’m very curious about how the College Board will handle this, I’ll call on Monday and let you know what I find out.
Looks like you’ve won the lottery by missing the PSAT! I just got off the phone with National Merit and they will simply take the selection score index from you SAT and count it as if it was from your PSAT. It does not matter to them if you are taking the old or the new SAT even though everyone else had to take the new PSAT.
Better for you yet, and the the part I found amazingly hard to believe, so much so that I made the young woman I was speaking to repeat it several times, you can take the SAT as many times as you like up to and including the June test and they will only count your highest score! Personally I think this is grossly unfair for all those students that don’t get to take retake the PSAT, but hey, National Merit makes the rules…
Yes you usually only get one chance to take junior PSAT.
I would aim for 750 on M and CR
Yeah it definitely is unfair. I missed the PSAT and when I took the SAT to make it up I scored a 2050. This would not have made the cut for my state. However I studied and retook it, and did make NMSF, while most juniors do not have that chance.
@3scoutsmom thank you so much for verifying this for me! My parents initially told me June but then they said something about only being able to take the two old SAT tests. Now I know that it’s June I feel relaxed because I have so much time for it.
If I were you I would take (and submit) both an old and a new SAT test.
@Ksty1098 what state are you in?
I just got my results today and scored pretty low since I’m not very experienced with SAT. I calculated my score with the writing and all that and got a 2010. I called the people at national merit about submitting it and alternate entry for previous years. The lady said last year in my state, Missouri, the cutoff was 1960. Is that reasonable? Seems kind of low
@superbowser12 1960 is the confirming score for all states, are you certain she said the cut off for submitting and alternative score is also 1960? Yes, it does sound low. I’m envious!
@3scoutsmom Yeah, from what I got she said 1960 was good enough for my state. Also, what do you mean by confirming score?
And yeah this is way better than taking the PSAT haha.
Everyone that takes the PSAT and makes the cut for their state must also take the SAT and score 1960 or high to move on from NMSF to NMF. It just seems odd that they would have the cut off for your state be the exact same as the the confirming score, more so since they have not released the not released any state cut off info and won’t for several months. Heck, if you believe the CB, National Merit doesn’t have anyone PSAT scores yet so how would they know what your states cut off will be?
She said that’s what it was last year apparently. I’m retaking it again in January anyway, aiming for a 2100. How do you think that will fair? I’m only using SAT for national merit.