Good news yesterday confirming D is NMSF!!! She only took the SAT once in Dec. 2016 and her selection index is 209. Did much better on ACT so that’s what she’s using for college admissions, along with SAT subject tests. I called National Merit Corporation this morning and they said they won’t know this year’s SAT confirming selection index for as long as a couple MONTHS; however, said it would be no higher than 211. She also said last year it was 206 but I thought I’d read online it was 209?? I think D will have to take SAT again, but wanted to post here in case anyone else hears or has heard something different when they call so we can compare notes. D has a lot on her plate, and it’d be great if she didn’t have to worry about another test. Last comment is the the “word on the street” in our community is that the new SAT scores are lower because of math scores dropping. Lots of high achieving kids switching to ACT in a state (NC) that has traditionally been an SAT state. Curious if others are hearing same.
@AlmostThere2018 I called as well. Last year it was said it was 209 just like this year they are saying 211. Both were the highest the confirming score would be and matched the commended scores. They told me it is wholistic decision. But a 211 would ensure you wouldn’t be eliminated by SAT score. The NM guy said chances are 209 will work. But do you want to take a chance? We are at a 1450 SAT but only a 210 for SI. DD will take it one more time and then just send the best SI score. If everything else is stellar the 209 may be enough.
“If everything else is stellar the 209 may be enough.”
That doesn’t match my understanding of the process. It’s my understanding that the confirming SI cutoff is no different than the Commended cutoff, i.e. a single score that applies to all competitors regardless of any other consideration. So unless 209 is the confirming SI cutoff it doesn’t matter what else is in the NMF application. That doesn’t mean the NMF selection process isn’t holistic; for instance there’s no specific GPA requirement and course rigor will probably influence the impact of GPA. But your student might have a 4.0 unweighted GPA in maximum rigor course load and tons of wonderful ECs and an amazing essay, and miss NMF because the confirming SAT cutoff is 211 and they only have a 210.
Strange there is conflicting information! LOL – but my daughter IS that 4.0 student with lots of rigor and ECs you describe, but I too thought it was black and white in terms of whether you make the SAT cutoff or not. Yet if it is a clear cutoff score, it seems to me they should be obliged to share the number – be transparent – otherwise how are students supposed to know if you need to take SAT again? So this is all clear as mud. Thanks @bama2000 for your info and would love to hear from anyone else who has called. Maybe collectively we can pin this down. I’m going to hold off another few days to see if there’s any more info – otherwise signing D up for Oct SAT…
@AlmostThere2018 @traveler98 I asked the guy if it was a bar and he said no. They start with 16,000 ish. Then some people won’t bother with the application . So that eliminates some kids. They are aiming for 15,000 ish. Some kids will have bad recommendations or extremely easy schedules or bad grades. But he couldn’t tell me how bad, “bad” was. But he said it was definitely not the first bar. Like they don’t cut based on not doing the application and then make a cut on those who didn’t make the 211 and see where they are. It seems they look wholistic of those who applied and then if they need to cut it may come down to the SAT. If they pin down 211 what if onky 14,500 made this bar? So last year they had to lower it. They don’t want it to be too low either. In the past it was a set bar year to year he said at 1380. Assuming an even split that would be a 207 SI. After talking to him for over 15 min questioning him. He said he would guess our 210 MAY work but 211 would definitely work. He said the minimum will not be determined until it is too late. Also they want to encourage many people taking the SAT. That is $46 every time you try. That being said I of course signed my daughter up for the November test. Good luck!
They are still accepting the old SAT if taken within the two-year specified window so that might explain some of the uncertainty for that confirming score. Future years competitions might see a more specific minimum.
@bama2000, my point is that there IS a bar and your post describes it perfectly. Sure NMSC is looking holistically at the entire group of NMF applicants and will end up with around 15k NMF. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a hard cutoff set for confirming SAT SI and every NMF hopeful must meet it or they will not make NMF. Once that is set it doesn’t matter whether an individual has an amazing holistic application, if they don’t also meet the confirming SI cutoff they won’t make NMF. If that cutoff is determined to be 211 it won’t matter how awesome the GPA or essay of any particular student is… the cutoff is the cutoff and anyone below it isn’t making NMF. So for the INDIVIDUAL applicant the confirming SI is NOT considered holistically, just as it wasn’t for the NMSF cutoff or the Commended cutoff. Student A might be amazing and awesome with a 220 PSAT SI while Student B is slightly less impressive overall with a 221 SI, but here in Texas only Student B is NMSF. The holistic review you’re referencing doesn’t mean a student with a 209 or 210 could be NMF if the cutoff is set at 211.
This is super helpful, thanks! @bama2000
@traveler98 you are correct from what I understand there will be a hard cut off. And it will be 211 or lower but can not be 212. But the bar is not set before they look at the pool of applicants. And it will be set after the pool has been looked at and it will be low enough to get 15,000 applicants. Like if you made a 223 you are safe as a NMSF in all states. But you are compared to your state applicants so in Texas a 221 made it. Same here if all 16,000 have a 211 or higher there will be no need to go lower. But if only 13,000 can hit that bar then it will probably be a lower cut off. At a 211 you are safe that the SAT won’t eliminate you. But a 209 or 210 may be able to make it. But if the cut off is 209 everyone who makes that bar will be a finalist. Assuming bad grades or discipline problems doesn’t keep them out. It won’t be a case by case basis. Like a 3.75 and 209 doesn’t make it. He a 3.85 and a 209 does make it.
Just to clarify, NMSC does not administer SAT tests, so I am not sure why they would see revenue or care if more people took the SAT again.
On the other hand, they probably truly don’t want to see people fail to advance by not meet the confirming score, and therefore encourage students to do what they can to meet that confirming score, given the imperfect information available. It should be clear that those students who wish to proceed, and have confirming SAT scores near or below the commended SI, should absolutely be planning to take another examination.
And what’s interesting about this is the woman I spoke to today said it ended up being 206 last year – 3 points below the commended if it was 209 (which I think I read?). But, as they say, past is not prologue so that’s why they say go for the 211. Not to mention the extra revenue, lol
There is not conflicting information, there are unknowable variables.
This much is clear: Your student, if sitting on a 209 Confirming SI, and if interested in trying to proceed to NMF status, should plan on studying for and retaking the SAT test. It is as simple as that.
What extra revenue?
I’d assume it is cheaper for NMSC to not process an application than to process one with a test score to confirm. Does NMSC get a kick back from CollegeBoard that I am not aware of?
Great comments @DavidPuddy. The 15k NMF is approximate, it’s never exactly 15,000. It seems the semifinalist step is really mostly in place to make sure there are no embarrassing issues for NMSC; for instance a student with a D average and a criminal record making NMF would cause some PR issues for NMSC I imagine. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if my kid were sitting below a 211 SI on his SAT I’d have already signed him up for the October SAT.
@DavidPuddy I see this at the bottom of national merit stuff. Says registered trade mark for national merit and college board. It seems they are connected somehow.
“The corporate “Lamp of Learning” logo Lamp of Learning and the names National Merit, Merit Scholarship, Merit Scholar, National Achievement, Achievement Scholarship, and Achievement Scholar are federally registered service marks of National Merit Scholarship Corporation. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation and the College Board.”
@bama2000
NMSC is a 501©3 formed in 1955. College Board is also a not for profit, and chartered in 1899.
PSAT/NMSQT is trademarked for exclusive use by NMSC to conduct the national merit competition, using PSAT materials provided by College Board, hence the separate stipulations you quoted.
If you want to believe there is a scheme employed by NMSC to get additional SAT sittings for the College Board, I can’t stop you. On the other hand, if you want to ensure a best chance of advancing from SemiFinalist to Finalist, I can advise you to raise the SI of a qualifying test above the year’s commended score. It seems obvious.
As I have said before, there are a lot of things I would change about the NMSQT process. But I can’t.
Those marks are there because they’re required by copyright / trademark law. Having them on the letter doesn’t signify any relationship at all. It’s roughly the same as seeing an ad for a Spider-Man costume in the Wal-Mart circular that has the TM symbol on it and / or something about Marvel. The only relationship is that if Wal-Mart uses the registered mark “Spider-Man” in print, it also has to display the required trademark symbol, which will be something like “TM Marvel Comics, a service mark of the Disney Corporation.”
Hey, so I just wanted to get your guys’ input on the contributing factors of becoming a Finalist. I have no B’s C’s etc, 1500 SAT and fairly decent EC’s. The only problem is that I’m not the best writer, especially when I have to write about myself. I’m having a really hard time writing this essay, or really any college app essay. I can’t seem to word my experiences in a way that accurately conveys “me”. It just sounds…cringe-y…I am still working with my essay, but is this going to significantly effect my NM standing?
As long as you do the essay - pretty much at all - you will advance to Finalist. There are a few stories of kids who wrote rude essays, or who didn’t write the essay at all, and didn’t make it, but other than that, the essay won’t kill your chances.
That said, a lot of people on the Parents of the Class of 2018 thread like this short ebook: http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/uploads/1/0/9/5/109505679/hack_the_college_essay_2017.pdf
This thread is also helpful, so read the whole thing, not just the OP: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-essays/1845704-why-did-all-of-you-write-the-same-essay-why-this-school-major-p2.html
My son got a 1480 on the SAT, and I thought I remembered that that came out to a SI of 220. I thought I SAW that number (220) on his test results. Yesterday I logged in to look at them again, and I don’t see an SI number anywhere. Maybe I calculated it on my own. I am so over trying to calculate that darn number (I have to look up the formula every time) on the various practice test he took! But can anyone tell me if the SAT score results list the SI number somewhere? Does 1480 sound safe?! Thanks everyone. I am ready for this to be over - so stressful. But so very thankful as well!