@hebegebe stated above, it was very clear that for U of Pittsburgh there were cutoffs for merit aid within the 1500 band. If you really want to make a move for the most merit aid possible I would suggest taking it one more time to see if she can crack the 1550 mark.
Getting a full tuition scholarship at Pitt is substantially more competitive than “merely” being a National Merit Scholar. There’s no need to get a better score than a 1520 if the student’s goal is to get an automatic full-tuition NMS scholarship at one of the colleges that does that. If the student wants to try for very competitive merit aid at more prestigious institutions, then, yeah, another 50 SAT points could make a difference. But doing that means a lot more work than merely taking the test again. Unless she plans to put in that work, taking the test again – even if she gets a meaningful score boost – will not mean anything.
I would actively discourage the student from taking the test again just to know that she had done her best. High SAT scores are not an actual achievement. If she wants to see what she’s capable of, she should focus on doing something real, not taking a standardized test. That may include things like the AMC or National Latin Exam that are actually challenging and measure knowledge and creativity in a specific field.
I’m not sure how NMF works since I wasn’t one, but some schools and some merit scholarships focus very much on the academic stats. For example, if you increased your sat score and you’re interested in the university of Pittsburgh, I’d think you would have a much better chance for a higher merit scholarship. Personally, I increased my ACT on the semptember test my senior year by a little bit and I honestly think it helped me a lot in getting a higher scholarship at Pitt; in my other college endeavors, probably not so much.
Take it again. A 1520 is excellent, but, say, a 1560 is even more excellent. It depends on how your daughter sees herself. If she is happy with her current score because it gets her want she wants, don’t take it again. Why risk a lower score? But, if she sees herself at the top and wants bragging rights for a really top score, take it again. The air is more rarified at the higher scores!
Has your daughter only taken the SAT once so far? What was the breakdown of her 1520? I think both of these questions come into play as to whether she should take the test again.
If she has only taken the test once, I don’t see much harm and potential upside in taking the test again. If she has already taken the test 3 times, I probably wouldn’t take the test again.
If the breakdown of her score was lopsided like 800/720 then i would take the test again and focus on the 720. If her breakdown is even with a 760/760 then it would be likely more difficult to raise the score.
I did not read through entire thread. If your D is satisfied with the choices she has for schools that offer full ride for NMF then no reason tot take again. If your D wants to add in schools (or open up other options) that give out big merit for top candidates I’d say take again. My D took again with similar score to be more competitive for merit at a school she was very interested in. Her score cameup and she got a full ride to said school.
If NMSF cutoffs had been announced, it would be big news. I would not count those chickens until they hatch.
Since her minimum in one section is 720 I wouldn’t waste time taking the SAT again, instead I would spend the time and effort in getting ready for the Subject tests. I don’t think she’ll get denied admission from any college because her score is 1520 and not 1600. Everything else will count just as much, including ECs, essays, LoRs. Since she did very well on the SAT, all the energy and effort should now be spent on other things perhaps more important. Good luck.
No. She rocked it.