<p>PSAT Wednesday! Eek! So, I've had practice books for PSAT and SAT piled up in my room since freshman year, and I've only skimmed them. Since freshman year, I've said I wanted to qualify for National Achievement (as an African American, the qualifying score is lower, so I'd be more likely to make it) but I pretty much had the wakeup last week that I'm taking the test for real Wednesday. I've maybe studied directly for the test six hours total in the past three months, if that. Okay. Breathe. It really isn't that big of a deal if I choke on the test and don't do as well as I want. But does the NMSQT/PSAT count for anything in college admissions other than possible scholarships? If I study hard for the SAT and aim for a solid score (over 2100 at least), will not having National Merit recognition of any kind hurt me? </p>
<p>How many students at competitive schools (I'm interested in Rice, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon type.. not as much HYPS) don't have recognition? I feel like I've seen the numbers before but I can't seem to pull them up on search.</p>
<p>I don’t feel like it’s that big of a deal - just make sure that you’ve studied for the real SAT as well as you can. I’m assuming your a junior b/c you can’t get NM recognition otherwise; there’s not much point stressing about it at this point. Just go in there with a positive mindset.</p>
<p>In my school, whoever gets NMSF gets his/her picture in a glass display in the front foyer of the school. This is perhaps my only, true motivation for doing well on this test. :D</p>
<p>There are colleges that will give you full rides for being a NAF. As such, you can enter the admission process and negotiate financial aid at Rice, Northwestern and CMU with more confidence knowing you have an offer to study free at another school.</p>
<p>It’s not that important at top colleges because most top students have NMS.
Only state colleges give scholarships to NMS.
The SAT is much more important.</p>
<p>^You can’t be a Merit Scholar with an 1800 SAT.
To be a NMS, you have to take the SAT, and score around the National cutoff (~2000, I think, but no one knows for sure).</p>
<p>NMS looks good only within your own school as it “marks” you and for getting full rides. At top colleges like Ivy league schools, NM recognition counts for very little</p>
<p>Just to clarify, USC and BU are some of the private schools that give 50% off tution. TX A&M (often ranked in the top 20 engineering schools in the country) grants automatic admission and gives merit scholarships that cover 100% tution.</p>