What are the benefits of being a National Merit Semifinalist or Finalist?
I don’t have enough time to do much studying for the PSAT in my junior year and would like to know if I’m really missing out on much if I don’t make the cut in my state.
Many colleges provide automatic merit scholarships for NMF finalists. Northeastern, Boston University and USC offer at least half tuition scholarships. Some lower ranked colleges provide full tuition scholarships. There is no real advantage to being a semifinalist if you do not make finalist.
@TomSrOfBoston Do you know hard it is to become a Finalist?
94% of semifinalists become finalists.
@needtosucceed27 - what on earth will you be doing Aug. - Sept. of Junior year that you can’t make time to layer in some free online prep and take a few practice tests? Keep in mind that this is pretty much front-loading your SAT prep as well, in case you were planning to sit that exam anyway. If you really are that busy, use June/July to prep. NMSQT is at the beginning of Junior year before things get too crazy.
@snowfairy137 Thanks!
@JBStillFlying I’m planning on finishing my ACT Prep and getting the score I want before junior year. I’m in a lot of extracurriculars (5ish clubs and doing a few things outside of school) and going to be taking all AP and honors classes, so it’s going to be hard to find time to even sleep. I’ll try to squeeze in time to practice PSAT though, thanks.
@needtosucceed27 While there are benefits to being an NMSF, if you really have other more pressing things in your academic life that you neee to prioritize, I would do that. While nothing can replace the feeling of being named a “National Merit Semifinalist,” it definitely isn’t the be all end all and I would personally focus more on things that will matter for my collegiate future like the ACT, extracurriculars, normal classes, etc. However, in the end it is all a personal choice only you can make.
Disagree, @bcnkvr. If you win a $2500 one-time scholarship then that’s worth a year of part time work - tax free - with perhaps a fraction of the time commitment. If you win a $2,000 / year college sponsored scholarship, that’s money you don’t have to borrow or earn during work study. If you get a partial or full tuition scholarship, that’s money saved for grad school. Schools see PLENTY of smart kids who are loaded up with EC’s. But only the top 1% of PSAT testers are SF/NMF. If OP is located in NJ, DC, CA or another high cut-off area then it might not make much sense, especially if he/she isn’t planning on taking the SAT. Otherwise, if you have a good shot at it, you should go for it. Being NMSF opens up a whole world of opportunity.
@needtosucceed27 - it’s great that you are challenging yourself academically. Five clubs is also great - assuming all five are your passion and not just stuff you think will get you into a good college. If they are - drop at least three of them; if you end up with time on your hands as a result, get a part-time job or volunteer as a tutor.
The good news is that you will be able to piggy back off your ACT prep for the PSAT. You’ll find after the time-pressured ACT that the PSAT is truly more enjoyable. It’s true that you will need to take the SAT if you are in national merit contention but that would be a good problem to have and you can always do so in Aug, Oct. or Nov. of senior year.
We had two kids who used Kahn to study for the PSAT/NMSQT. Both, like you, began with intense ACT prep in sophomore year. One, a natural tester, ended up NMF, the other - not a natural tester - will be commended (he likely misses the SF cut-off in our state by two points). Both found that the ACT prep along with Kahn really helped them for the PSAT. And my son didn’t even like where he was ending up on the ACT practice test so never took that exam. He’s opting to stick with SAT. If you are just beginning ACT prep now, realize that it’s still early yet - you don’t know how those scores will turn out. Don’t write off shooting for a high PSAT at this point.
@JBStillFlying Thanks for the advice! I’ll definitely aim to be a Semifinalist. I am participating in those five clubs because I truly enjoy them. They allow me to grow, learn new skills, and increase my knowledge. My freshman year I was worrying more about things that would get me into a good college and not things that I really enjoy, but this year I have a clearer understanding of myself and what I’m passionate about. Next semester I plan on volunteering by teaching English to adults.
That’s good! I struggle with timing on the reading and science sections. Why would I have to take the SAT for national merit?
That’s good! I’l definitely use Khan Academy for PSAT prep.
“Why would I have to take the SAT for national merit?”
If you are named a Semi-Finalist in Sept. of your Senior year, you will need to sit the SAT exam to “vet” (or confirm) your PSAT score and send the results to the national merit folks before Dec. 31 in order to be considered for National Merit Finalist.
@JBStillFlying Thanks for the clarification. Would I have to score in the top 1% on the SAT too to confirm my PSAT score? How does that work?
To be named a NMSF you have to score at or above your state’s cut-off. That varies by state - some states are actually near the commended score so below top 1%. Others are more like in the top 1/2% or even 1/4%. So it can really vary. You can look up your state’s cut-off online - Art Sawyer at Compass is a great resource.
To advance to finalist you will need, among other things, to take the SAT and score at or near the commended score which is currently 211 but may be a tad higher - or lower - by the time you are a contender. Once you receive your SAT score, you will need to convert it to a selection index as the score report won’t include that number. But because the commended will be below top 1%, it’s safe to say that the SAT hurdle will be a pretty low one for most semi finalists.
Benefits of being a National Merit in a nutshell:
"if you had one shot, or one opportunity. Would you capture it or just let it slip? - Eminem
- Part of Top 1% PSAT/NMSF club
- Automatically considered for the National Merit Scholarship, College-sponsored, Corporate-sponsored
- Recognition by NMS program, Your High School and Local Newspaper.
- Possible Full Ride/Full Tuition Scholarships (without need-based requirement or component)
- OOS tuition waiver to in-state tuition for most state colleges