<p>Is it all statistics on the part of College Board? Do they look at SATs? They don't say on their website.</p>
<p>It’s only the PSAT, hence why the PSAT is the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)</p>
<p>I was doing some looking around later, and it turns out they do take SAT scores into consideration.</p>
<p>Link: <a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/Merit_R&I_Leaflet.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/Merit_R&I_Leaflet.pdf</a></p>
<p>Are you asking how a NMSF becomes a NMF (and maybe a NMScholar)?</p>
<p>To go from NMSF (named in Sept of senior year) to NMF (named in late winter of senior year)…</p>
<p>1) keep your nose clean at school - you need the rec from your school</p>
<p>2) Take the SAT by Dec and have score sent to NMCorp - code 0085
(Typically a score over 2000 is considered good enough - altho some with scores of 1950 have reported making NMF.)</p>
<p>3) Receive the NMSF paperwork in September from your school (if you don’t get it by mid-Sept, ask your GC). Follow all the directions, write a nice essay, and return paperwork to school before the due date.</p>
<p>4) Check with school to make sure paperwork is submitted on time to NMCorp.</p>
<p>5) Keep your GPA strong at school; the school sends your transcript to NMCorp with your paperwork.</p>
<p>6) Don’t fret about picking #1 choice for college. That can be decided in late winter/early spring - depending on school’s deadline.</p>
<p>The kids who don’t make NMF after being named NMSF typically cause that to happen by…</p>
<p>1) bad behavior at school</p>
<p>2) poor academic performance (GPA issues)</p>
<p>3) didn’t do the paperwork, did it incorrectly, or submitted it too late.</p>
<p>4) wrote a rude/poor essay.</p>
<p>5) didn’t take the SAT, didn’t send score to NMCorp, and/or didn’t have a good SAT score (typically a score over 2000 is considered “safe.”)</p>
<p>Those who become a NMF can become a NMScholar if they get a NM scholarship from NMCorp, from a corporation, or from a college.</p>
<p>1bie792, the thread title is confusing because you don’t become a Scholar first.</p>
<p>My son was chosen in first round of Natl Merit. He was able to choose 2 colleges, and in September they inform the school who will advance to semi-finalist.</p>
<p>My understanding is that somehow this first pool is reduced by half to arrive at semi-finalists. That is the process I am wondering about.</p>
<p>[National</a> Merit Scholarship Corporation - NMSP](<a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#commended]National”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#commended)</p>
<p>OK good, now I know where you’re coming from. Congratulations on his high PSAT score. </p>
<p>The kids who advance to semi-finalist are chosen strictly by that PSAT score. Each state has a cutoff on where the line is drawn between those who are commended and those who are considered semi-finalists. You’re right that you won’t hear until September but you could make a reasonable guess by last year’s cutoff for your state (it could change by 1 or 2 points each year). </p>
<p>According to this thread, last year’s cutoff for California was 218.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/696125-psat-scores-national-merit-semifinalists-2009-h-s-class-2010-a-77.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/696125-psat-scores-national-merit-semifinalists-2009-h-s-class-2010-a-77.html</a>
These cutoffs are not published by NMSC but are based on people posting on this forum in Sept. once they officially hear from NMSC. As the posts come in for each state, the cutoff is pinpointed, so to speak.</p>
<p>Hope this helps! If your child does move on to Semi-finalist, then an application process for Finalist is started in Sept./Oct. (with short notice for the application due date, only 1 or 2 weeks notice for the paperwork to be turned in). This part takes into review his activities, grades, essay, and an SAT score submission.</p>
<p>If your child’s score is 4-5 points above last year’s state’s cut-off then you can be assured that your child will make NMSF. If your child’s PSAT score is close to last year’s cut-off score for your state, then you won’t know for sure until Sept. </p>
<p>Here are last year’s states’ cutoffs…</p>
<p>NMSF cut-off scores
[National</a> Merit Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html]National”>http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html)</p>
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<p>Yes they do look at the SAT scores but more as a validation and possibly as a tie breaker rather than directly. An approximate conversion between PSAT and SAT is 10, so if you get a 235 on PSAT you should get around 2350 in your SAT. So if you get 2250 on your SAT, it is still within an acceptable range. But if you get 1950 on your SAT and 235 on your PSAT, the NMSC could get a little suspicious as to if the PSAT was a valid score. </p>
<p>The numbers I have heard is that your SAT score should be greater than (PSAT<em>10-200). So if your PSAT score is 225, then they expect that your SAT score will be at least 225</em>10-200= 2050. So does it mean someone with a PSAT with 225 but a SAT of 2040 will not advance? No, but they will look at the application very carefully.</p>
<p>That said there is also some sort of floor i.e. SAT scores should be greater than a certain number and I have heard numbers around 1950 i.e. all those who advance should have a SAT score above the floor and NMSC does not give the floor, so it is anecdotal. An SAT score greater than 2000 is considered safe (post #4)</p>
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<p>This is true but there is a caveat. Meeting or beating the state cut off on the PSAT scores is a necessary condition i.e. every one has to meet that condition. However, not everyone who meets that minimum will advance and post # 4 by mom2collegekids explains what else is needed. </p>
<p>There are about 16000 NMSF and 15000 NMF, so almost 93% advance to the next stage. Any student who follows the instructions given by mom2collegekids should advance. </p>
<p>Getting a scholarship is a different matter, it depends on a variety of factors including: Which college you want to go to, your major, your state or area of residence, your parents employer etc. Many students make it to NMF but do not get a scholarship, while others with not as good a record may get it just because their parents worked for a sponsoring company. To me everyone who makes it to NMF is a winner even if they do not get a scholarship.</p>
<p>*But if you get 1950 on your SAT and 235 on your PSAT, the NMSC could get a little suspicious as to if the PSAT was a valid score. *</p>
<p>No, it doesn’t work that way. They aren’t looking for a similar SAT. As long as you get 1950-2000, then you’re fine. There haven’t been reports of students not making NMF because their SAT wasn’t as high as their PSAT. </p>
<p>They would get suspicious if your SAT was - say - 1800, but I don’t think there have been reports of kids not making NMF with a score of at least a 1950 (as long as GPA, essay, recs, etc, were fine)</p>