@Sportsman88 True that National Merit itself is worth only $2500. But it opens the door to many more scholarships, including full ride scholarships at some schools: http://thecollegematchmaker.com/52-colleges-offering-full-tuition-scholarships-national-merit-finalists/
As for OP, 217 might still be NMSF. No one knows the official cut-off yet. Even if it isn’t NMSF, you’ll still likely qualify for other merit-based scholarships based on your SAT/ACT scores.
LOL dude you’re overhyping this thing ways too much. NMS doesn’t really mean a lot. It’s the actual test that matters. My family’s on the low end of the financial spectrum so I had similar intentions to you with the saving money thing. Literally just study your ass off bro. The summer is the best time for you to study with no other distractions.
I actually focused my efforts on the ACT during high school and totally ditched the SAT. Got a 34 composite (ACT IS SO MUCH BETTER). I’m going to Columbia next fall with pretty much a full ride. They look at your financial situation, test scores, and overall application when deciding what amount of financial aid to give you. And a lot of colleges have net price calculators online that show you how much tuition you would pay if you went to the school. I did a net price calculator for Columbia during senior year and the actual aid they gave me was like $60 off.
I would report the proctor if you know who it was (although I guess you could report the room number, date, etc) as a gift to future students. If this is not corrected it will harm students again.
@Alpha101 “It’s the actual test that matters…The summer is the best time for you to study with no other distractions.” If the “actual test” you’re referring to is the PSAT, I’m out of chances. I was a junior this year. If you’re referring to the SAT, I already did pretty well and probably won’t need to retake. Just curious, how was the ACT so much better? And congrats on Columbia, that’s truly incredible to go to one of the best colleges in the world, especially with a full ride.
@lostaccount My school is known to be somewhat corrupt lol. I want to do the right thing for future students, but the consequences would be bad if I got on my school’s blacklist.
@gusmahler I appreciate you providing that information, but it’s pretty heartbreaking to see what I’m missing out on. I also appreciate your optimism about NMS still being a possibility, but it is pretty unlikely in my case.
LOL, no man I mean the actual SAT. And if you already scored high on the SAT then you should be happy. PSAT does’t mean anything.
It’s just a personal preference but I really liked the ACT much better. It’s much more based off of things we learn in school than the SAT is. I liked the math and english sections of the ACT better and the four section layout was much easier for me then the ten section layout the SAT.
If you are aiming high, try to makeup for the NMS by winning awards in competitions and stuff based on what you are trying to pursue, For example, if you are going to major in Biology, find a research program or research mentor and enter some competitions with a project. If you want to go into business, then join DECA or Future business leaders of America. If your school doesn’t have those clubs it actually benefits you also. If you start a club that you are passionate about then it looks amazing on your application. I started a science bowl team at my high school and we won first in the regional tournament and went on to compete at nationals.
Trust me, a college would much rather have someone that won an award or placed in a national competition in something they are passionate about then a student who simply studied a lot and scored high on a test. Be efficient with your time.
This page really helped me out while I was in high school. It’s literally the best advice you can get, even if you are not aiming for ivies.
http://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-and-the-ivy-league-by-a-harvard-alum
@Alpha101 Unfortunately, I am the “student who simply studied a lot and scored high on a test” (2330 superscore) rather than “someone that won an award of placed in a national competition in something they are passionate about”. I do have some solid extra curriculars but I don’t think I’m truly outstanding in any of them. I’ve heard that colleges don’t really care about extracurriculars started during and after junior year, since they would reek of resume padding. I feel like I’ve kind of shot myself in the foot by not being more passionate earlier about something. Regardless, thanks for the link, it’s a great read!
“I’ve heard that colleges don’t really care about extracurriculars started during and after junior year, since they would reek of resume padding”…not exactly true.
One of the bests extracurriculars on my resume ( the cancer research) I did the summer before senior year. And my “why columbia” essay pretty much revolved around the fact that I loved research and wanted to do research at Columbia because of the amazing science initiative they have there.
If you work hard at it right now you’ll definitely accomplish something significant by the end of the summer. Enter some competitions, start a club, start a nonprofit you care about ( however if you do this make sure it’s effective and actually try to raise a significant amount), or apply for a summer program. There are literally tons of things you can do. Just don’t be scared to try.
And dude you have a 2330!! That’s at or above the 75th percentile for pretty much every college out there. Just focus on your gpa, writing great college essays, getting good teacher recs, and ECs from now on.
This sounds obsessive, but I haven’t been able to move on. This test takes up about 15-20% of my daily thoughts, and on somedays even more. It’s hard for me to be happy about any other accomplishments when I remember this test. Not getting NMS I can live with, but being so close is what’s tearing me up. It’s like the heartbreak that comes with getting every digit on a lottery ticket correct except the last one. The obvious answer is “Well, then don’t think about it,” and I wish I could, but I can’t shrug such thoughts off. Does anyone have a definitive answer on how important NMS is to top 20 schools? And does anyone have any advice on how to move on from failures?
NMS is not the least bit important to the top schools. They could care less. They look for actual achievements not scoring high on some test you take before the SAT or ACT. They know that it is biased in favor of kids whose parents and schools have already started the prep for tests behavior-and they are not that keen to get those students. Talk about being caught up in some trivial issue! At a time when schools are looking for students who are resilient and who over came real obstacles, your failure to move on about this unimportant one is troubling.
@lostaccount It is troubling, no disagreement there, maybe due to a fault in my character. Objectively I know it’s not worth continuing to be sad about, but subconsciously I can’t forget about it. Even though my mental resilience might seem fragile from this thread, I do feel that I’ve been able to overcome a lot of difficulties and do pretty well despite them.
First of all, the proper procedure is to notify the College Board and ask that your score be cancelled and they will arrange for you to take the test again. You may not have been aware of this, and I don’t think they tell you this in the test booklet.
If you can find a lawyer to take the case, I think you should sue the proctor and her employer, which I assume is the school. The woman is absolute scum, and what she needs is life is a quarter-million dollar judgment so she will understand that, “Oh, yeah, maybe it does matter.”
Also, the OP has every right to be angry and furious about this. Something that was his by right was stolen from him by an idiot who should not be allowed within a mile of a schoolhouse.
@EarlVanDorn I appreciate your support, but I wouldn’t take glee out of putting someone in life debt. I wish I’d notified the school board earlier, but doing so now wouldn’t accomplish anything. The chances are nonexistent that they would let me retake it. Also, I don’t have any evidence besides my word (and my friends’ word) of wrongdoing. I just want to figure out how to make peace with it.
EarlVanDorn, your advice is so misguided. First, the OP would have to show that the OP would have gotten NMS had the test started on time. That would not be possible. Even if it were, there would be the issue of whether she could show damages. Then there is the issue of whether or not it was volitional, and on and on. Have you hired a lawyer lately? That would be necessary. Do you know the typical hourly rate?The school has deep pockets but also lawyers on their board. So it would be simple for them to defend themselves. Also, no you can’t sue the teacher because she is immune. You can name the teacher but you’d have to sue the school/district. But it would be a very costly endeavor for the OP. AS I recall, the OP would not even write a complaint-which is still possible.
@lostaccount I agree, and I don’t want to wage a war on my school. I don’t have a case, and that’s fine. I’m trying to take this as an opportunity to learn to cope with failure (and hopefully grow from my experience), and getting my parents to write a deep check for a lawyer to attempt a miracle for me is not my idea of “coping”.
OP, that is clear thinking on your part! NMS does not matter to better colleges.
OP, study like hell for the revised SAT and blow the test out of the water. You’ll find that your scholarship opportunities will be the same as for NM AND you will feel a lot better. Good luck to you!
@Mamelot I think I’m done with the SAT (got 2330 superscore on the old one). The main reason I’m disappointed about PSAT is because I’d read that PSAT is worth much, much more than SAT for getting merit money, plus national merit scholar would’ve been a shiny title. If you have any links about SAT scholarship opportunities, I’d enjoy reading them. Thanks for the kind sentiments! 
Shiny title yes but not necessarily worth more in terms of merit money. Of the top 20-ranked schools (US news) only a very few give out any money for National merit. There are less selective schools that might offer full tuition and other perks but these schools tend to be very generous as well with high stats applicants. I think your stats will speak for you and you’ll find that you have a lot of choices and a lot of merit aid. It’s not getting National Merit that’s so cool - it’s what it means about your SAT. But you have proven that already.
Be sure to check with your schools of interest about their rules old vs. new SAT. Starting to read some rumors about this - I would guess for incoming FTF fall of 2017 most schools accept both but it’s good to check to make sure. Many schools are posting their policies now.
Go to Berkeley, not USC- problem solved!
Just to clarify, OP is correct that PSAT scores that land you NMSF (and eventually NMF) can mean big guaranteed scholarships … $24k at USC, $30k and Northeastern, $20k at BU, near full rides elsewhere.
These are school scholarships that are guaranteed to NMFs who are admitted. So, not the $2,500 NMSC awards but worth some very serious money.
Best of luck. I hope 217 does it for you.