<p>So I get mail from Ohio State, congratulating me on becoming a national merit semifinalist...But...I havent gotten my scores yet which are handed out at school in mid-December. Does this mean what I think it means?! Are the PSAT scores sent to the colleges before us students get them so they know that I qualified? Or is there any other possible explanations?! AM I A NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALIST?! =OOOOOO</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure that cannot be because the NMSF cut offs have to be determined and I'm not sure if the scores are all done and calculated yet. Don't trust anything until later when you get your scores.</p>
<p>I would bet yes, congratulations! Either they received notice from the college board, or they know the cutoff for your state and determined it that way. It would be very unusual if they were mistaken.</p>
<p>Do they send bad scores to colleges or just the good ones?</p>
<p>BTW I think I flunked that stupid test. SAT/PSAT is pure bull and it's appalling that colleges actually find them valid.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but it is way too early for colleges to have this information. PSAT data information is not released to colleges until sometime in January.</p>
<p>urmom - colleges request lists from PSAT, giving parameters for that list (those who scored above a certain level, major interest, zip code, etc).</p>
<p>You can call NM and ask them if the stuff has been sent out. They will respond</p>
<p>are you a junior or a senior?</p>
<p>
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I'm sorry, but it is way too early for colleges to have this information
[/quote]
I actually know of several students who found out from colleges before receiving their scores. I don't think this is all that uncommon.</p>
<p>Colleges do NOT receive individual student information about who scored what on the PSAT. What colleges do is purchase recruitment mailing lists based on defined criteria. If the criterion used by that college was "give us the names of students who score so high on the PSAT that they meet all state cut-offs for National Merit Semifinalist status" (which may be a possible way to order up scores), or "all scores above 225" (which would have the same effect), the college could congratulate you even though it has received no individual information about you at all. </p>
<p>So congratulations. :) Your official PSAT score report has still not been put in the mail. Believe that for the issue of what your exact personal score is.</p>
<p>You will not find out semi-finalist status from this year's test until next fall most likely (that is the way it worked for me with the 2007 PSATs).</p>