National Merit Finalist Qualifying SAT Score

<p>If he doesn’t like you to be with him when he studies, I wouldn’t insist on that. It didn’t even occur to me to study for the SAT with my daughter. I asked her to make a plan for completing the prep work, and let her get on with it. From time to time (like every few weeks in our case) I asked about her progress with her plan (eg what vocab list are you on, or how many practice tests have you done and how many are you getting wrong, and do you understand why you got those wrong). There were a very few questions where she didn’t understand the explanation in the book (she used Barrons) and came to me for help. Breathing down her neck would have been counter-productive.</p>

<p>If I were in your position, I would take a close look at what sort of questions he got wrong and why he got them wrong. I think trying to cram an SAT vocab list in two weeks would be overwhelming, probably not the best use of such limited study time. Hopefully there are other things he can address that will yield more points for the study time. </p>

<p>I’m left wondering, if this was so important to your family, why you left the SAT to senior year in the first place, that should have been done as a junior for exactly this reason, especially with that pretty borderline PSAT score–the SAT is a harder and more grueling test–and why he evidently didn’t do significant prep for the first SAT sitting…</p>

<p>I agree with all of the above posts. </p>

<p>Also, are you looking for good-sized merit? If so, then have him apply NOW to schools that give large merit for just making NMSF. As long as he has a 3.5 GPA and applies NOW…he’ll get free tuition from Alabama. But he must apply NOW. The rules give a Dec deadline for this scholarship…the app is easy…no essays, no LORs. And have him submit the scholarship app as well…as a formality.</p>

<p>This way, if he sadly doesn’t get the SAT he needs for NMF, then at least he’ll have this one big merit scholarship. After all, right now, his SAT doesn’t bode well for merit outside of the NM area. Even a 1960 isn’t going to get much elsewhere if he doesn’t make NMF.</p>

<p>I’m curious as to why he’s waited so long to take these SAT tests. He’s known since last Dec/Jan that his score would make him a likely NMSF.</p>

<p>When you say a lot is riding on it do you mean the scholarship opportunities through schools that offer full tuition etc.</p>

<p>Luckily the one school we are looking at with merit aid uses SAT only, and my son did well enough for 25% merit aid which would help a lot.</p>

<p>I find it interesting that your son’s PSAT was a lot higher than the SAT, as my son had the reverse. His SAT was more than 200 (or 20 in PSAT terms) points higher than his PSAT last year.</p>

<p>What we thought helped my son the most was being very careful about his sleep, eating habits, and stress levels the days before the SAT. No amount of studying can substitute for being ready and confident, and not sleepy or feeling ill.</p>

<p>If you can get him to the 2000 ballpark, you’re good.</p>

<p>My son’s counsellor told me that 1960 in SAT is a kind of cut off. Pl. ask your son to take it in Dec.</p>

<p>I use the following companion guide to the CB SAT Study Guide: </p>

<p>Tutor Ted’s SAT Solutions Manual: The Ideal Companion Volume to The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd Edition [Paperback]</p>

<p>This companion guide to CB: The Official SAT gives explanations for the correct answers on the practice tests in the guide. Useful and helpful feedback in order to improve accuracy. I teach College Readiness and SAT Test Prep in High School. I bought my book used for about $14. Worth every penny and has helped several of my students who needed to improve in certain areas of the test. Best wishes.</p>

<p>The most realistic tests are the CB blue book which has 10’SATs. If he finishes with these, then you can buy the CB online sats which has another 10 tests, I believe. If his problem was grammar,then the silver turtle guide on CC sat section has a great review of grammar. If his problem was vocabulary, then buy direct hits, volumes 1 & 2 or look up quiz let on line for the direct hits flash cards.</p>

<p>hhscrt, Thanks!! I’m going to look this book up.</p>

<p>The College Board SAT guide should be enough. They designed the test; therefore, their study materials cover what he needs to know. I agree with the others. He should focus on the CR and grammar portions of the test. Whatever guide he uses, just get him only one. He could really drive himself mad switching from book to book and learning multiple strategies.</p>

<p>And if he got a 215 on the PSAT, he really can do this. I’m guessing he just had a bad day.</p>

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<p>^^^^ This!</p>

<p>The online College Board SAT course is supposed to be the same as the blue book, but we found it MUCH more useful as there is a pre-test and sample tests with analysis of what was wrong.</p>

<p>Either way, the one of the requirements to be a National Merit Finalist is “proof” of the initial PSAT score with an SAT score.</p>

<p>“Also, the semifinalists will be asked to take the SAT over the next few months in order to validate their PSAT score and prove that they deserve the recognition. Of the 16,000 or so semifinalists, approximately 15,000 will be chosen as finalists. The only students who do not move up to finalist rank are those who do not submit any information about themselves, do not have good grades, do not take the SAT, or fail to score well on the SAT.”</p>

<p>This will impede him if he does not do well!</p>

<p>I think the biggest difference between PSAT and SAT is the length of the test. My d also did much better on the SAT than the PSAT. So, I think taking practice tests under time constraints would be helpful for your son. He may just have ran out of time when he took his SAT. Usually not a problem with the PSAT.</p>

<p>Thank you all for the helpful advice. My son felt that your techniques were effective. </p>

<p>We were ready to drive to the testing center today, but they were closed. (Our state had a bad ice storm over the past couple of days.) I’m guessing that my son’s test will be postponed until two weeks later. What I am afraid will not happen is that the NMSC will not receive the scores before the end of the year. Will they provide an extension because of the delays, due to weather?</p>

<p>gosh, I don’t know but I sure hope so, Lythaito!</p>

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<p>m2ck…this assumes that everyone is as knowledgeable as you are (and as I am now) about the NM process. Until we found out my son was a NMSF, I had no idea about the process. Not all schools push NM.</p>

<p>LYTHAITO, you might want to call the NM offices to explain the weather delay, if you haven’t already, and request an extension of the deadline for SAT scores. We did not have your same issues when our daughter went through the process, but I did need to call them about something, and found them very helpful. The phone number should be in your son’s semi-finalist packet somewhere.</p>

<p>I heard the NMF doesn’t require the SAT score. There are a lot of students that haven’t taken any SAT yet. However, the PSAT is the main criteria to be considered for a merit award. Your son has 215 on his PSAT and is already a Semi-finalist, congratulations. In our state the last year’s PSAT score requirement was 220.</p>