National Merit - SAT Question

Paying for College National Merit Aid
1

<p>I got a 233 as my PSAT score in fall of junior year, so I'm really hoping that I'll become a NMSF! However, for my SAT score, I got a 2100. I did much better on the ACT, so I wasn't TOO worried at first. But a 2100 IS significantly lower than my PSAT score, and I know that in order to become a NMF, one of the requirements is that you submit an SAT score that proves your PSAT score wasn't a fluke, so to speak. My question is, will the 2100 SAT score put me out of running for NMF (assuming I do become a NMSF)?</p>

<p>Thank you for taking the time to read this!</p>

2

<p>No, your score is fine. Check some other posts, but I believe 1960 was good enough last year. It does not have to match your PSAT.</p>

3

<p>you may want to take the SAT again at the end of this year or early in your Sr year. I’m sure your score will go up, which cant hurt.</p>

4

<p>Your score is FINE for making NMF.</p>

<p>However, if you’re applying to competitive schools or schools that give merit for high SAT scores, then you may want to retest.</p>

<p>BTW…send your SAT score to NMCorp…code #0085</p>

5

<p>Normally if your SAT score matches the lowest qualifying score in the nation you are OK. 2100 is way more than enough.</p>

6

<p>Hi I couldn’t help notice that your post was from a year back. Do you mind sharing whether you ended up as a National Merit Finalist regardless that your SAT score is lower than your PSAT? I scored a 230 on my PSAT and a 2250 on my SAT and my counselor is advising me to retake the SAT which is something I really don’t want to do.</p>

7

<p>angela…If your advisor is telling you to retake the SAT for purposes of progressing to NM Finalist, he/she is absolutely wrong. Your excellent SAT score of 2250 is WELL above what you’d need for a qualifying score.</p>

<p>If he/she is suggesting you retake the SAT for purposes of improving your admissions chances at Ivy/near-Ivy/“elite” LACs etc., then that’s a choice you need to make. Given the limited room for improvement and the fact that you’re not interested in re-taking the SAT…I’d say stand pat.</p>

8

<p>Geez. A 2250 SAT score is in the 99th percentile, nationally. Even if your counselor is advising you to take it again, presumably to gain admission into the “elites”, it’s likely that the score is already high enough for that purpose.</p>

<p>As stated by others, for NMF purposes it’s FAR ABOVE the score needed to qualify so no need to worry there.</p>

<p>Source: <a href=“http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile-Ranks-Composite-CR-M-W-2011.pdf[/url]”>http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/SAT-Percentile-Ranks-Composite-CR-M-W-2011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
(These are 2011 percentile statistics, but they don’t change significantly from year to year.)</p>

9

<p>I believe that the SAT score plays a role in winning a scholarship from NMSC. So, the counselor may be thinking about that not just getting you to be a finalist.</p>