NM; what does the sat have to do with it?

Paying for College
1

<p>Ive heard that if you qualify for national merit based on your psat score, you have to have a matching or better sat score. Is this true? If it is, what happens if my psat score qualifies me, but I never took the sat, but the act?</p>

2

<p>If you get a high enough PSAT to be a semi finalist you will need to take the SAT. Without it you cannot becone a finalist.</p>

3

<p>I believe you must take the SAT I to qualify for National Merit Finalist. The SAT I score must be high enough to "confirm" your PSAT score, whatever that means.</p>

<p>If you are a senior and a semi-finalist, you should already have your packet with the information regarding taking the SAT I. If you are a junior looking ahead to next year, you will have time to take the SAT in the fall of your senior year if you have qualified as a semi-finalist.</p>

4

<p>yet another example of why college board has a monopoly. So the sat score has to match the psat score or higher, or just meet a certain range specified to me later?</p>

5

<p>It is a scholarship program run by NMSC. If you don't like the way they run their program, then don't enter. The requirements are here:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org/Merit_R&I_Leaflet.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nationalmerit.org/Merit_R&I_Leaflet.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>My understanding of the confirming score is you don't have to match your PSAT score, but you have to show it wasn't a one time fluke that you scored so highly. So, if you scored in the 99th percentile on the PSAT and the 60th on the SAT, that wouldn't confirm.</p>

<p>If you have any questions about what a confirming score is, call NMSC directly. I dealt with them and found them to be very nice and helpful.</p>

6

<p>I believe the qualifying SAT I score is the same for everyone. This year the lowest PSAT qualifying score was 200 and I believe a SAT I score of 2000 will be sufficient.</p>

7

<p>You should already have your packet with the information regarding taking the SAT I. If you are a junior looking ahead to next year, you will have time to take the SAT in the fall of your senior year if you have qualified as a semi-finalist. Or check this: </p>

<p>College</a> Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics</p>

<p>This will tell you everything you need. Also, check out their web site.</p>

8

<p>The SAT just has to be "close" to the PSAT score. Close is not defined but there is definitely leeway. As a previous poster stated, you are just proving the PSAT score was not a one-time accident.</p>