@JBFlying re: “But then what concordance formula do we use?”
The concordance tables and converter work fine for computing the old SAT into the new SAT score. It’s just a matter of those trying to convert their old SAT score into a new SAT score, for purposes of calculating an SI, to make sure they use ONLY their writing MC score, rather than their full writing score. Otherwise, they will end up with a higher SI by a few points and if they are on what has been projected to be the bubble (206 - 209 SI range) that difference of a few points may effect whether they want to take the SAT again.
Thank you for all of the information you have provided as it has been very helpful.
@paveyourpath If you do get any clarification from NMSC, please update! We are still waiting on official notification from D17’s school (223 SI on PSAT in Texas), so don’t have access to any of the official instructions yet for NMSF. She also took the old SAT and is hoping not to have to take the new one! If anyone can help ease my mind (and check my math!), her score breakdown on old SAT is: M 660, CR 740, W 680(mc 70). Late registration is almost over for October SAT, so any help is appreciated to figure out where she stands on a confirming score. I think (hope) she’s ok!
@Momof2TX I will call in the morning and provide an update. S17 received official notification on Friday. His school intends to make the notification to students tomorrow but he had a meeting with his GC so she handed him the letter. Maybe the schools who have not yet provided notification will do so tomorrow. What SI did you come up with for you daughter’s SAT SI?
old SAT is: M660, CR 740, W700 (MC 70 * 10 = 700)
convert to new SAT scores become: EBRW (750 * 2) +M 690 = 2190 / 10 = SI 219
@paveyourpath are you planning to have NMSC walk you through their exact calculations in converting an old SAT score to the new SI? Very important for those at or below 209 to understand exactly how NMSC will compute this.
Sorry to beat this issue to death and I absolutely agree with you that NMSC wants a score free of the essay. What we don’t know is whether CB has signed off on the accuracy of the writing concordance tables once the essay is removed. That’s not what their directions say to do and they don’t provide that even as an option. So very important to understand exactly how NMSC plans to treat this issue - will they recommend that you remove the essay as you have done in post #22 or will they recommend that you concord the entire writing score? (The EBRW is “sans essay” regardless).
BTW, you keep saying that using the total writing score will overestimate the new SI but it can actually go either way - totally depends on that essay score. We see that in post #22. The total writing score is a bit lower than the mc portion.
@paveyourpath I hope D17 finds out tomorrow, but thinking it may be Wednesday. Her school is used to the process, with around 30 finalists each year, so I’m really surprised they’re holding notifications. Oh well. A few more days won’t make a huge difference. I haven’t told D, so have had to bite my tongue a few times to not spill the beans!
I came up with 217, but was trying to do sections separately, and goofed the EBRW. I like yours better! I did already send the score to NMSC, so hoping it’s high enough for a confirming score.
Thank you so much! Congrats to your S on SF, and good luck on the rest of the process and college applications!
@momof2TX your D17 should be fine. Not entirely a “proper” way to compute anymore but she looks to be a 2100 “Old Score” which is so well above their old 1960 that she’s gotta in the clear. I can see the SAT climbing a bit perhaps but not 120-140 points.
@JBFlying Yes, that is the plan. I have my son’s SAT score report ready and will ask if they will be so kind as to walk me through to a SI calculation. I’ll post what I learn.
@Momof2TX TO JBFLying’s point, if you calculate the SI using the writing score (680) rather than the Writing MC (70), the SI for your daughter is 217 which is what you came up with. Either way, your daughter is in good shape. I am feeling confident (hopeful ) because my son has just about the same SAT score with a slightly different configuration.
Hi, my son got the letter from his high school yesterday confirming that he is a semi-finalist. After getting his PSAT score in the spring, he registered for the SAT and took it just to see if he could knock out a confirming score. He got a 1460 (770 EBRW, 690 Math). Is this going to be good enough to confirm?
I just hung up with NMSC. The gentleman I spoke with confirmed that the confirming SI would not be higher than a 209. That was nice to hear. He made sure I knew how to covert old SAT to new SAT and compute SI. I actually had called about something else but asked while I was on the phone.
I spoke to a man at NMSC and he walked me through the calculation. I will tell you that my calculation ends up the same as before my call with him but he walked me through it in a different way then I was doing it so I will provide the details of how he calculated the SI.
Using the “Concordance Tables: Old SAT Scores to New SAT scores”:
Convert the old Critical Reading score to a Reading test score (tab 14) - this results in a number from 10 - 40
Convert the old Math score to a new Math score and use the new Math Test score (tab 12) - this results in a number from 10 - 40
Convert the old writing MC Score to a Writing Language score (tab 13). Since this caused (I told him my son's writing score and MC writing score and asked him which he would use and he told told me which number to use and explained that because there is no essay on the new......
This results in a number from 10 - 40
Now that all three scores were converted, next step is to add the 3 scores (the 3 scores that are from 10 - 40)
Then multiple that by 2.
That is the selection index number.
IMPORTANT: NMSC will not be determining what the selection index is because they are going to wait until all of the scores are submitted with their NMSF applications (so they are not waiting for additional SAT results, they are waiting for the majority of the NMSF to have CB send them their scores and then they will decide what the cut off is. The cut off will not be higher than 209 as that is the lowest NMSF cut off. Once scores are submitted officially through CB, we can call NMSC and ask them to tell us what they are calculating our child’s SI as. If it is above 209, you are in the clear. If it is below 209, they cannot tell you until it’s too late to get scores in whether you should have your child re-test since they won’t be determining the SI until late fall.
Does that sound to anyone else like they are afraid to set a number in stone now and “accidentally” lose too many of their NMFs? Like they are giving themselves wiggle room to look at all the submitted scores in Dec and go “woopsie, need to lower it to 205 so we keep all these kids in the game.”
I can’t think of any other way it makes sense for them to wait for score submissions to decide the score, unless they are changing the NMF step to be a competitive/%-based one.
Thank you @paveyourpath! Awesome detail!! If you have not already down so can you please go share all this information on the other site-that-shall-not-be-named. It would be helpful to get smART’s comments on that last part.
@flatKansas they kinda told me the same thing that you are guessing. They are definitely worried about cutting some kids who, had they used the old 1960 standard, would be in as finalists. Perhaps they want to make sure that there is a representation from all the states in the finalist category. Wouldn’t at all be surprised to find that they were as “non-specific” the last time the SAT changed and that when things get uncertain that confirming score just doesn’t have a lower bound.
Still, best to submit a score that clearly converts to a 209 or higher so retaking the SAT isn’t a bad idea at all if you are coming up a bit short once you convert using the specifics in post #31. smART has been saying the same thing, basically, but now we know for sure what they are doing - or NOT doing - and why.
Thank you @paveyourpath ! That should help with decision making, even if NMSC is not setting anything in stone. And thanks @JBFlying for your help as well on the numbers for D17.
BTW, D received an invitation from the counselors to attend a short meeting Tuesday morning before school, similar to last spring when they were told they were at least commended. (Same stationery!). We’re guessing they will be letting the kids know SF status (finally!), and she can get started on the rest of the process. So long and drawn out, but NMF could make a huge difference at D’s current #1 college choice. Thanks again!
I had my son’s SAT (old as he did not take the new SAT) to NMSC. According to CB, it was sent. Per what the nice gentleman told me (post #31) I will call NM tomorrow to determine if they officially calculate my son’s SI at 217.
I phoned NMSC and they received my son’s SAT score. The person I spoke to told me the score that they have calculated as the SI (this took him 2 seconds so it’s calculated already and he did not have to go through any calculations to come up with the SI. I asked him to confirm if the SI was going to be no higher than 209 and he said that is correct and that my son’s score is a confirming score.
@paveyourpath did they ask you for any identifying info? I recall that they retrieved my D’s score w/o asking her name - or mine either! I figured they must have the phone numbers on file and could see who was calling. At the end of my call I wanted to check to make sure D17’s SAT score was in their files and they replied that it was. But I hadn’t given them her name or ID # or anything. When I stated her name just to make sure they had her file (and not someone else’s) in front of them they quickly repeated that they had her score. They sounded very assuring and I wasn’t surprised because we sent it out last May and CB definitely reports it as “received”. But now I’m a bit nervous - maybe because they didn’t ask a whole bunch of questions to verify that I was an authorized caller and then give me what they calculated to be her SI. They had me grab her score report and we walked through it together. Guessing they just had her total score or something.
I’d call them back but they obviously know who I am! LOL.
@JBStillFlying I started the conversation saying that I ordered the SAT to be sent from CB last week and that the CB site indicated it was transmitted. I explained that I wanted to know if an official SI for my son’s score had been calculated yet. The man (and this was a different man than I spoke to last week) said that while the score may be transmitted to the “batch” it may not have arrived yet because they wait for a certain batch size and it could transmit in a few days or take a month. Once the batch of scores is received, the scores are then matched up to the accounts.
Now that I was fully warned that it could take a days to a month, he said that he would look to see if my son’s arrived. I was prepared to give the ID number but instead he asked me for last name first followed by first name. He said they had received my son’s score and provided the SI the score calculates to. Still needing lots of reassurance, I asked if he would confirm that the confirmation score would be no higher than 209 and he confirmed that was correct. He then said my son’s score is officially considered by NM as a confirming score. Give them a call back. I’m not sure how they found your daughter’s score without any identifying information but I guess they must have used caller ID. Rather than call from your home number, call from your cell phone or another phone if you’d feel more comfortable but you can call and ask for them to give you the selection index. They are very patient. I will say that I had to wait because “all operators are busy handling other calls” so I guess lots of parents are calling to find out. Good luck!
@paveyourpath I was thinking caller ID as well. My next call might be from one of the other kids’ cell phones LOL. Pretty sure none of those numbers were given to NMSC. Also was worried about getting the same kindly gentleman since he’s fielded a couple of my calls within the past couple months. But if everyone’s calling now there’s obviously safety in numbers. I’ll give them a call just to make sure all the i’s are dotted on the confirmation score - thanks so much for all the very thorough descriptions!
) because my son has just about the same SAT score with a slightly different configuration.