<p>I know this has been asked before, but I am needing some clarification and a link to the official say/wording on this. </p>
<p>It seems like I have read on CC that if a student scores well enough on the SAT prior to taking the "official" (during junior year) PSAT-NMSQT, that SAT score can count for NM finalist qualification, assuming that the PSAT score qualifies him for NM Semi-finalist status. I hope I am making sense. I need more coffee. </p>
<p>Let's say a sophomore scores a 2000 - 2100 (my understanding is this is about what one needs to qualify for finalist - please correct me if I am wrong) on the SAT, then takes the PSAT-NMSQT as a junior and becomes a NMSF. Can that student use that sophomore SAT score as his SAT score to qualify for finalist? If this is true, can someone please point me to the verbiage on the College Board's website that indicates this?</p>
<p>ETA: or perhaps the proper verbiage is at the national merit site??? I just need something official that is in writing.
Thank you!</p>
<p>Generally no with few special case exceptions. Only PSAT score from Junior year counts for NMSF for regular students that spend 4 years in high school. Also depending on what state you are residing, the qualifying score can be a lot more than 200-210 range, it can be as high as 223 for a few states. You should be able to find the last year cutoff score for your state by googling.</p>
<p>Edit: sorry I should be clear, the exceptions are for PSAT taken before Junior year and maybe even after, but I have never heard SAT as substitutions for PSAT. And usually, you do this by contacting them before you take the test, not trying to qualify after the fact.</p>
<p>It appears that you can use any SAT score from from Oct 2009 through Dec 2011 to qualify as a finalist if your PSAT qualifies you as a semifinalist. Go to this site which is the official National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s site. [National</a> Merit Scholarship Corporation - NMSP](<a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#top]National”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php#top)</p>
<p>On that page drop down to the section “Semifinalists” and in last sentence of that paragraph where it says “Click here” you should click on the “here.” That will bring up a pdf document laying out the requirements for qualifying as finalist for 2012 scholarships and read through the document. On both p. 1 and p. 2 it mentions that any SAT score from Oct 2009 through Dec 2011 can be used to determine finalist status.</p>
<p>Note, I am not aware of any minimum SAT score you need once you have the needed PSAT score except that the SAT needs to “verify” your PSAT and thus likely needs to be in the same general range give or take 100 points</p>
<p>You can use a previously administered SAT for Finalist status, but it appears it must be from a two year window . . . for the class of 2012, it shows Oct 2009-Nov 2011. That should cover all Sophomore year test dates.</p>
<p>@ ttparent. I knew I wasn’t being clear. So sorry.</p>
<p>No, I was asking if one took the <em>SAT</em> as a sophomore, then qualified as a national merit semi-finalist via the PSAT as a junior as required, but then wanted to use the sophomore <em>SAT</em> test score to qualify as a finalist. I know that there are different levels of qualifying by state under the PSAT,and I know many states require much more than a 210. But my understanding is that in order to move form semi-finalist to finalist status one needs to score only around a 2000 - 2100 to “validate” (for lack of a better word) the PSAT score. I am wondering if one can “look back” and take an SAT score earned prior to earning a qualifying PSAT score as a junior. I am not talk about qualifying for semi-finalist status in a year different than one’s junior year. And, I was not talking about the qualifying PSAT score for semi-finalist but rather the qualifying SAT score for finalist.</p>
<p>Clear as mud???</p>
<p>I <em>think</em> I have found the information I need on the national merit site.</p>
<p>@ sendemsoaring. This was what I was looking for and was the same document that I had found. It is rather convoluted with all the different years involved, but your conclusion was the same one that I had reached. That, yes, one could take a score back to October of one’s sophomore year. </p>