<p>D received the letter informing her that she is among the top 50K PSAT scorers (yay!), and offering her the opportunity to have her PSAT scores reported to two schools of her choice. I just want to confirm that this notification is not related to choosing her top two schools if she (hopefully) becomes NMF. Does that make sense? Based on what I've read here on CC, we plan to remain "undecided" until late in the game (if she makes NMF), and I want to be sure that this early round of notifications won't somehow filter through and affect her later choices. Thanks!</p>
<p>Tessie…Congrats to your D on a great PSAT score!! You are correct. Notifying 2 schools of her PSAT scores is really just an indication of interest to the school. It has no bearing on a school choice associated with NM scholarships. Just to clarify, her opportunity to designate a first choice school would initially come after her notification of NMSF status in the fall, and that would only be one school or Undecided. Good Luck!!</p>
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<p>As I have been mentioning in other posts, this notification is only to inform two schools that you are interested in them and nothing more. Some schools may use this information to send you material, others may do nothing. It does not matter even if you do not send it (my S did not).</p>
<p>It will not affect anything else going forward. You may choose not to apply to those two colleges when application time comes or have another choice that is higher on the list. So no worries at all. Just send it and be done. When you get to NMSF, that is when you have some work to do.</p>
<p>The cut off scores do not vary much from year to year (I have never seen it vary more than +/- 2 points from year to year and usually is is the same or +/-1 point). So based on the score and your state you would have a very good idea if your child will make it.</p>
<p>Quick question - regarding going on to finalist: what if the PSAT test score and state cutoff score are the same? In other words do you have to do one better than the cutoff score, or just equal the cutoff score?</p>
<p>Anybody out there that did send the scores to two schools and believe that it generated an application fee waiver? That would be one benefit of selecting where to send the score.</p>
<p>You have to be equal or greater than the state cut off score. So if state cut off is 219 (e.g. California), and you live in California, 219 will get you to Semi Finalist status. It will get you to finalist also if all other necessary conditions are met e.g. your SAT scores, GPA, recommendations etc are above the minimum needed.</p>
<p>I have published some of these conditions in other threads.</p>
<p>Thanks, mazewanderer. My D is 3 points above last year’s state cutoff, so we are a little nervous.</p>
<p>I don’t think that the 2 chosen schools receive your child’s actual PSAT scores…I think that they are just notified that your child has made the “first round” in the competition and has some interest in them.</p>
<p>This is NOTHING to worry about. It means nothing in the big scheme of things. It has no effect on admissions or anything else.</p>
<p>*regarding going on to finalist: what if the PSAT test score and state cutoff score are the same? *</p>
<p>Then, you’re fine!</p>
<p>*My D is 3 points above last year’s state cutoff, so we are a little nervous. *</p>
<p>Relax…the cutoff would have to go up by 4 pts for your D not to make it. That is a rare occurrence …usually the swings are 1-2 pts.</p>
<p>If your D’s PSAT is 220 and last year’s cutoff is 217, then the cutoff would have to go up to 221 for you D not to make it. Not likely.</p>
<p>Go to this page <a href=“http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html[/url]”>http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html</a></p>
<p>Scroll down and find your state’s cutoffs for the last 3 years. That will give you some indication of what your state’s history is.</p>
<p>Some school (may be Rice) may give those students a fee waiver in applying to their school.</p>
Sorry to belabor a point. Are the 2 schools sent the actual PSAT score? Or merely notified she is interested. I hope they send the PSAT because it may encourage the selective colleges she’s interested in to see her as a possibility and to be on the lookout for her application
Thanks!
@Nolamcgrath I think the option to notify two schools may have gone away? Unless you have a letter now offering to do that?
At any rate- I don’t think highly selective schools care too much about NMSF. So many students applying to those schools have NMSF status, it is not a differentiator. They are going to expect high SAT/ACT scores of all candidates. And I don’t think they will really be on the lookout unless she has some other type of “hook” that those schools are seeking.
NMF is appealing to schools that are looking to improve their stats by drawing in high achieving kids. They are going to be less selective, but very welcoming of your NMF kid.
Thank you so much. My son was told he could send scores 3 years ago when he was NM. But we messed up and didn’t send them. Our college counselor at school passed say and we tried asking other folks what it was all about. But we remained unsure of the best way to handle it.
I didn’t want to make a mistake with my daughter. Of course you are right. They will have so many applying who are NM. I’m sure it is the SAT they will look at. I was just hoping if they sent her score to them it might make them curious. We live in a southern state where cutoffs are not as high in some other states. However, she scored highly enough to qualify in any state (looking at the last 3 years of cutoffs). So that might be a bit of a surprise.
But yes. It is of little consequence I’m sure
Thanks for the advice. Here’s hoping she will take the SAT again so she might get an 800 on Math. If the college super scored then she might have a shot!
Thanks again
So if they are still sending notifications this year, then the best idea is to send it to schools where it may help her with scholarships etc
Thanks again
Just be prepared for a DELUGE of literature from colleges, and DO NOT let them go to her head- i.e- Yale, Harvard, Chicago really want me!!!" 
When you give NMSF permission to send your scores you are also giving them permission to let other colleges know that your DD is a top scorer. The companies that colleges hire to find students will want her application because they are paid based on how many students apply. Its the yield game.
Congrats on great test scores.
It will open the doors to many merit scholarships. Start researching, since there are early applicaton deadlines for merit scholarships at many colleges
I recommend USC [ Southern Calif] which offers 1/2 tuition scholarships to all NMSFs who are accepted and full tuition scholarships to about 150 students per year. She needs to complete her application by Dec 1 to be in the running for scholarships.
NMSC no longer sends letters to the top scorers in April or the option to send notification of interest to two schools. They discontinued that service two years ago beginning for the class of 2014. Since that time the only thing that happens before semifinalists are announced in September is
Colleges may still have access to mailing lists of top scorers as a group but not actual scores and you don’t get to choose the colleges. I’m pretty sure that NMSC does not send colleges the actual PSAT scores because colleges that recruit NMF’s have asked both of my kids to tell them their PSAT scores when we were scheduling visits with them before the semi-finalist lists were published.
Thank you very much - Yes they must let colleges know names & addresses of students who score above a certain level. Info came pouring in as you said.
Very helpful!