PSAT Scores & The National Merit Scholarship Program.
Deep > Broad: Extracurricular Activities and College Admissions
December 14, 2018
The ACT, SAT, and Junior Year
December 14, 2018
What Does My PSAT Score Mean?
There’s a ton of confusion about is a “good” PSAT score. Like an SAT/ACT score, it depends on who you are and what your goals are (for more on that check here).
How Does the PSAT Score Correspond to SAT Scoring?
The College Board argues that your PSAT score corresponds 1-to-1 with an SAT taken on the same day. This is called constant scoring, and it’s a bit complicated. The general notion is that if you took a PSAT 8/9, PSAT/NMSQT (the one sophomores and juniors take), and the SAT back to back, you’d have identical scores.
The PSAT 8/9 is easier than the PSAT/NMSQT, which is easier than the SAT. To compensate, the max scores drop from 1600 on the SAT, to 1520 on the PSAT/NMSQT, to 1440 on the PSAT 8/9. The College Board has calculated this as the appropriate correction factor.
I disagree. I think the College Board is conflating what is statistically true for a population and what is true for an individual. There are a lot of differences in length, content, and breadth between the SAT and PSAT. It also doesn’t consider for the added pressure students feel on an SAT and the differences in the testing environment.
Those differences make me hesitate to compare PSAT scores to SAT scores in a 1-to-1 fashion. A PSAT score is a good starting point and baseline, but use caution in comparing it to an SAT score 1 to 1. If you have questions about your PSAT score and your SAT score goals, reach out to us.
What is the National Merit Program?
The NMSQT part of PSAT NMSQT stands for National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition designed to recognize students for having a high PSAT score. There are several levels of recognition: commended scholar, semi-finalist, finalist, and scholar.
How Do I Know if I Qualified?
You won’t know if you’ve qualified until September of next year, but you can look here to get an idea of your odds. You’ll find your selection index in your score report on Collegeboard.org. The screenshot below shows you where the tab is.
The selection index is calculated by taking your unscaled test scores (for all three segments on an 8 to 38 scale), combining them, and multiplying by 2. The test scores are found under the skills insights tab. The selection index ranges from 48 to 228.
Each state has its own cutoff for qualification; better performing states like New York and California—221 and 223 respectively—have higher selection indexes than low performing states like Mississippi or West Virginia—215 and 212 respectively.
This year, approximately 1.6 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT. Around 50,000 of those will qualify for the National Merit program—approximately 3%. Of the qualifiers (commended scholars), only 16,000 will make semifinalist, about 15,000 will earn finalist, and approximately 7,500 will win a scholarship. If your selection index is below last year’s number, your chances aren’t high. State by state, selection indexes usually stay the same or increase.
What Does National Merit Recognition Do?
While National Merit recognition is a good feather in your cap for college admissions, it’s just that. Don’t freak out if you didn’t qualify, and don’t assume your future is assured if you do.
Financially, semifinalists and finalists are eligible for scholarships from some colleges. More college offer scholarships for finalists than semifinalists, and the colleges who offer these scholarships tend to be less selective public schools. Finalists are eligible for a large number of private scholarships through the program.
National Merit Scholars Scholars earn a one-time 2,500 dollar award from the National Merit Scholarship Program. Additionally, many schools offer full tuition or substantial rewards for scholars. Though many highly selective schools offer less or do not participate at all. Increasingly, selective state schools, like UT Austin and the University of Michigan, have stopped participating.
It’s important to note though that scholarships related to national merit qualification are usually in place of not in addition to other awards. Meaning that a student who qualifies for a good academic scholarship from a college won’t be able to double dip with a National Merit award given by the college.
