Is there a benefit to sending "official" PSAT scores..

[Susie-Knits]

.. to 2 colleges? Ds received letter today from NMS Corp. indicating that he could have his scores and tentative college major sent to 2 colleges of his choice. I believe someone has posted this question before but for the life of me - and all my search abilities - cannot locate the thread.

 

He scored 1 pt below last year's cutoff for semi finalist in our state. SO we are going on the presumption that he will be Commended not semifinalist. But of course, we would like to "attract" as much $s as possible.

 

So anyone have experience or advice on this?

Susie

[Sharon in MD]

I think that NMS is trying to say..."look he was so close....maybe you could get more money from a top choice by showing them this."

 

We were able to get more scholarship money for ds by showing his top choice school the offers that he had from other competitors. I would think that this would be a similar thing.

 

Is it something that you can wait to do until your ds knows more solidly where he would like to attend? (I'm assuming he is a rising senior?) Since they only offer to send it to 2 schools, I would want to have a really good idea of where to send it to get the best offers, KWIM?

[Susie-Knits]

We have been looking at colleges and he has some ideas of where he would like to go. He is interested in computer engineering. So far the list include Rose Hulman (he has been accepted to their summer program), Vanderbilt, U of Evansville, and TN Tech. And we are looking for one more to consider.

 

So what would be a good strategy for picking? I have never heard of this possibility before. Response deadline is May 26th so we can't wait till fall and application time.

 

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks for responding Sharon - your ds' story is inspiring!

[Sharon in MD]

Is this a one time deal that they are offering? Is it something where you can send the results to two and only two schools? If it is the case where you can only hit two schools with the scores, I'd skip Rose Hulman since he has been accepted to their summer program. He has obviously already passed the "barre" with them.

 

I'd look carefully at the scores that the schools he is most interested in are reporting for SAT or ACT. Look at the high end of their percentages and if you can ONLY send it to two, I'd send it to the ones that you think might need the most convincing as far as giving the boy more scholarship money.

 

If you CAN send it to all the schools that he's interested in and you can afford it, I'd blanket them all. You want them to catch a whiff of his scholarly aroma and start salivating....pardon the analogy, but dinner is about to go on the table here.;)

 

Is he going to attend the program at Rose Hulman? If so, that will be a really great thing to add to his resume for the old application game and general scholarship search. I think it sounds like you have several really competitive schools listed. By that I mean schools that MAY be willing to fight with each other to get the prize. I don't know much about Hulman outside of reputation for excellence, but I do think that Vandy and TN and Evansville would be likely to contend with each other.

 

What state are you in and are you by chance minority? We have found that in-state is more difficult to get scholarship if you are not a minority group.

 

Let's keep talking...

[Susie-Knits]

Two and only 2 colleges. I was just over looking at a college confidential thread about this letter he received. It went out to top 50,000 kids - 16,000 will be semifinalist and 34,000 will be commended. I think this letter will be a mute point to the semifinalist but perhaps could help a commended student.

 

I agree that Rose Hulman can be skipped since they already know his PSAT/Dec SAT along with GPA and references to get into summer program. It will be a fun taste of college for him and their "look" at him too. If all goes well, hoping it will help with financial aid there.

 

Small brag warning..... This month he has landed 2 "feathers in his cap" - Rose Hulman summer program acceptance and an internship at a local engineering company - a job which he has already started and loves! Ds had to have a resume and interview (great practice)! It has been so good to see all his hard work come together and just in time for college apps. Back to the conversation.....

 

We are in Franklin, TN just outside of Nashville and not a minority. His December SAT scores are above the middle 50% SAT scores TN Tech and U of Evansville but in the middle of the 50% SAT scores listed for Vanderbilt.

 

Guess talking it thru ... I am leaning toward sending it to Vandy and U of Evansville.

 

Guess this is just the beginning of an exciting year.... sure is nice to have experienced friends to ask along the way!

Susie

[Sharon in MD]

Admittedly though it is a guess. I think it is very hard to try to figure out the best way to do it. I think you have made a good choice though...TN Tech will probably be very easy for him to get in while Vandy might be more of a stretch, so I'd send it to Vandy. U of E is out of state and so they may be more excited to attract the bright young out of state kid. Your SATs sound similar to the way ours were, but again every school is different and you never know how things will turn out. I personally believe there is/was a lot of divine intervention for our son.

 

Ours had good, but not stellar SATs, 660M 630CR and 610W. That put him at the top of the % for his safety school, who ultimately offered him about a 1/3 cost of attendance scholarship. For one in-state school, U MD at College Park, he was about dead even for the college, but below the 50% for the engineering school, (it is a two-step admissions). For them, he only was offered a $1,000 one year departmental scholarship and no opportunity to join any scholars community or honor college. Frankly they were the one I thought he might not get in at all because the engineering school is really tough to get in. The second in-state school, UMBC turned out much better and would have been his fall back school. There he was over the 50% mark but he also competed there for a special scholars program that he got in. It was for math and tech/science students lasting all four years and geared to PhD prep. If things had not worked out at Drexel this is probably where he would have gone. The scholarship there was only $5,000 a year, but the program had loads of free extras to sweeten the deal. For Drexel, he was above the 50% for the college and about even with it for the engineering dept. But, he had attended and done well at their summer mentorship program the previous summer, so he knew people there and I really think that helped. And you already know the rest of the story from the fin aid stuff we wrote up before.

 

The things that I think really helped him are having good grades, decent scores, and interesting summer activities. He was able to show the schools he applied to that he had a real interest in the field because he had pursued it in the summer. I also think it is good if they have community service or some other type of group that they have been involved in for a period of time to show that they are more than just book worms.

 

For your DS, can he go to the Hulman program and still work at the engineering firm when he isn't at Hulman, how long does it last? Or could he go to Hulman this summer and then work at the firm during the school year next year....boy, I think that would turn some heads.

 

By the way, if you haven't started building his resume for next year....get started on it soon so that it won't be a burden to build later.

 

Anyway, I think it sounds like he is off and running toward a great last year in high school....well done mom!

[Susie-Knits]

to send scores/interest to. He has been doing a couple of math competitions for the last few years at TN Tech so he has some internal contacts there - that is his safety school. U of Evansville, a private school, has nice $s for nms semifinalist/finalist and good SATs, a good engineering program, and he is interested in their semester in England (English soccer!). Then Vanderbilt, is very selective (19%) so he will need any and all the help there. So we are going with U of Evansville and Vandy. Thanks for helping me talk this out.

 

His internship is very flexible. They are excited for him to go to "Operation Catapult" this summer - most people don't even know what it is. I am so happy that he will get to be with teens with a common interest along with the taste of college. We had to get the high school resume going for that application - I agree with not leaving it to the last minute. He can work around his trip and continue this summer then his senior year. We are hoping that it would also work for a summer job between college years. This opportunity is counted as a big blessing by all of us on so many different levels.

 

His SAT score from Dec is about the same as your son CR 650, WR680, MA 730. PSAT score 212 - commended we think. His SAT goal is to break 2100 so he plans on taking it in the fall again. June, he will take SAT 2 Math 2 and in the fall SAT 2 in physics. I feel pretty comfortable that he has done his best with tests and extracurricular activities.

 

I really want to do the best I can for this kid; I want him to have the most wonderful college experience possible - community and learning. Guess that sounds odd - I want to do the best for both my sons as do all of you for your children - isn't that why we stress so. But this ds has had a rough few years without any complaint. 9th grade, we had to move from NC back to TN so he had to leave his like minded friends and some wonderful activites that we have not really been able to replace or replicate after the move. 10th grade - during travel soccer, he suffered terrible breaks in both bones of left forearm (yes, he is left handed) which resulted in 2 - six inch plates and 14 screws that will never come out, a long recovery period, and an end to his beloved soccer career. 11th grade - no real local hs teen friends that are into academics or even his other interests yet he continues to work hard. (He does have some friends from Potter's School, keeps in touch with NC friends, and has non-academic aquaintances). Not sure why I felt, I needed to say all of that. But we hear the good scores and the wonderful opportunities that some of these WTMboard teens have and see one side of it. We forget that there is always a flip side - it is sometimes hard to be a homeschooled teen or really just a teen at all. Now stepping off my soapbox and stopping the accompanying violin (or is that flute played by his younger brother)! haha

 

Thanks for any and all advice. It is so nice to have this board! And yes, I will stop now before I have written a book and my post is lost in ciberspace! haha

Susie

Edited April 25, 2009 by Susie-Knits

[Sharon in MD]

I am glad I was able to help a little...sometimes all we need is someone else to bounce the ideas off of. I've found the like minded moms on this board to be such wonderful listeners for me!

 

Operation Catapult sounds great (I googled it). I think this will be wonderful intro to the campus and the feel of the school as well as an unparalleled opportunity to get exposure to research. This experience is similar to what our son did last summer for 3 weeks at Drexel and it was a course setting, pivotal time for him. He left here with little tiny wing buds starting to push through his shoulder blades and when I picked him up they were fully grown and feathered. (not to mention that he suddenly grew more than 1 inch while gone) Seriously, the mentor program he went to absolutely convinced him that real research opps for freshman had to be available at whatever college he would attend.

 

I can also identify with you about your hopes and dreams for your boy. We have been really blessed in that our son has had lots of good friends through his oversight academy and our church, but he hasn't had friends who are similar academically. He went to this mentorship program and lived with 28 kids from the NE and around the world who were his peers....they were one big happy geeky group. He loved it, immensely. And I can say that being a geeky one myself. ;)

 

I think the internship will be fantastic for him as well....sounds like you guys have done a really great job. Next year will be challenging because it will be so filled with applications, essays, visits and deadlines, deadlines, deadlines....but it will be really exciting too.

 

God's grace to you all.

Sharon

[Susie-Knits]

most of all your encouraging words Sharon. We sent in our choices today for the PSAT referral.

 

Operation Catapult sounds wonderful - I am nerdy too! haha Will have more to report about it the first of July. Think it will be a wonderful way to launch confidently into his senior year with college apps, essays, re-visits etc.. "Eye on the prize'' kind of thing, I guess.

 

Wish all the best to your son as he embarks on his college career!

Susie

[Sharon in MD]

I have been so blessed by the mom's on this board who have helped me on many occasions....it is nice to be able to pass it on.

 

I don't know about you, but I actually find myself a little jealous with longing to do the kinds of programs our kids are getting to do....KWIM? I hope I can go back to school myself someday, but even if I don't, one of the greatest benefits to having done the high school home school thing is that I KNOW how to self-educate now. There ain't no stopping me!

 

Good luck and let me know how it goes!