dani3boys Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 This feels like torture having to wait for scores, and my son is only a sophomore. What will it be like next year when it really counts? I guess I'll have to stalk the mailman a while longer. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Still waiting (impatiently) in Virginia..... still checking the mail here in VA too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Received ours today in Ohio. I was pleasantly surprised with ds's scores, considering he is only a sophomore and hasn't finished geometry or taken algebra 2 yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Still waiting here in IL. I wonder if it is by alphabet this year since, geographically, those who have scores are all over the map. We are at the end of the alphabet. I hope it comes today, but I will be on the road to go out of town. If it comes, I hope ds texts me like right away!! I think he could be close. He said the test felt easier than the practice and he did well on the practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Scores arrived today in the Buckeye State. We didn't get ours yet. Crossing my fingers that maybe we will today :tongue_smilie: . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I just looked up the dollar amounts at stake here for those of you with juniors and was shocked to find that the actual NM scholarships amounts have not increased one dollar since I got one a FEW years ago. Back then it was a huge part of my college expenses. Now? Not quite "barely a dent," but still--not the big chunk it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbeth Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Still waiting here in IL. I wonder if it is by alphabet this year since, geographically, those who have scores are all over the map. We are at the end of the alphabet. I hope it comes today, but I will be on the road to go out of town. If it comes, I hope ds texts me like right away!! I think he could be close. He said the test felt easier than the practice and he did well on the practice. Hmmm, I wonder. We are tail end of the alpha. as well. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I just looked up the dollar amounts at stake here for those of you with juniors and was shocked to find that the actual NM scholarships amounts have not increased one dollar since I got one a FEW years ago. Back then it was a huge part of my college expenses. Now? Not quite "barely a dent," but still--not the big chunk it used to be. Many colleges actually offer more than NM themselves. I'm guessing they do it for the bragging rights (X number of NMF come here...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachnut Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Where do you find out the NMSQT cut-off scores for each state? Do they change each year? Why are they different for each state? My DS is only in 10th grade this year, so it doesn't matter. But I want to understand it when the scores come in next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Received paper copy of scores this morning in California. We're near the tail end of the alphabet. ~ Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladykayaker Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I should be happy because he scored high enough to make NMF in over 40 states, just not the one we live in... How do you know if ds score makes it for NMF? I am new to this and it is all very confusing to me. What are the scores per state - where can I find them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 How do you know if ds score makes it for NMF? I am new to this and it is all very confusing to me. What are the scores per state - where can I find them? This year's juniors who have qualifying NMF cut-off scores will be notified next September. You can get a pretty good idea if your student has made the cut-off for your state based on previous years scores. The scores don't usually change much from year to year (usually a couple of points either way each year) If you google "2012 PSAT state score cut-off's" that should bring up a list for you by state. Usually a score over 201 will be high enough for Commended, but the NMF cut-off scores for each state can vary a lot - those students in CA and the states in the East need higher scores than the students in the South or Midwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 DS received his scores in the mail this afternoon. He is in 9th grade, so he has two more times to take the test, but he scored over a 200. He was very happy. Hopefully he can bump his score up a little more when it counts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladykayaker Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 the NMF cut-off scores for each state can vary a lot - those students in CA and the states in the East need higher scores than the students in the South or Midwest. Thank you - I googled and found the list on collegeboard's website. Why do the scores vary by state? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 Thank you - I googled and found the list on collegeboard's website. Why do the scores vary by state? I have read it is because the students in the East have better educational opportunities than students in other parts of the country. The East coast boarding schools have one of the highest cut-off scores. You can also go back through the CB archives to get an idea of the score fluctuations from year to year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I have read it is because the students in the East have better educational opportunities than students in other parts of the country. The East coast boarding schools have one of the highest cut-off scores. You can also go back through the CB archives to get an idea of the score fluctuations from year to year. I'm not sure what you mean by the bolded. Do you just mean that the strength of the private or powerhouse public schools move the curve in the state? I would agree with that. It's the only way I can account for the strangely high cutoff for the District of Columbia. But I don't think there is a separate cut off by school. (At least, that is how I interpret datum like the local governor's science magnet having over 100 NMSF each year. That is about 1/4 of the state total if my own math is right.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 But I don't think there is a separate cut off by school. The New England Boarding Schools do have a separate score: for 2013 it is 221 and for 2012 it was 223. Here is a link: http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 The New England Boarding Schools do have a separate score: for 2013 it is 221 and for 2012 it was 223. Here is a link: http://www.collegepl...ionalMerit.html Interesting. Thanks for the link. That is a more complete list than other's I'd seen. I'd seen International, but not either of the boarding school scores or the one for US Territories. Does anyone know what score the DODEA/DODDS schools use? Do they fall under international or have their own score too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 I'm not sure what you mean by the bolded. Do you just mean that the strength of the private or powerhouse public schools move the curve in the state? I would agree with that. It's the only way I can account for the strangely high cutoff for the District of Columbia. But I don't think there is a separate cut off by school. (At least, that is how I interpret datum like the local governor's science magnet having over 100 NMSF each year. That is about 1/4 of the state total if my own math is right.) The lists I have seen that have the cut-off scores by state have separate categories for boarding schools. It is my understanding that the boarding schools in the East are grouped together and are in a category all their own - they are treated like a little state. The cutoff for the boarding schools in the East is usually the highest cut-off score every year. ETA: crossposting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted December 7, 2012 Author Share Posted December 7, 2012 I'm not sure what you mean by the bolded. Do you just mean that the strength of the private or powerhouse public schools move the curve in the state? I would agree with that. It's the only way I can account for the strangely high cutoff for the District of Columbia. I wonder if the schools in the DC area only permit the top students to sit for the PSAT? Limiting the test to only the top students would also skew the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 I wonder if the schools in the DC area only permit the top students to sit for the PSAT? Limiting the test to only the top students would also skew the results. . I was thinking it was the effect of schools like Gonzaga and Sidwell Friends etc. not boarding schools but highly ranked privates. Though given the state of dc public schools I doubt that all are testing. By contrast our local district in Va tests all freshmen through juniors who attend school that day. That pay for sophomores. Others have to pay to get official scores. Otherwise they get their booklet, answer sheet and an answer key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 just got ours, Virginia. he's a junior but did not take it last year - respectable, considering we're aiming for community college - reading and writing in 80-something percentile, math in 60-something . .. worst in stat/proboility it looks like? and then algebra . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladykayaker Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Where can I find out what are the actual dollar amounts of these scholarships? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Just came today in PNW (thank goodness; I don't think I could have stood another day of garment rending and teeth gnashing). We're fairly early in the alphabet, so I haven't a clue what the order of sending might have been. Anybody still waiting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjbucks1 Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Some schools do not give scholarships for NMF (or semifinalists). Some give only $1000-$2000, while others give full rides (room and board) to finalists. Semi-finalists can get full tuition at some schools as well. It is best to check the individual universities. There are also some corporate scholarships based on NMF standings as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Where can I find out what are the actual dollar amounts of these scholarships? There is a nice compilation over on college confidential, but I am not smart enough to link it for you. I believe it is under scholarship forum under the sub-forum for National Merit. Some schools give significant awards - University of Alabama is one such school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Just came today in PNW (thank goodness; I don't think I could have stood another day of garment rending and teeth gnashing). We're fairly early in the alphabet, so I haven't a clue what the order of sending might have been. Anybody still waiting? We no longer homeschool, but our school has not yet received scores. They give them out as soon as they come in. It's extremely frustrating b/c kids on cc are posting scores from states all around us - Texas and MO. Ds would have qualified based on his scores from last year as a sophomore. Hoping and praying he did at least as well this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Still waiting here. Saw on College Confidential that someone in OK City received scores yesterday. Thought we might get ours today - but no luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Still waiting here in IL. I wonder if it is by alphabet this year since, geographically, those who have scores are all over the map. We are at the end of the alphabet. I hope it comes today, but I will be on the road to go out of town. If it comes, I hope ds texts me like right away!! I think he could be close. He said the test felt easier than the practice and he did well on the practice. I don't think so. We are in IL and are at the end of the alphabet and DS received his earlier this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalypso Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Still waiting here, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_JWM Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I will tell you a silly story to distract you for two seconds! When I got my PSAT scores - oh, so many years ago! - I added them up and immediately burst into tears. I was in the backseat of our car while my mother was driving and I was a huge sobbing puddle. My mother pulled over, grabbed the paper, and said, "You added them wrong. No wonder your math score is so low!" She was right - I misadded two three-digit numbers. Ad my math scores were always low. I made up for it with my near-perfect verbal scores, but seriously?!! Not being able to add the scores correcly was pathetic. Back to your mail-carrier stalking, ladies! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn On the Border Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Ds got his scores on Thurs. The total was 198. Pretty much what I expected. He does better on reading and writing than math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Our school has the scores, but they won't release the scores to our children until they meet with each student privately. Not sure what that's about. May have to stop into the guidance office on Monday. Thats funny, i was just telling dh that i had to go to the office to talk to someone to get my PSAT scores. I thought it was funny cuz the guy was shocked when he saw my scores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugs Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 We got ours yesterday. Meh. Pretty "average". I pray the girl continues to do well as a DE student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Got scores today. If the cutoffs from the past two years are anything to go by, DD will qualify by quite some margin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Glad to hear that, for the most part, scores are coming back as expected or better. Extra congrats to all those who are in the Commended or higher range - and good luck to those on the borderline for NMSF for their state! And for those of us with more average academic kids - we still love them! And... there's still a perfect niche out there for them to fill and many paths to get there. My oldest was never NMSF material (nor commended) and he's doing very well in college now as a junior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidwesternMom Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 We are still waiting for PSAT scores too. I found this article that explains how National Merit works. There are some big scholarships that we'd love to be eligible for for. http://homeschoolsuccess.com/national-merit-scholarship/ Fingers crossed that everyone is getting the news they want! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbeth Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 STILL waiting here in GA. I was sure we'd have them today :/. Guess now we're looking at two more days of waiting. DD in 9th's scores aren't such a big deal but my dd in 11th can't stand the wait. Especially since she received the "your scores are online and ready to view" email on Thurs. from the college board. Grrrrrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 My junior received his scores (234) today in Hawaii. What a relief. He's been a bundle of nerves for days now! Congratulations to everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Got scores today. Ds took the test for the first time this year as a sophomore and got a 193. I'm wondering if it's likely he will make a big enough jump next year to make the cutoff. The scores here seem to range between 112 & 115 from year to year. How many points do most student gain between their sophomore and junior years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 Got scores today. Ds took the test for the first time this year as a sophomore and got a 193. I'm wondering if it's likely he will make a big enough jump next year to make the cutoff. The scores here seem to range between 112 & 115 from year to year. How many points do most student gain between their sophomore and junior years? My son's score increased 22 points. He does little prep for it (despite my encouragement). You should be able to get the test booklet back from the school. That would help for preparation. I'm confused about the 112 & 115. Do you mean 212 and 215? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 My son's score increased 22 points. He does little prep for it (despite my encouragement). You should be able to get the test booklet back from the school. That would help for preparation. I'm confused about the 112 & 115. Do you mean 212 and 215? Yes, I meant 212 & 215. Sorry for the confusion! That's good to know that it's possible to raise his score enough to make the cutoff. I plan to get his test booklet from the school. He didn't do any prep this time because I just wanted to see where he was. Thanks for your response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 My son's score increased 22 points. He does little prep for it (despite my encouragement). You should be able to get the test booklet back from the school. That would help for preparation. I'm confused about the 112 & 115. Do you mean 212 and 215? Does this mean your son increased his score 22 points from 10th grade to 11th grade, or did he do it other years? I really know very little about the PSAT or the scholarships. Dd took it this year (10th) and scored 205. I'm actually out of town, so I haven't seen the full report. Dh just told me her score and percentile ranking. If she could improve it as much as your son did, would that possibly make her eligible for scholarships? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Does this mean your son increased his score 22 points from 10th grade to 11th grade, or did he do it other years? I really know very little about the PSAT or the scholarships. Dd took it this year (10th) and scored 205. I'm actually out of town, so I haven't seen the full report. Dh just told me her score and percentile ranking. If she could improve it as much as your son did, would that possibly make her eligible for scholarships? Yes, he only took the test in 10th and 11th grade. Check out the earlier link for score cutoffs in your state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I don't think so. We are in IL and are at the end of the alphabet and DS received his earlier this week. Well, then, what is the delay?!?! C'mon. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for these scores. We have even grilled our son to find out if he really took the test! (just kidding.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourOaks Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 My son's score increased 22 points. He does little prep for it (despite my encouragement). You should be able to get the test booklet back from the school. That would help for preparation. I'm confused about the 112 & 115. Do you mean 212 and 215? Would you be willing to share what you did with your son in that year to increase his score by that much? My DD just took it for the 1st time this year in 9th. She is in the 99th percentile in all but math -- sounds like she's not alone from some of the responses on this thread. if she could raise her score like your son in the next 2 years she would definitely be in the ballpark. Anything specific you suggest to improve those math scores? And why is it that students are struggling so much with the math portion? She's in Algebra 2 in 9th and is not struggling at all and never has, but she does not do well on any of the math portions of those stinking standardized tests (ACT, SAT, or PSAT). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Would you be willing to share what you did with your son in that year to increase his score by that much? My DD just took it for the 1st time this year in 9th. She is in the 99th percentile in all but math -- sounds like she's not alone from some of the responses on this thread. if she could raise her score like your son in the next 2 years she would definitely be in the ballpark. Anything specific you suggest to improve those math scores? And why is it that students are struggling so much with the math portion? She's in Algebra 2 in 9th and is not struggling at all and never has, but she does not do well on any of the math portions of those stinking standardized tests (ACT, SAT, or PSAT). My son's strongest subject is math, but he did the worst on the math section. Go figure! Maybe it's because students who are farther along in math forget the material that is being tested. Both reading and math increased by 6. Writing increased by 10. We are allowed to dual enroll for free in 10th-12th grade at CC. His classes last year: CC College Success Skills CC Intermediate Algebra CC College Algebra CC Critical Reading and Thinking (I think this was terrific preparation for standardized testing - the textbook they used was The Art of Critical Reading, McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 978-0073-38569-3) CC Earth Science Laurel Tree Tutorials High School Composition (highly recommend - I'm not sure how it affects standardized testing) PS Spanish I also credit Analytical Grammar for anything to do with grammar. We used it in 6th-8th grade and used a HS reinforcement book in 9th. I have seen threads on the best prep. Try a tag search on PSAT. I've never paid any attention because I have never been particularly successful getting ds to prep. I'm not about to shell out $$$ when he'll likely not use it. I borrowed any available books from the library. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Got scores today. Ds took the test for the first time this year as a sophomore and got a 193. I'm wondering if it's likely he will make a big enough jump next year to make the cutoff. The scores here seem to range between 112 & 115 from year to year. How many points do most student gain between their sophomore and junior years? My son raised his score 35 points, from a 199 in 10th to a 234 in 11th. After we received his 10th grade scores, he started taking one practice SAT a month, usually just one section at a time. About six months later, he worked through Barron's SAT 2400. Then he continued on with the practice exams, this time under test conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 My son raised his score 35 points, from a 199 in 10th to a 234 in 11th. After we received his 10th grade scores, he started taking one practice SAT a month, usually just one section at a time. About six months later, he worked through Barron's SAT 2400. Then he continued on with the practice exams, this time under test conditions. Thank you for this information! It's helpful to see what has helped others. I'll definitely have him do some prep work for his junior year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 Ds's school received scores yesterday! So, so happy for him!! He did VERY well!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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