PSAT, Merit Scholarships and Homeschoolers

[In The Great White North]

I signed ds up for the PSAT today. The booklet for students states that to be eligible to be a Finalist, you must be enrolled full time in high school. Does this mean no homeschoolers? What about those enrolled in an umbrella school? Or in the state's "Home Education program?"

 

I had never heard this before.

[Gwen in VA]

Your child IS enrolled full-time in school -- YOUR school!

 

Just tell your child to check the box for full-time student. He is one! :001_smile:

[Anne]

to give your son on test day. He will need to fill that # in on his test booklet.

 

Be sure he knows that he is to use the number you give him - and no other number - regardless of what any other adult tells him on that day.

 

Anne

[Michelle in MO]

Your child IS enrolled full-time in school -- YOUR school!

 

Just tell your child to check the box for full-time student. He is one! :001_smile:

 

Make sure your student checks the box for being a full-time student. Fill in the homeschool code for your state, as well.

 

Here's the PSAT Home-Schooled students' page. Click on the link on this page that says, "home school code" and fill in that homeschool code for your state.

 

There are four questions on the right-hand side of the official answer sheet. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the student needs to answer all four questions in the positive in order to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. The guidance counselor at our public high school had my daughter fill in "No" for being a full-time student. The counselor didn't do this maliciously; she didn't think of her as a full-time student at that school. Nevertheless, if this is filled in incorrectly, even if the student's scores are high enough, they are disqualified from any consideration for the NMSQT.

 

There was a discussion last year (in October) about the PSAT on the old forums; if I can find it, I'll try to link it to you. I remember Kathleen (who doesn't post here very often since she's almost finished homeschooling) told her two sons to listen to her instructions only. High school counselors may or may not know how to properly advise homeschooled kids.

 

Order one of the PSAT test practice booklets from the College Board. Familiarize yourself and your student with the format of the actual test booklet and especially those four questions, to make sure they're properly filled out.

 

HTH!

[Gwen in VA]

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

[Hilary]

If for some reason your child DOES fill in the questions wrong, you can still have the NM people change it. My DS took the PSAT last year and was told that he wasn't a full-time student, so being the compliant kid that he is, that's what he put. (I didn't have the benefit of this forum at the time.) When he got his score and I saw that he was easily above the cut-off, I freaked out when I saw that he wasn't eligible because of his "part-time" status. However, with a letter and follow-up call to NM, I was able to get his status changed with no problem. Just check the instructions on the score form when you get it back ... the information is there on how to make changes if necessary.