Super Senior Year & PSAT???

[JazzyMom]

15 ds did a typical 9th grade course load this year (biology, geometry, 2 DE courses, etc.), but he is thinking he may want to consider this his 8th grade year and do 4 more years of high school, taking mostly DE courses his final year.

This seems fine to me, but this is mostly due to sports purposes, so depending on how that goes, he may also eventually change his mind and decide to graduate on the original schedule.

How do I handle this from the perspective of PSAT?

I was planning to have him take the PSAT 10 this fall and the PSAT the next year.  I think his score may qualify him for the African-American recognition, which could lead to scholarships.  Bama currently has a full tuition scholarship for this.

Can I still proceed with testing as planned and reclassify him later?

For instance, if he takes the PSAT 10 next year and gets the Af Am recognition, can I later add an extra year at the end and maintain the designation for scholarships?

Trying to figure out if I have to tack this extra year on now (from an academic standpoint) or if it would mess things up if I wait and do it later.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by JazzyMom

[GoodGrief3]

He can take a PSAT any year, but it will only count for National Merit during his junior year. You do need to figure out what year will be junior year.

[Farrar]

Actually, the National African American Recognition program (and the other programs in that group like the National Hispanic Recognition Program...) is a little different from National Merit... I think you can qualify with the PSAT 10 in spring of sophomore year instead of fall of 11. But I'm almost positive that you can also qualify with the PSAT 11 during junior year, just like you would for National Merit. You should double check all that, but... I'm almost positive. I don't think there's any reason or edge to doing the PSAT 10. There's almost never a reason for students to take the PSAT 10 (unless your state will take it as your yearly required test or something along those lines).

I agree that you need to decide before fall junior year that it's fall junior year. At least, ideally. You can always walk that back for colleges, but maybe not for National Merit or the recognition programs.

[Lucy the Valiant]

We had a home schooled junior decide to take a super senior year AFTER taking PSAT in 11th. We wrote a letter to NMSQT asking to be reclassified as a junior, and they did reclassify the student. That student took PSAT *again as a junior, and that 2nd score is the "qualifying" score for NM.

[bibiche]

30 minutes ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

We had a home schooled junior decide to take a super senior year AFTER taking PSAT in 11th. We wrote a letter to NMSQT asking to be reclassified as a junior, and they did reclassify the student. That student took PSAT *again as a junior, and that 2nd score is the "qualifying" score for NM.

How did that work out in terms of college admissions? I have been advised that a repeated grade in high school throws up red flags and makes a student less competitive for very selective schools. I wonder if that is just opinion or if there is something to it. I know an awful lot of kids right now who could benefit from an extra year in high school rather than the traditional gap year after, but I’d hate to see it impact admission to elite universities.

[Farrar]

15 minutes ago, bibiche said:

How did that work out in terms of college admissions? I have been advised that a repeated grade in high school throws up red flags and makes a student less competitive for very selective schools. I wonder if that is just opinion or if there is something to it. I know an awful lot of kids right now who could benefit from an extra year in high school rather than the traditional gap year after, but I’d hate to see it impact admission to elite universities.

I've seen it work fine. It looks different for homeschoolers. It really is a classification, not a "repeating a grade."

[JazzyMom]

2 hours ago, Lucy the Valiant said:

We had a home schooled junior decide to take a super senior year AFTER taking PSAT in 11th. We wrote a letter to NMSQT asking to be reclassified as a junior, and they did reclassify the student. That student took PSAT *again as a junior, and that 2nd score is the "qualifying" score for NM.

Do you remember what you had to include in the letter, such a specific reason, etc.?

[Lucy the Valiant]

22 hours ago, bibiche said:

How did that work out in terms of college admissions? I have been advised that a repeated grade in high school throws up red flags and makes a student less competitive for very selective schools. I wonder if that is just opinion or if there is something to it. I know an awful lot of kids right now who could benefit from an extra year in high school rather than the traditional gap year after, but I’d hate to see it impact admission to elite universities.

This particular student was not actively targeting elite universities, but did receive several scholarship offers at competitive schools and honors college invites / scholarships. This student chose a small private school (with excellent scholarship). So I don't really know about elite universities; she didn't really even specifically prep for PSAT as it was more of a side thing, but she did test well.

22 hours ago, Farrar said:

I've seen it work fine. It looks different for homeschoolers. It really is a classification, not a "repeating a grade."

This. Her transcript was listed by subject, and nobody even asked about the 5 year vs. 4. It was truly a non-issue. (She did not repeat any courses.)

20 hours ago, JazzyMom said:

Do you remember what you had to include in the letter, such a specific reason, etc.?

Yes, we had to include the reason for the reclassification; our student's reason was that she wanted the time and ability to further study the subjects included in her high school program. 

 

This is from NationalMerit.org (bolding mine; we were aware of this and acknowledged it in our communication with NM) - 

Students who plan to spend five years in grades 9 through 12 before entering college full time can participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program if they take the PSAT/NMSQT in the third year of high school and again in the fourth year. These students’ Selection Index scores will not be eligible for the program until a written request for entry to the competition is approved by NMSC®. The request should include the student's name, high school name and location, year the student began high school, year the student will complete high school, and a brief explanation of the student’s educational pattern.

NMSC will use the student’s Selection Index score from the PSAT/NMSQT taken in the student’s third year of grades 9 through 12 to determine the expected level of recognition. In order to be recognized in the fifth (final) year of high school, the student must take the PSAT/NMSQT again in the fourth year and earn a qualifying Selection Index score at or above the level achieved on the third year test. The level of recognition a student receives cannot exceed the level earned on the qualifying test taken during the student’s third year in grades 9 through 12, the year in which all other competitors are considered.

Note: Because a student can participate (and be considered for a scholarship) in only one specific competition year, the year in which the student takes the PSAT/NMSQT to enter the competition is very important. If there is a question about whether a student can participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program because his or her educational plans do not fit one of the preceding descriptions, or for any other reason, contact NMSC immediately.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Lucy the Valiant

[JazzyMom]

@Lucy the ValiantThis info is very helpful!  Thank you!!!