Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Blood and Fire: Making the PSAT Cut

The Preliminary SAT test is the initial hurdle for a high-school student aiming for a National Merit Scholarship when they enter college. This is usually taken during in the October of a student's junior year, and may even give ideas of what to expect when they take the SAT in senior year. The PSAT exam slated in October 2013 will have the National Merit Scholarships (NMS) for Academic Year 2015-16 up for grabs.

The initial requirements for NMS Program aspirants include full enrollment in junior year before the exam and US citizenship or permanent residence, provided they have intentions to seek citizenship as soon as possible. However, if the taker missed the exam due to certain emergencies, they must contact the National Merit Scholarship Corp for alternate options as soon as possible, but no later than March 1 the year after the missed exam.

Out of the estimated 1.5 million PSAT takers, only 50,000 may be given Program Recognition – but only 16,000 of these will be notified of Semifinals contention in the September of their senior year. These are often the highest scorers for each state and will be given application materials over the next several months, as well as be monitored for their academic performance. Approximately 15,000 students will be informed of Finals contention in February – and only 8,300 will land the Scholarships. Those who indeed make the cut will soon have the chance to make good in a college of their choice.


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