What is the National Merit Scholarship?
October is here which means that if your student is a high school sophomore or junior, they are preparing to take the PSAT. But what is the PSAT? What is a good PSAT score? What’s a National Merit Scholarship? These are a couple of common questions asked around this time. So, let’s break it down.
What is the PSAT?
The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is both a warm up for the SAT or ACT tests that your student will take in the fall of their senior year. They are also the test to determine which, if any, merit scholarships your student might qualify for, including a National Merit Scholarship.
What are merit scholarships?
As the name implies, merit scholarships are awarded to students who excel in a particular area: Academic, Athletics, Arts, or Special Interest. Merit scholarships are awarded based on achievement rather than financial need.
It is important to note that the Ivy League colleges do not offer merit-based scholarships since they often award funding based on financial need. However, there are several corporations and community organizations that offer merit scholarships that can still help fund college tuition and expenses.
What is a National Merit Scholarship?
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition that grants merit-based scholarships.
This program is multi-tiered: commended students, semifinalists, and finalists. Only finalists will be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, but commended students and semifinalists will be eligible for many corporate sponsored merit-based scholarships.
To see all the scholarships awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, click here.
How can my student enter the National Merit Scholarship Competition?
The only way to enter this competition is by scoring in the top percentile of PSAT test-takers. According to the College Board, the average PSAT score is around 920 out of a total of 1520. That means in order to be in the top ten percent, your student should score between 1210 and 1520. Students who score in this range are much more likely to be admitted into the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
Does your student need help preparing for the PSAT? Ivy Link offers PSAT preparation services, including one-on-one tutoring and practice testing in a timed environment to assess your student’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their comfort level in test taking. If your student needs a little extra practice, reach out to Ivy Link today.
