Dilemma about alternate entry for National Merit after PSAT testing irregularity

Corinthian
Mon, 27 Nov 2017 17:22:10 +0000

My D19 took the PSAT with audio accommodations and experienced a lot of problems which I detailed in this thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/2027447-psat-testing-with-mp3-audio-accommodations-testing-fiasco.html#latest. The testing administrator at the HS submitted an irregularity report. He called me this morning and said that the College Board has responded to the irregularity report by saying we can submit an alternate entry of her SAT score to see if she qualifies for National Merit, or we can accept her PSAT score despite the disruptions. But we have to decide in the next 2 days without knowing the PSAT score.

D took the November SAT with audio accommodations and this time the test administration went very smoothly. She scored 1430 which was higher than I expected just based on her sophomore PSAT. She got 720 on EBRW and 710 on math. I don’t know if you can calculate a SI the same way for a SAT score as for the PSAT. If I add up her subscores on the SAT and double them I get 215. Does that number work the way PSAT SI does if you’re doing alternate entry? We’re in AZ so I figure her score is not high enough for NMSF but I guess I wonder if she could make Commended.

As background she took the PSAT as a sophomore with extra time but no audio accommodations (she has some dyslexia in addition to ADHD). Her sophomore PSAT was 1190 and SI of 178. So I was pleasantly surprised by the Nov SAT score and D says the audio accommodations made a huge difference for her.

Here’s my question: does her November SAT put her in contention for Commended status for National Merit? If the answer is no, then it seems like there’s no downside to asking them to score her PSAT and see what happens. Or am I missing something?