I am concerned about the fall. My daughter has a lower grade in French. Should he retake it this summer? The school will only let you retake it if you get a C- or lower. She has a C+ range with a final coming. I know NMF is funny about Cs and she has none so far. It’s a language, though. Just don’t know if the retake would be worse. Thoughts?
My son had a 1480 on the PSAT and a 1500 from the recent SAT. We’re in VA, so I think the 1480 is right around the cutoff. Crossing our fingers.
@BunnyBlue actually, I was asking if a SAT score of 1450 (760M, 690ERW) might mean it’s likely I would get a PSAT score at or above the cutoff for NM assuming I took it in fall with approximately the same amount of prep
@CharlotteLetter If I understand correctly it would depend primarily on what state youre in as some have higher cutoffs than others. Also I havd seen where some have scored a higher SAT than their Psat score and some lower. I would think it would be hard to conclude whether you would do better or worse without further prepping or even with it. Not to discourage you as 1450 is an outstanding score. If you feel with more Psat prep you would do better go ahead as I have heard the Psat is " supposed" to be easier than the SAT. Of course, there are others on here way more knowledgeable about the subject.
CharlotteLetter, what were your Math, Reading, and Writing test scores (on the scale of 10 - 40) on your SAT? You can use those scores to make a rough estimate of what your three test scores would be on the PSAT, and then you can add them together and multiply by two to get your estimated Selection Index. The SI is the number that’s used in determining your NM status. Once the official state cutoff numbers are released (this coming September), you can see how your estimation compares with the NM cutoff.
@snicks1234 the state is NM (as I mentioned in the last post) the thing is my parents won’t make me a junior to take the PSAT unless it’s highly probable I’ll make NMF
I was looking for SAT info and came across this PSAT National Merit calculator I had not seen yet.
http://■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■.com/psat-national-merit-cutoff-calculator/
@CharlotteLetter I guess I answered your question correctly the first time! The 214 you calculated is correct, and, as you pointed out, it is what some are predicting may be the cutoff for New Mexico this year. Seems to me you need it to be a little higher to be on the safe side. Fortunately, I learned from a previous thread, in which people wrote in their change in PSAT scores from sophomore year to junior year, that scores usually go up. My son’s scores went up 12 points from sophomore year to junior, and that was even with the top possible score going down, from 240 to 228. Thinking about it, that is an argument for you not to become a junior next year. It seems most likely to me that you would get your highest score by not taking the PSAT next fall, but by taking it the following year. I think that having the highest score possible would increase your chances of winning a scholarship. My son didn’t improve his score because of prepping. He improved because the schoolwork he did in his sophomore year made him more skilled. So my advice to you is to give yourself the extra year in order to really take your best shot at National Merit. If you are anxious to start college, you can take some college courses as part of your senior curriculum.
@BunnyBlue I already took 4 college courses this semester - read my thread “Sophomore/Junior Year plan” http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/1865897-sophomore-junior-year-plan.html#latest to understand the rationale behind me wanting to be a junior next year. If I stay a sophomore next year, I’ll be forced to matriculate at my present uni (which isn’t a particularly strong one) due to residency requirements.
@CharlotteLetter, if you have your heart set on being a junior next year, then study hard and take the PSAT Oct. 2016 as a junior. The Khan Academy has a good study program that you can use to study over the summer. My S went up 27 points between sophomore and junior year. Part of that was definitely maturity, part was experience taking those type of tests, including the PSAT twice, but part of it was actually studying for the test. You really wont know until you take the test how you will do, but a 1450 on the SAT is very respectable and the PSAT is an easier reflection of the SAT. If you study you should be able to have a PSAT score at or above the 1450. The SI score is really the more important score for NM, so you need to shoot for higher than whatever the SI score for this year is to be safe. State score for this year will be announced in September. Compass is predicting a range for NM of 214-216 for this year. Shoot for above the 216.
@CharlotteLetter Very impressive! I am amazed at all the college classes you have taken. I don’t think I am really knowledgable enough to advise you except on the one issue of your likelihood of making NMF. If you really have to make sure you get it, then I would wait the extra year.
@mtrosemom @BunnyBlue Okay thanks! I guess I really need to bring up the English score since it’s double counted… I wish math was double counted, then I’d have 221 
@TexasTutor 34 reading, 35 writing, 38 math (which gives me the same score, 214) - and it getting the cutoffs in September doesn’t help me much, as if I do happen to be safely into the “probably-would-make-it” category, I won’t be able to register for the PSAT then (I would think)
CharlotteLetter, one thing you should take into account is that the test scores on the SAT are out of a high of 40, while the test scores on the PSAT are out of a high of 38. So, the highest possible SI on the PSAT is a 228, while the highest possible SI-equivalent on the SAT is a 240. Thus, your score of 214 out of 240 isn’t going to be the same as a 214 out of 228, for NM purposes. Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough data yet to make a reliable comparison! Probably the best thing you can do is take the free PSAT practice test on the CB site and calculate your SI for that test, then compare it to the estimated NMSF cutoff of 214 for your state.
Also, I know that the CB recommends that home-schooled students contact their local high school at least four months in advance to make arrangements to take the PSAT. However, there are home-schooled students in my city that don’t do this until September, and they still are able to secure a seat for testing. So, it’s hard to say how late you can afford to wait until you make your final decision!
One thought - it appears from anecdotal evidence of SAT scores posted, kids who scored well on PSAT didn’t quite score as well or much better on the revised SAT test (passage of time, skills, preparation…). Also, there isn’t a concordance between the new SAT scores to 2015 PSAT score, is there? Just thinking aloud if at the higher end of the scale (beyond the commended level of 209 SI), it wasn’t quite as easy to score a compass blog predictions of state cutoffs and highest 228 SI? Meaning, are the blog predictions for state cutoffs too pessimistic?
Another option is to wait until you get your PSAT score in December/January. Then, if you feel confident, you can change your status to “Junior, 11th grade” with College Board and Natuonal Merit early in 2017.
“Also, there isn’t a concordance between the new SAT scores to 2015 PSAT score, is there?”
The best indication of how someone will do on PSAT is how well they did on the new SAT. And vice versa. The new PSAT is designed so that your score on the SAT would be the same had you taken it that day. This is a change from the old PSAT which was much easier than the old SAT. The new PSAT is only 15 minutes less in time.
I’m no authority on the rules, but I don’t think the suggestion in #4453 is allowable.
@BunnyBlue Actually it is allowable per NMSQT rules. The PSAT that “counts” is the one taken in the student’s next-to-last year of high school, which for almost everyone is 1th grade/junior year. For the few who graduate early, that would be 10th grade.
My dd decided during the late fall to graduate a year early. Because she had selected 10th grade/sophomore (or whatever the choice was on the form) when she took the PSAT in October for practice, she had to write to the NMSQT folks (info is in the student booklet about this procedure, btw) stating that her status should be changed to “next to last year of high school”. Very simple. She received confirmation by mail after a few weeks.
Dis a homeschooler with much flexibility, high school credits from a younger than usual age, and many AP and university DE classes. She’s not the typical student 
now it may be an anomaly,but my S scored 1480 on Psat and 1540 on SAT. A 60 point jump is significant. What does that say really? Maybe he was tired the day of the Psat? I just think the practice of taking the Psat helps familiarize the test taker with the format, the type of questions and the way they are worded. I dont know.
@snicks1234 a 60 point jump is amazing. Has anyone else wth NM potential reported a higher increase than that?