JUNIOR TIMELINE FOR TAKING THE PSAT
Take the PSAT. Remember, it is the PSAT, not the SAT, that determines whether or not you will be a National Merit Scholar.

FAQ #1: Should I prepare for the PSAT?

ANSWER: There is no question that preparing for the PSAT can raise your scores, but not many students do it. The people who usually prepare for the PSAT are often very good students who aspire to become National Merit Scholars. Because PSAT scores are not a part of admissions criteria, most students usually wait to do their test preparation for the regular SAT or ACT.

FAQ #2: What do I do if I am ill on a test day or an emergency comes up?

ANSWER: If a student misses a scheduled College Board or American College Testing test because of illness, emergency or other extenuating circumstances, he or she should immediately contact the respective customer service people for the test he or she has missed or will miss, explaining the circumstances and requesting an alternative test date.

IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL MERIT STATUS
When I sat in on an admissions session for a very competitive college, much to my great surprise I found that a student’s National Merit status was not as big a deal to the admissions committee as I might have guessed. Among the Ivies and other top colleges, it is presumed that one will have top SAT scores, A’s in the most rigorous academic schedule, and one or more extraordinary (regional or national) accomplishments, activities and/or leadership positions.

However, many other colleges pay a lot of attention to National Merit Scholars, and often are willing to offer tuition breaks and scholarships to them. The National Merit Corporation, itself, offers some selected scholars one-time $2500 scholarships.

adMISSION POSSIBLE® TIP! Based on PSAT scores, every year the National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) recognizes 5,000 academically talented students of Hispanic/Latino origin. To qualify, a student must be at least 1/4 Hispanic/ Latino. NHRP does not give scholarships, but provides names of all qualified students to admissions offices to help them recruit talented Hispanic/Latino students.