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Does anybody know whether or not a high school sophomore taking the PSAT can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship or do you have to be a high school junior? Thanks.

By Meganc123 (Meganc123) on Thursday, September 02, 2004 - 03:57 pm: Edit

You have to be a junior at the time when you take the PSAT.

By Simba (Simba) on Thursday, September 02, 2004 - 05:51 pm: Edit

go to parents forum and ask this question. I seem to remember a discussion some time ago

By Brettjrob (Brettjrob) on Thursday, September 02, 2004 - 11:24 pm: Edit

Weenie,

You definitely cannot qualify for NMSQT unless you are a junior. ONLY your junior year PSAT will count towards the National Merit competition. So, unfair as it may seem, it is possible to make the cutoff as a sophomore and then miss it the following year as a junior, and go home empty-handed.

By Weenie (Weenie) on Friday, September 03, 2004 - 08:44 am: Edit

Thanks everybody! I didn't know anything about the NMSQT when my older son (a senior) took the PSAT. He just walked into school one day and took it. My younger son, a sophomore, will be taking it in Oct and I was going to make him study for it. So he's happy to hear it won't count yet!

By Medusa2003 (Medusa2003) on Sunday, September 05, 2004 - 09:51 pm: Edit

In reviewing the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website there appear to be a rare exception to the only junior year PSAT scores counting towards National Merit rule. If a student is able to finish high school in three years instead of four, it appears that the sophomore PSAT score could be used to qualify a student for National Merit. 99.9% of the time sophomore PSAT scores do not qualify a student for National Merit.

By Jpeng (Jpeng) on Tuesday, September 14, 2004 - 11:39 pm: Edit

I took my PSATs my sophomore year and they did get me qualified for the National Merit competition. I also graduated high school a year early. So, yes, they count if you spend less than 4 years in high school.