Getchell Families,
The Fall 2022 PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12th. This test is the screening test for high school students who wish to participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program. All sophomores and juniors are eligible to take this test, however; only juniors are eligible for the National Merit award. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
Please note that if your sophomore takes this test it is only for practice purposes. Basically, taking the PSAT/NMSQT in 10th grade is both predictive and diagnostic: it tells you where you're headed and what weaknesses you can turn into strengths to achieve your junior-year goals. The PSAT 10 will be offered on March 1st for another opportunity for your sophomore to take a practice test (PSAT 10 is paid for by the Marysville School District). In sum, taking the PSAT/NMSQT and the PSAT 10 in 10th grade can be a valuable testing experience and tell you where you need to improve for junior year on your SAT’s, and especially if you're aiming for National Merit.
Testing will take place starting at 7:45AM on the MG campus. This test will take approximately 4 hours. There are a limited number of testing slots and this is on a first come first serve basis. Registration opens on September 21st and the deadline to register is October 7th. The cost for this test is $18 for each student. Please see the cashier in the EF building on the MG campus to sign up for this test.
Visit this link to see an on-line version of the Student Guide:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-nmsqt-student-guide.pdf
Practice Test:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10?navId=gh-pn
Here is a snapshot about the Scholarship Program. To find out more information please go to the following link:
What qualifies you to be a National Merit Scholar?
In order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student must: 1) take the PSAT/NMSQT during his or her 3rd year (junior year) of high school 2) be enrolled as a high school student (traditional or homeschooled) and plan to enroll in college full time by the fall after his or her high school
The National Merit® Scholarship Program, conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships.
The competition is open to all U.S. high school students who meet published participation requirements. Scholarship winners are chosen on the basis of their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
Currently, over 1.5 million students in about 21,000 high schools enter the National Merit® Scholarship Program each year. Some 50,000 entrants qualify for program recognition, and approximately 8,700 outstanding students receive scholarships for college undergraduate study. The awards, valued at about $40 million, are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by several hundred corporate organizations and higher education institutions
Some schools encourage their sophomore students to take the PSAT/NMSQT for guidance purposes; however, if these students are spending four years in grades 9 through 12, they must take the test again when they are juniors to enter the National Merit Scholarship Program.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our school Testing Coordinator, Lori Jones at 360-965-2613.