Episode 16 — Do The PSAT & National Merit Matter?

In this episode, we break down the timeline and significance of the PSAT and various National Merit awards associated with strong PSAT scores:PSAT for students in grades earlier than 11th (e.g. PSAT 8/9 + PSAT 10)The PSAT/NMSQT exam in 11th gradeScore ranges for juniors who might be in play for National Merit awards connected to their PSAT/NMSQT scoresTimeline for PSAT/NMSQT score returnCalculation of the National Merit “Selection Index” that determines National Merit awardsCommended Student and National Merit Semifinalist Awards & How Score Cutoffs Are Determined For Each Timeline for Notification to SeniorsHow Significant Are National Merit Awards at Highly Selective Colleges?How Should National Merit Awards Be Presented In Applications?Some top colleges that sponsor National Merit Scholars and the top college with the largest National Merit Scholarship——“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2025–26 application cycle.Its students have recently gained admission to Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Northwestern, UC-Berkeley, and WashU (among many others) and are admitted to the Ivy League at a rate 14x the national average (90% when applying early).Web: greatmindsadvising.comContact: greatmindsadvising.com/#contactNewsletter: greatmindsadvising.com/#newsletterEmail: [email protected]: facebook.com/GreatMindsAdvising/IG: instagram.com/greatmindsadvising