ACT May Be Used to 'Confirm' National Merit Status

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is changing the rules on the final step of winning a National Merit Scholarship. Applicants are still selected as semifinalists based on PSAT scores. In the past, semifinalists had to submit SAT scores to "confirm" their eligibility. Going forward, they may submit ACT scores instead. A spokeswoman said that this change reflects the way many people take the ACT and not the SAT. On its website, Compass Education Group said, "This is a long overdue change, as many high-scoring ACT students have had to take the SAT for no reason other than National Merit’s rules."