9497sam

When will they come out? did I just april fools everyone? haha but seriously. And is it true that one needs a minimum 3.5 GPA? Any scholarships or weight for being an Honorable Mention? Do you guys think that the score cutoffs will be the same as last year? I'm from Mid atlantic and the cutoffs were 184 last year. I really hope its the same this year! But I heard because so many more hispanics are doing better its going to be higher. I'm really nervous about this.....

entomom

Last year HS GCs started notifying students about May 1.

Yes, 3.5 weighted gpa needed for Scholar designation.

Scholarships for HM, not that I know of; weight will likely depend on the school you're applying to.

jonnathan

I'm kinda ticked that the cutoff was like 192 last year for the South (I'm in NC) and I made a 188. Also, I made a 1960 on the SAT, so I'm a bit bitter, hahahah.

february94

In California the PSAT NHRP cutoff score was 185 for the c/o 2012 and I got a 182... I was upset because my school counselors said this test meant nothing and so I didn't really care about it when I took it. I got a 1990 on the SAT, however.

Quakergirl25

have the cutoff scores ever been lowered in any case? I scored a 179 in Florida. no chance?

laplatinum

Why would a school counselor say the honor "meant nothing" when a) it is a national honor and b) PSAT is used to qualify national merit finalists. I think any distinction can be one more thing in a series to help a student stand apart with an adcom that uses holistic evaluation.

entomom

Because they're ignorant and insensitive ?? Seriously, they might have been referring to the fact that:

1. There is no direct scholarship given connected to NHRP as there is with NM and NA. However, there are scholarships that colleges give to NHRP applicants.

2. The cut offs are below NM commended, so some might consider it not an honor in comparison. I would disagree and think that it gets you on the radar of many schools and is valuable recognition to have on your application.

It it going to be viewed as a huge honor? It's likely to be more of one if you attend an underserved HS, are low SES, first gen to college, etc.; and less of one if your parents are college educated, upper SES, etc.