xrCalico23

For those of you wondering how psat score correlates to sat score, a simple Google search can bring out some useful past threads such as this one:

How closely did your PSAT score match your SAT score?

tarheel151

i am commended with a 203

Harambee

Most likely

mochilover

I got a 213 and never received anything in September about being a commended student. So yesterday I asked my principal about it, and it turns out he had it this whole time but just never gave it to me.

So if anyone hasn't gotten it yet, ask your school. They probably have it and are too lazy to give it to you.

northcountry

I was a SF with 233

HowtheHeck

I just wanted to say... this thread was very helpful. And.... I can hardly wait to find out my son's score. We don't have much money (read: none) and if he makes Merit Scholar, it will change his life. I confess, it bothers me somewhat that we live in a state where the cut-off is higher. Still not sure I have an authoritative answer on the reason why you can be a Merit Scholar -- and basically get a free ride -- with a score of only 201 if you're from some states, but have to score MUCH higher if you live in DC, VA, and other states. Seems like a penalty on excellence.

50isthenew40

Howtheheck: For NMSF, each state has its own curve, basically. It might seem unfair, but since it's probably too late to move to Wyoming, there's nothing we can do about it, except to hope that our kids benefit from being in states with a lot of academic excellence!

You say becoming a Merit Scholar would change your son's life. I thought I'd share what our experience was. My dd was NMF last year and received many generous scholarship offers because of it. She was a good test-taker, so she also did well on her SATs. Those scores along with excellent grades, qualified her to receive generous merit aid at many of the same schools that offer NMF scholarships, plus many others.

If your son is likely to do well on the PSAT, he's likely to do well on the SATs, and to have a high GPA. There is lots of merit aid available to high-achieving students, whether or not they are NM finalists. Your son needs to apply to schools where his SAT scores and GPA are in the top 10-20% of the applicant pool for that school.

Ironically, most NMFs end up at the top tier schools which give no money. If they have financial need, they get financial aid, rather than merit aid.

50isthenew40

Nmsfsat: I don't think any one answered your question about Ohio. The actual cut-off score won't be known until next year, but as you can see from the list, a state might go either up or down, usually by 1 or 2 points, so Ohio's cut-off could stay at 209, or be somewhere between 207 and 211, most likely.

The best strategy I know is to aim for a 230. That is sure to be high enough in any state of the union, and all that study will help you get a 2300 SAT!

kcbelle15

For NMSF, each state has its own curve, basically. It might seem unfair, but since it's probably too late to move to Wyoming, there's nothing we can do about it, except to hope that our kids benefit from being in states with a lot of academic excellence!


If I accept that assumption, it would make a whole lot of sense if a extremely high scorer on the PSAT from a state of "lesser" academic excellence received even more attention. I don't agree with any of that thinking. Honestly, many states that have higher minimum scores have PSAT preps and start their kids taking the tests in 9th and 10th grades. In my "lesser" academic state, PSAT wasn't available for my oldest DD until her junior year with only one 2 hour prep course. And truthfully, we knew very little about it or the Merit competition. So is my NMSF DD#2 who scored high enough to be a semifinalist in 27 states WITHOUT any prep a lesser student than one from another state with a higher minimum score? Very subjective in my humble opinion.

mom22girls

kcbelle15 - it IS frustrating. In my opinion if it is called NATIONAL merit, then all states should meet the same criteria. But it is incorrect to generalize about states with higher minimum scores. For example New York has a very high number, but public schools there (we won't even go into the private school opportunities) range from extremely wealthy districts with magnet schools and all kinds of free prep to rural upstate schools with very limited opportunities. My own d's school has the highest poverty rate in the county and 3 guidance counselors for over 1,000 students.

Unfortunately I'm not even sure that it is correct to say that "many states that have higher minimum scores have PSAT preps and start their kids taking the tests in 9th and 10th grades." I know many schools here in new york who struggle to give the minimum.

kcbelle15

Mom22girls-
Duly noted! I think some of us in rural states assume other states are more oriented to the PSAT and SAT format than those of us who only know the ACT. It was wrong for me to generalize that statement and I stand corrected.

I just get so frustrated because I lived on the east coast in Connecticut for many years and know that the educational opportunities my children have had in a smaller, rural state have been every bit as good here as they were there. The reason is because our educational standards in the home didn't change just because the location of our home did. At some point, maybe what we ought to be taking into consideration is what we as parents are contributing to our children's educational experience, regardless of where we live?

Aznboy256

haha 231 on PSAT and 2310 on SAT. (I live in MA btw, with a brutal cutoff of 220+ every year)

coincidence?
XD

50isthenew40

If it was truly national, and there was a national cut-off for the top 1% of all scorers, I think it would be about 223 or so, wouldn't it?
The much lower cut-off scores in some states reflect a smaller population with fewer test-takers.

mantori.suzuki

It reflects a lower level of education in those states. If the education was as good in smaller states as in larger ones, the cutoff scores would be the same, regardless of the states' relative populations.

Descartesz

99 percentile across all scores is about 210. 223 is higher than any current state cut-off.

Educational quality might have some effect, but low cut-offs more directly reflect lower levels of test participation among a state's eventual high school graduates.