<p>“Low-income, African American and Latino students are greatly disadvantaged by National Merit’s biased selection system.” </p>
<p>Funny the article doesn’t mention that National Merit offers two scholarship programs that are <em>exclusive</em> to those groups.</p>
<p>Sorry, I did say it backwards. But this is telling:
“A FairTest gender bias complaint forced revisions in the scholarship-qualifying exam that somewhat increased the percentage of female winners.”
which naturally decreases the percentage of male winners (B + G = 100%).</p>
<p>Why not do what they did for minorities, offer specific female scholarship categories? Isn’t there also bias against anyone who didn’t grow up in the suburbs?</p>
<p>I would find it interesting if they did a study about PSAT and SAT scores by gender. Anyone aware of data out there on that? I had one of the highest SAT scores in my school, and a boy and girl who dated for a few years in HS both had 1600s the year ahead of me (and another boy had a 1600 too, when 1600 was the maximum).</p>
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<p>I should inform Mrs Wolverine that apparently FairTest has determined that we must be independently wealthy. I must’ve missed that meeting. </p>
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<p>I wasn’t aware a $30 test prep book from Barnes and Noble was a “high-priced test-prep course” $-)</p>
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<p>I’ll inform my two daughters immediately that they should return/not accept their awards as they apparently were statistical aberrations. </p>
<p>On a positive note…if FairTest comes out with a list of state cutoffs a few days ahead of NMSC’s public release embargo again this year, I’ll at least think they’re useful for something. 
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<p>No high priced test prep here either. We are saving it all so we can afford to send three to college at once, with today’s outrageous costs, given that we’re too rich to qualify for enough need based aid. Go figure.</p>
<p>Son is right on the bubble in TN. Ironically, he’s already scored 2380 on the SAT. No prep of any kind. Mom and Dad are impressed.</p>
<p>Congratulations to all NM above 201! @GoAskDad , thanks for the prompt. </p>
<p>No test prep classes here either. Just test prep books purchased through amazon and a lot of “reminding” (aka nagging).</p>
<p>We homeschool. We invested $100 in a home program and the blue book. Nothing crazy. Money well spent.</p>
<p>Same with mtrosemom. Just one PSAT prep book from Amazon.com (little over $10) for PSAT and the bluebook and CB’s SAT online course for more official problem sets (around $50?). </p>
<p>NM is 201?? OK, explain to me again how this is at National Merit competition? If anyone is being discriminated against, it’s kids in states with ridiculously higher cut offs.</p>
<p>Removed by user. </p>
<p>@DrMom68…I think by NM in that post they meant National Merit and were congratulating all the students nationwide who were Commended or Semifinalists.</p>
<p>@bendelsman…MI please</p>
<p>District of Columbia, for the love of Ben & Jerry!! Please message me if you aren’t allowed now to publicly post it. You would be doing my family a great service to get their mother off the internet!</p>
<p>@DrMom68 It’s obvious that students across this country are not educated equally, and if anything, that’s what is unfair. Yes, a student in Massachusetts may need a higher score to qualify than a student in South Dakota, but students in Massachusetts on average perform higher on standardized tests than students in most other states.</p>
<p>How can DC be 224 still?? I am now officially devastated for my son, because I was stupid enough to show him this site and tell him I thought it looked good. I can’t face him right now. </p>
<p>Still, there’s so much variance within each state. I agree, it’s not fair or ideal, but it’s their ball and bat, and they can take it and go home any time they want.</p>
<p>Does any mom know whether there is actually a booklet that has all the cut offs in it for real? This just seems surreal. </p>
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Nobody here said DC cutoff is 224. At this point 223 is NMSF, and it could be lower. See the latest update.</p>
<p>@greatfallsmom - 224? Where do you see it? </p>