<p>@SwimMom15 Wow…this is a great news…Congrats to your son. Thank you so much for the information. Could you just confirm whether your son got an official notification on it?</p>
<p>Our one and only previous NMSF did not get into her schools of choice, despite excellent grades and credentials.</p>
<p>@PAMom21 Every child is different, every application year is different! Fingers crossed!!</p>
<p>@mdcmom: We’re actually at 215, but my new CC friend is at 214. @hoggirl: I don’t think it’s meant to demean anyone’s accomplishments–after all, everyone on here is over commended. But if you look at it, there IS disparity in awarding some people NMSF with 208s while others have to make 224! C’est la vie.</p>
<p>True, and our kids all apply with what they have, and hope for the best. Hopefully any sadness and rejection are short lived, and counter balanced by some wonderful choices for the next phase of life. Best wishes to all!</p>
<p>Got the AP letter today, too. D said it was worthless! :)</p>
<p>Can anyone at least estimate the CA cutoff for me? Will it be a good, 3-point drop as in VA, or will we remIn the same like DC, or is it likely a more moderate, 1-point drop? Someone must have an idea at least.</p>
<p>I found it - of course it says 212 might be a good national average cutoff, my son’s score!.</p>
<p>To think there is a whole website and organization dedicated to state cutoffs being “unfair”.</p>
<p>I would be very interested if people target private schools in some of these lower performing states, and if only some schools are responsible for many NMS semi-finalists. Or are home schoolers by far the NMS semi-finalists in some states?</p>
<p>(by far meaning disproportionately based on number of students taking the PSAT in homeschooling)</p>
<p>@PAMom21: Actually, coming from an unknown school can work to his advantage. We are a known school and the competition is fierce. I was told schools are looking for diversity in schools and regions and everything, so it is a disadvantage in some ways to be coming from a “top” or known school. Play up the regional aspect!</p>
<p>I’m only guessing as to why NM does different percentages for different states, but I could imagine it is to give themselves the largest possible base for soliciting corporate sponsored scholarships. If some states had few or even no NMSF then the business in those states would have very little reason to support NM. They can do a national score for the commendeds because there’s no money attached, so no loss of potential support.</p>
<p>@ililgoo -Unofficial - school announced there were two semi finalists on Friday (class of 60). I emailed HM to clarify - so only have unofficial word. No mention at school today. </p>
<p>@illinoisan Estimated 1 point drop for CA, down to 222, but of course nothing has been confirmed yet. </p>
<p>But since companies value public support for African American and Latino groups, then why would they tolerate a system that puts some of the jurisdictions with the highest percentage of URMs, like DC and CA, at a distinct disadvantage for NMF scholarships. I still cannot understand why the National Merit organization “discriminates” in score differentiation to promote geographic diversity, but do not also do the same thing to promote ethnic or racial diversity? Why not say, for example, that URM students have to attain a cutoff score greater than or equal to the lowest State cutoff score for NMSF?</p>
<p>National Achievement might mitigate this somewhat.</p>
<p>Thank you for the estimate, and my child is not a URM in case someone is wondering because of my arguments. I am Liberal though!</p>
<p>yes, for CA so far have heard from several 222’s in this forum that made it, but nothing lower
(yet!). We haven’t been officially notified, but child did get an email from an office secretary today (had to look up on the website to see who the person was) to come to a mandatory meeting on FRIDAY at lunch and there would be juice and cookies! That’s all it said! (has a 222 in CA).</p>
<p>i really hope 221 in CA will make it </p>
<p>@SwimMom15 Thanks for updating us with the lower VA cutoff.</p>
<p>Updated with lower VA cutoff at 219, thanks to SwimMom15</p>
<p>States that still need to be finalized:
AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, HI, ID, IA,
ME, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY</p>
<p>AL<= 208, post 1963 (school notification), -3 from last year
AK=?
AZ=(<= 213, post 2045 school counselor)
AR=?
CA=(<= 222, post 1996, e-mail from school)
CO=(<= 218, post 1510 HSL)
CT<= 220 (post 1947)
DE=?
DC=(<= 223, post 2209, friend)
FL= 211, post 1916, school admin., -3
GA =( 213<= GA <=215, post 1778, info from counselor, friends)
HI=(<=215, post 1873, Dean of Academics)
ID=(<=211, post 2058, student report, unknown communication)
IL=215 (post 2077, per high school admin) -1 from last year
IN= 212, post 1700 (per GC of friend) -3 from last year
IA=(<= 229, post 1792, notified by high school)
KS= 213, post1733, told by principal, -3 from last year
KY= 210, post 1406 (per high school with many qualifiers) -1 from last year
LA= 208, post 1803, 1856, told by principal
ME=?
MD=221 (posts 2114, 2163, 220 didn’t make it, 221 did) -2 from last year
MA=(<=223, post 2283, GC)
MI= (<= 211, posts 2388, GC)
MN= (<= 218, post 1835, 1849, told by counselor)
MS=(<=210, post 2041, school?)
MO=(<=212, post 1937, school)
MT=?
NE=(<=209, post 2346, school)
NV=208 (post 2088/2089, told by GC) -4 from last year
NH=?
NJ=?
NM=(<=212, posts 2117,2142, official letter from school)
NY=(<= 218, post 1669, school)
NC=(<= 215, post 1988, informed by GC)
ND=?
OH=213, post 1756, told by principal, -2 from last year
OK=(<= 210, post 1796, student qualified, unknown communication)
OR= (<=222, post 1619, college counselor)
PA (<= 216, post 2003, principal notification) -1 from last year
RI=?
SC=(<= 213, post 1525, school emailed student)
SD=?
TN= (<=212, post 1809, son’s friend)
TX=218, post 1807, high school counselor, -1 from last year
UT=(<=211, post 1983, principal and GC)
VT=(<=224, post 1819, unknown)
VA (<= 219, post 2509, school)
WA= (<= 218, post 2157, student reportedly made it with that score)
WV=?
WI= (<=209, post 2207, GC/friends)
WY=?</p>
<p>SE Boarding Schools <= 218, school counselor</p>
<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 201</p>
<p>@SwimMom15 Anyway you and your son got unofficial, but email confirmation on it with the school’s principle. Congrats again. You said your son’s score is 219, right?</p>
<p>@Grammargal All depends when they took them according to my son’s college counselor. He took 5 APs in 11th grade, but only 1 official AP course (DC privates don’t offer many because “all of their courses are considered to be at the AP level” lol) and scored well on all 5 and got the AP Scholar w/Distinction. His counselor says schools pay attention especially to how many APs they take in 11th grade and the scores. Did they do well on the first, but by 3rd or 4th just lost steam, etc </p>