National Merit Cutoff

Paying for College
681

<p>Kinda looks like you might be on the bubble, inthemoney. The general trend is upward for KY but it has stalled before.</p>

<p>Any other updates, anyone?</p>

682

<p>has anyone heard about Oklahoma? arn’t our’s typically 204-206 range?</p>

683

<p>hi! i’m new to this site, but it really looks like you all have some great information. i’m extremely confused about the national merit cut offs… the NM site told me absolutely nothing. from what i understand, the cut off scores have been going up, but i was also told that FL hasn’t been changing too much over the past few years. i’m a junior and i got a 219 (in FL) when i took the psat earlier this year. do you think that will allow me to qualify for semifinalist status next year?</p>

684

<p>emmie,
see post #662 on this thread (1 page back) for historic cutoffs by state.</p>

685

<p>i second eagleboy</p>

686

<p>Does anyone know the lowest 2005 psat score that was still in the 99th percentile vs. the lowest 2006 psat score that was in the 99th. Trying to see if state cutoffs will go up or down for the next group. Since it seemed the writing section went down 2-4 pts overall (dd lost 5 pts), it seems the scores this year would be a little lower.</p>

687

<p>Wow. Just because your dd lost 5 points DOES NOT mean in any way, shape, or form that the writing section went down 2-4 pts. In fact, data from her whole class wouldn’t even be significant to show that.</p>

<p>The lowest 2005 99th percentile was 215. But 99% doesn’t really mean anything for the STATE level cutoffs unless all the states moved in the same direction. Also, you should note that the overwhelming trend, with precious few exceptions, is that the state cutoffs go up or occasionally stay the same.</p>

688

<p>

eagleboy-
I know you didn’t mean for ths to be funny, but it was priceless. Good thing there isn’t a spelling/grammar section. eh? :smiley: (jk)</p>

689

<p>Drummerdude 07. I was discussing the information from the college board site that said if you didn’t go up as much on the writing section, it was because the 2005 psat was based on satII and the 2006 was based on the sat writing section. College board said to show what improvement you would have made add 3-4 pts to 2006 score. That was what I was referencing.</p>

690

<p>In Texas, someone told me that 213 used to be 99%ile, but this year, it’s 212. And I got a 216 on my PSAT, so I’m hoping that the national merit cutoff for TX drops from the 217 from past 2 years. So, I’m hoping I will make it.</p>

691

<p>What will happen to a junior who got 240? Will he automatically be a finalist and get the scholarship? Or is it still not a sure thing? Is there any catch?</p>

692

<p>He will not automatically be a finalist. Has to submit the paperwork in time, have SAT scores and grades that support the high score and have good recs from school. But only 1000 out of 16,000 don’t advanve to finalist. About 50% (I think) of finalists get the scholarship. Some schools offer good scholarships based on being NMS. Those can be better than the actual NM scholarship.</p>

693

<p>The BIG reward is being a SEMI-FINALIST. That is the distinction colleges usually use to reward their NMS scholarships. These are almost ALWAYS the same or better than the $2,000 a year that the National Merit Scholarship winners get.</p>

694

<p>Drummerdude_07,
Actually, the big reward is being a FINALIST–many of the schools we considered gave MUCH more money if the student became a NMF rather than just a NMSF. For example, University of Southern California gives a 1/2 tuition Presidential scholarship, renewable for all 4 years for all NMFs who chose USC as their 1st choice. They may give additional merit and need-based aid on top of that.
AzSU & UAz & many other schools only award full-rides to NMFs. Some schools do give some merit awards to NMSFs, but many more only award to NMFs.</p>

695

<p>Our state Us give almost full ride to finalists. Semi-finalist gets the same as someone with a 30 ACT - a partial tuition waiver. A difference of around $40,000 over 4 years. So definitely big reward is for finalist.</p>

696

<p>swimcatsmom, thank you for answering my questions. But now I have more:

  1. What “paperwork” do I have to submit in time? I only got my score report and nothing else.
  2. Someone told me that if I accept NM scholarship, then I would have less chance to get other scholarship(s). Or if I get other scholarship(s), then I may not get any NM scholarship in the end, i.e. it will be in name only, no money. Is that true? I am totally lost.
  3. I didn’t understand what drummerdude_07 said. Why is being a semifinalist better than being a finalist? It doesn’t seem logical. I don’t doubt that it could happen under some circumstances. But is it true?</p>
697

<p>Racer,
Calm down! If you’re a junior, NO ONE gets official notification or paperwork about being a NMSF until fall of senior year. You will be given the papers from your school (mailed to your home if you’re homeschooled). You will be given enough time to fill them out & your counselor has to complete a form & mail in your transcript.
The paperwork will explain the NM process. If you are a NMSF, you complete the paperwork & wait until you’re notified by NMC as to whether you’re one of the 15,000 (out of 16,000) who go on to be selected as a NMF. There is NO disadvantage to being named a NMF.
Some schools (like the ivies) do not give any merit aid & being a NMF is no guarantee of any $$$. Some schools do award some funds to NMFs (some even give lesser amounts to NMSFs). Generally NMF “scholarships” are from the college, corporations or NMC. THe ones from NMC are a one-time award of $2500. The ones from colleges can vary from $500 to a full-ride (tuition, room, board & a small stipend) & can be a one-time or renewable for 4 years. Corporations have their own rules and award schedule–generally you have to be somehow connected with the corporation–an employee of child of employee, etc. More info about the program is at this website. If you’re a junior, you will not be notified one way or another until fall of senior year. If you’re a senior, you should have received your NMSF packet in August or September, otherwise, all deadlines have already passed for you to apply to be a NMF.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php[/url]”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Your HS counselor can answer additional questions, or you can contact the link listed on the webpage above. Drummerdude & others are giving you incomplete & inaccurate info.</p>

698

<p>Anybody know Kentucky’s cutoff?</p>

699

<p>HImom,
yes, I am a junior. I am much calmer now. I probably should let my mom worry about it. I have got more valuable information from CC moms than from my counselor.
thanks!</p>

700

<p>Racer,
There’s actually no point in ANYONE worrying about it. The only thing you can do now is keep your grades up, do ECs you care about well, do something worthwhile over the summer & see how life evolves. If you’re notified in the fall of senior year congrats. If not, keep doing well & you’ll still have a wonderful bunch of options to choose among. Many kids who go to ivies were not NMFs or even NMSFs–so much depends on how well you happened to do on just one exam on one particular day. Many schools recognize that & give a much more “holisitic” reading of applicants anyway.</p>

<p>Good luck! HS counselors are only human & many not have been thru the process with a kid of their own. Somehow we learn a lot when our own kid is going thru everything. My S went thru it all last year & it was a real roller coaster!</p>