On the psat i got a 202 and it says that if there is an * next to the score, you didn’t qualify for national merit scholarship. I didn’t have an *… but it also says that you won’t be notified to say if you have qualified until september.
Then last week a family friend told me congrats on making national merit! I don’t know how she knew/guessed this!
Can anyone clarify for me? Thanks!
What state are you in?
It looks like you will make Commended, but not NMSF unless you are from one of a few states with a lowish cut off score.
Im in CA
What does commended mean? @mom2collegekids
See page 6 on this guide: http://www.nationalmerit.org/student_guide.pdf
In California, you needed to get a 222 or higher. However, if you earned a 201 or higher you are Commended. Which is pretty cool, but you are not advancing past that honor.
@collegebound1516 The * means you are not eligible to be considered for National Merit (not a junior is the most common reason). The lack of an * only means you meet the eligibility requirements to have your score considered in the competition. It does not mean you are a semifinalist, commended, or anything else.
Students who are in the top roughly 3% of all scorers nationally but do not make the cut-off for semifinalist in their state will be designated as having Commended status. Semifinalists are announced in September and then are invited to apply for Finalist status. Only Finalists are then eligible for National Merit Scholarships. Students who make Commended receive a certificate sometime after the September announcement of semifinalist names.
The national PSAT score for Commended Status has historically been in the range of 200-203. Only in a handful of states is this score high enough to actually get Semifinalist. In California you probably need to score 221-223 to make semifinalist.
Ok, thanks guys
Congrats on an excellent score.