No word on Michigan…
Anyword on TX
@lcgusa If the College Board and NMSQT folks allow you to substitue your SAT in lieu of a missed PSAT qualifying test, then 2140 is good enough for FL according to the info submitted on this forum. PSAT is 1/10 of the SAT points.
Some posts are saying 219 is Texas cutoff
Back one page, @spacecowboy15 multiple posts say 219 is Texas cutoff
I think post #856 is pretty definitive that NY cutoff is 219.
All: I’m not sure that we have Texas nailed down yet. As far as I can tell it is a bit hearsay on 219. We know that 217 and 218 don’t make it. I don’t think we know that 219 definitely makes the cutoff. The Texas evidence should reference posts 871 and 896.
Correct. No one with a 219 has checked in to say it is official for Texas
@lcgusa That’s interesting as many kids do better on actual SAT then they did on PSAT, but if they took the PSAT, they are getting penalized sort of…did you have to submit SAT within a certain timeframe(around same time as PSAT) in order to qualify? Some kids take SAT soon after PSAT, do better, and would have loved to substitute it for natl merit. My older son, 4 years ago, was not natl merit in Florida with a 206, but a few months later got 2170 on SAT. Not fully convinced it is fair process using PSAT and various state cut offs, but life isn’t always fair. Happy my younger son just made it with a 214 this year.
… Or can someone substitute SAT score even if they took the PSAT? If so, I bet a lot of people don’t know that.
If states didn’t do different cutoffs, states with larger populations would keep smaller states from having a chance.
@Stanton2016 Here is from the NMSC website.
“A student who does not take the PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency, or other extenuating circumstance, but meets all other requirements for NMSC program participation, may still be able to enter the competition. The student or a school official must write to NMSC as soon as possible after the PSAT/NMSQT administration to request information about procedures for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program by alternate testing. The earlier NMSC receives the written request, the greater the student’s opportunities for meeting alternate entry requirements. To be considered, a request must be postmarked no later than March 1 following the PSAT/NMSQT administration that was missed. NMSC will provide alternate entry materials that require the signature of a school official.”
@Stanton2016 Here is the alternate test/entry info from NMSC:
If a Student Misses the PSAT/NMSQT® Administration
A student who does not take the PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency, or other extenuating circumstance, but meets all other requirements for NMSC program participation, may still be able to enter the competition. The student or a school official must write to NMSC as soon as possible after the PSAT/NMSQT administration to request information about procedures for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program by alternate testing. The earlier NMSC receives the written request, the greater the student’s opportunities for meeting alternate entry requirements. To be considered, a request must be postmarked no later than March 1 following the PSAT/NMSQT administration that was missed. NMSC will provide alternate entry materials that require the signature of a school official. back to top
Hey, I just joined this thread. I have a 223 in Ohio. Any news on Ohio cutoff for semifinalist or anyone have any idea when I should be hearing about that?
I just looked that up as well. Thank you. They say it’s better to take PSAT as it is easier, but I guess that’s not the case for some. You never know and sometimes you just have a bad test day:).
@WRUAustin Yes. Your 218.5 prediction for NY nailed it. Last year when my DS dropped from a 10th grade 225 to an 11th grade 220, we pretty much wrote it off and blamed it on his June/14 concussion. Then I read your prediction and hopes were renewed. Thanks again! Amazingly, my wife and I decided not to tell him and allow him to be surprised when he starts school on Sept 15.
@VaishS In post #898 somebody said they got in with a 216. You should be fine; congratulations
Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that the original poster had already sought and received authorization to substitute his SAT score for his PSAT score.
@Stanton2016 I had a scheduling conflict the Wednesday and Saturday the PSAT was administered last October, so I found that info posted above on the National Merit website, and my GC contacted National Merit to see if I could qualify for alternative entry. Last December, National Merit directly sent me instructions regarding alternative entry; basically, all I had to do was send in some forms with my personal information, my counselor’s contact information, and my school code. I then had to send my SAT score directly to National Merit ( code 0085). I took the March 2015 test, and received a 2150, but National Merit will only use the writing multiple choice, math, and CR scores in consideration for NM, so without the essay, I got a 2140, which hopefully qualifies me for NM in Fl.
It really doesn’t seem fair, as the SAT allows for a wider margin of error than the PSAT, as the curve is not as harsh, but for me, this March 2015 test was the first SAT I had ever taken, so I extremely nervous. I am anxious now, just because I do not know for sure that NM really just divides the SAT score by a factor of 10, but if so, I would have a borderline score, 214, the minimum FL cutoff.
Good luck!
@ci1718 I realize that and thankful we live in Florida and not a higher cutoff state; just putting it out there that it’s the same test and I feel bad for those that actually scored quite high and still don’t make it due to where they live. I wonder what the cutoff would be if there were one national cutoff just like for commended…