I don’t agree with that. Because what if my kid got a perfect score on the writing section and then the 2 or 3 wrong on the reading, or vice versa. Plus, there are 2 math sections also (although both allow calculators now so probably not much different). If they want to score like that then they should score each section of the reading/writing separate. Just a little annoyance that I have. Feels like kids are being punished for being better at math than English.
Thanks. My student’s index is one point more than the cut off line of last year in our state. Since each year the cut off line is different, so I am not sure whether she can make this year.
At one point higher than last year, you will have to wait until the actual cut-offs are published for any guarantee. Especially if you’re in a lower-performing state. I’m sorry, the wait stinks!
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I repeat what I said upthread: There are quite a few other situations in which STEM success is way prioritized over humanistic success. (One example, my kid’s older sibling who got a few thousand/year added to their scholarship precisely for being a STEM major.)
Your complaint appears not to be simply that STEM or humanities skills are being prioritized here, but rather that the prioritization in this case goes against your own vested interest. But just let the kids who are stronger in the humanities have their couple of crumbs, it’ll all even out, if not work out to the ultimate benefit of your STEM kid in the end.
We are in Illinois, which should be a high-performing state, right?
Do you mean in high-performing state, one point above last year’s cut off line probably will get higher chance to make NMSF than in low-performing?
Low performing is more unstable (its easier to make gains on lower scores). IL is more likely to go up 1 than 2 IMO.
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Illinois is predicted to be 217-221 for HS class of 2025, so it’s going to be a nail-biter for you! You’ll probably be fine but no way to guarantee.
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Can anyone who posted today share state (which?) and national averages?
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I don’t think that kids stronger in English should be punished or have less of a score, just equal. And for the record my D is also very strong in English, just happened to get a couple wrong (don’t know which section because they no longer share that info) on this particular test. Last year she scored higher on the English section than the Math.
I’ll make sure not to share my slight annoyances on this site again.
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Scroll down and they have the numbers by state.
If your student makes the cutoff, it is as easy as having the principal write their recommendation. There is a small % who don’t have a good rapport with their faculty. There are some who have a less than stellar GPA.
I really do not understand why college board takes so long to release the cut-off score. All test is done, just a few lines of computer code will calculate the cut off so easily, right? What is the point?
They have to allow time for the alternate entry folks to submit.
And I guess it makes sense to allow a few months for that—that means that someone who, say, had their school’s PSAT sitting snowed out would have time to register for and take the SAT—but I agree it’s pretty annoying nonetheless.
College Board doesn’t do it. National Merit Scholarship Corporation does.
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DS looks like he’s headed for semi finals. He got a 221 in MN. He has a C+, a C and one C- on his transcript, however his school grades on quarters and he never got 2 Cs in the same subject- so if you looked at it like semesters, he would have had low Bs to Bs in those 3 classes. Does it matter for finalist? All are in sophomore year, no Cs as a junior (yet!). Unweighted gpa is currently 3.49 (can probably get it up), weighted is 4.02, and he has 3 5’s on AP exams.
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Having those 3 grades in the C range does keep his application from being a sure thing, I would say. It could go either way. It would be worth researching the schools that give full tuition for NMSF, just in case. It can change each year, but last year University of Tulsa gave full ride and UMaine and Washington State gave full tuition for NMSF.
Fingers crossed!
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I have been seeing that semester Cs are an issue, but he only has Cs as a quarter grade, and never in the same class twice. So I’m hoping that they will see that if there is a C in one quarter and an A in the next, they will average them out to be on par with a kid who is graded on semesters. I did read something that seems to indicate they look at the application holistically that way.
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Does it show on the transcript? It seems unfair for consideration since many transcripts only show the final grade for the class.
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How can he has weighted 4.02 GPA with so many Cs and Bs? My son has more As but only 2 Bs in freshmen year, he took 3 APs (3 5s on AP exams), but his GPA is only 4.03.