National Hispanic Recognition Cutoff Scores
The National Hispanic Recognition Program sets its qualifying score levels by region, and there are six regions:
| Region |
States Included |
| New England |
* Connecticut |
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont|
|Middle States|* Delaware
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Washington, D.C.|
|South|* Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia|
|Midwest|* Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- South Dakota
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin|
|Southwest|* Arkansas
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Texas|
|West|* Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- Oregon
- Utah
- Washington
- Wyoming|
The College Board does not post the official cutoff scores for the National Hispanic Recognition program, making it difficult to say with certainty what score a student will need to achieve for recognition. Below is an approximation of the score required for admission into the program.
| Region |
Cutoff Score |
| New England |
1290 |
| Middle States |
1320 |
| South |
1370 |
| Midwest |
1270 |
| Southwest |
1310 |
| West |
1280 |
@EcuadorianMom What you just posted is probably wrong (it is most likely obsolete information).
Well, not everything that is posted online is accurate, but the article was posted on January 21, 2021. The College Board does not post the cutoff scores in their website. My daughter got her letter last Friday night.
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Congratulations!
Sharing your daughter’s score and the state in which you reside could be useful to some. That would let them know that they qualify if they have the same or higher score in your state.
As to why the info you posted is most likely obsolete, see College Board National Recognition Program (includes former National Hispanic Recognition Program) Class of 2022 - Specialty College Admissions Topics / Hispanic Students - College Confidential Forums
Does anyone know how this program works in the long run?
Does everyone who receives an invitation receive the recognition or is it like National Merit where some will get commendation, semifinalist and finalist?
We are in Cali and received an invite. Scored 1380.
To clarify. You can’t look at your PSAT report to see what percentile you placed for your graduating class. The percentile ranking on your PSAT is how you did versus everyone who took the SAT including sophomores, etc.
kwhdman.
That is not a top 1% score for juniors. That is a top 1% score for all test takers including sophomore, etc. The top 3% of test takers, about 50,000 of the 1.5 million test takers are nominated for National Merit Scholarship. So if you were not recognized as a National Merit candidate (not the National Hispanic) then you are not in the top 1% or top 3%.
A top 1% score for juniors is usually about 1460.
@fhaemen I did not imply my son’s score was in the top 1% of juniors. I was stating his score and statistic from his PSAT so that others trying to compare scores would have a guideline for Texas.
The NMSC Selection Index number is a good indicator to compare cutoffs if someone is interested in the National Merit Scholars program.
In response to your questions, I am basing the following answers on how it was handled when my daughter was awarded the recognition last year.
Does anyone know how this program works in the long run? The student has to submit their application and transcript. Last year, after submitting everything, my daughter then received notification that she had been selected for the program In early September.
Does everyone who receives an invitation receive the recognition or is it like National Merit where some will get commendation, semifinalist and finalist? There is no commendation, semifinalist and finalist awards. If you are selected, you have the recognition.
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So not to be THAT PERSON (which I totally am) but - has anyone who took the Jan PSAT received an invitation via email?
My daughter took it in January and we are still waiting too.
Can you share the contact info you used? That would be of great help. I need to find out about the January test-takers but when I have called nobody seems to know about the program or they just give very generic info (basically what is out there already). Thanks!
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I used the main number someone else had provided (866)630-9305 and then they transferred me to the PSAT number (866)433-7728. I also sent a message from the contact us link on the nationalrecognitionprogram.org site (no answer from there yet). To give you background we are in FL and my son scored 1410 on PSAT in Jan.
My son was 1410 on Jan PSAT in Texas. No invitation. We went ahead and just submitted everything on the application portal, which I guess is considered a self-nomination. You’ll need a current transcript along with the qualifying PSAT score (downloaded) and student’s College Board number. It’s pretty straightforward.
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Thanks! One question - they took an unofficial transcript or does the school need to send it directly to them?
You have to upload it, so it can’t come directly from the school. I just uploaded one that the school emailed me.
When you click the button to start the application, one of the questions will ask if you got an invitation. When you mark “no,” then another series of questions pops up. I think that’s how you know it’s considered a “self-nomination.”
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I really appreciate you sharing this info. Thank you so much!
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Midwest region here, Indiana - My son is a sophomore, took the Oct PSAT, scored 1350 and did receive an invitation. Hoping the info helps someone.
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Does anyone know if this program is completely new this year. My son scored 1350 as a sophomore last year but did not get an invitation. He actually scored a bit lower at 1280 this year as a junior so I am worried. Is his 1280 score high enough as a junior? Should he have been invited last year?
@bachstra
Apparently, changes have been made to the program last year and then again this year. In the past (as in prior to last year), to the best of my knowledge only the PSAT/NMSQT, aka PSAT 11, would qualify for NHRP.
But it now looks like the PSAT 10 can qualify for CBNRP - Hispanic. I am not sure however if this option is retroactive.
You might want to contact the College Board and ask directly why your son did not qualify last year via National Recognition Program: Contact Us
You might also want to try the self-nomination process although I am not sure that it will help if the deadline for application using the PSAT 10 as the qualifier has passed.
For reference, my son graduated high school two years ago. Sometimes during the late Winter or early Spring of his Junior year (so about three years ago), his high school guidance counselor told him that his PSAT/NMSQT score had qualified him for NHRP (we did not know about the program and at the time emails were not being sent directly to students). His high school guidance counselor then did the application paperwork with him (reported his GPA which had to be above 3.5 and certified he is Hispanic).
@kwhdman may be able to provide better info and/or advice since he went through the process last year.
@bachstra To my knowledge, the sophmore eligibility is a new thing for this year. I don’t believe it was an option last year.
As NJEngineerDad mentioned, the high school counselors were previously the point of contact. Things keep changing for this program.
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For the last couple of years, the student has been invited directly via email instead of going through the counselor.
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Last year, when my daughter got invited, she had to fill out the application and then the counselor had to submit the transcript and verify the student records. Once my daughter got notified that she earned the award (notification in early September), the certificate was sent to the high school. (We are homeschooled, so for those homeschoolers out that who might be reading this - you would have to pick up the certificate at the school where the PSAT was taken.)
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This year, it looks like the transcript is loaded by the student instead of the counselor. My son hasn’t filled out his application yet, so I don’t know if the counselor will still have to provide any type of verification.
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My daughter was a National Hispanic scholar two years ago before the name was changed. We received her invitation and certificate via email. We also homeschool so did not know anything about asking our local public school.