cut-off scores/semi-finalist announcements

Paying for College National Merit Aid
581

<p>Lowest score is usually the least populous, WY, which often comes in at the Commended cut-off.</p>

<p>Here is the number to call—ask for Educational Services:</p>

<p>National Merit Scholarship Corporation
1560 Sherman Avenue
Suite 200
Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897
Main Telephone: (847) 866-5100
Main Fax: (847) 866-5113 </p>

<p>Updating AR. Still 5 more states not heard from.</p>

<p>**AL=210<a href=“post%20222,%20per%20GC%20210%20is%20cutoff”>/B</a>
AK<=214 (post 62)
AZ<=229 (post 357)
**AR=203<a href=“post%20576,%20per%20?”>/B</a>
**CA=219<a href=“post%20560,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
CO<=213 (post 520)
**CT=219<a href=“post%20539,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**DC=223<a href=“post%20517,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**FL=210<a href=“post%20376,%20by%20firsthand%20view%20of%20NMS%20report”>/B</a>
**GA=215<a href=“post%20130,%20per%20Headmaster%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**HI=215<a href=“post%20320,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**ID=208<a href=“post%20554,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**IL=214<a href=“post%20472,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20214”>/B</a>
IN<=212 (post 336)
IA<=209 (post 50)
**KS=211<a href=“post%20229,%20per%20NMSF%20packet%20cutoff%20is%20211”>/B</a>
KY<=210 (post 92)
**LA=210<a href=“post%20533,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
ME<=218 (post 505)
**MD=220<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065560528-post14.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MA=223<a href=“post%20515”>/B</a>
**MI=209<a href=“post%20526,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MN=213<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
MS<=205 (post 176)
**MO=210<a href=“post%20553,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MT=208<a href=“post%2073,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20208”>/B</a>
**NE=210<a href=“post%20548,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20210”>/B</a>
NV<=211 (post 340)
**NJ=221<a href=“post%20269,%20heard%20cutoff%20was%20221”>/B</a>
NM<=211 (post 481)
**NY=217<a href=“post%20531,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
NC<=214 (post 314)
**ND=202<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**OH=212<a href=“post%2054,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20212”>/B</a>
OK<=208 (post 409)
**OR=215<a href=“post%20524,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**PA=216<a href=“post%20523,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**RI=211<a href=“post%20399,%20inferred%20from%20personal%20score%20compared%20with%20friend’s”>/B</a>
SC<=212 (post 504)
TN<=212 (post 220)
**TX=215<a href=“post%20528,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**UT=203<a href=“post%20502,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20203”>/B</a>
VT<=217 (post 297)
**VA=218<a href=“post%20546,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WA=218<a href=“post%20343,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WI=209<a href=“post%20527,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Boarding school region with New England=223<a href=“post%20538,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**Boarding school region with TN=215<a href=“post%20530,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Internationals=223<a href=“post%20398”>/B</a>
This usually is set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states.</p>

<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 201
Any person with a score equal to or higher than this cutoff who is not a NMSF receives commended status.</p>

<p>No scores reported yet from:
DE
NH
SD
WV
WY
8 (?) boarding school regions
These usually are set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states in the region.</p>

582

<p>Here is the number to call—ask for Educational Services:</p>

<p>National Merit Scholarship Corporation
1560 Sherman Avenue
Suite 200
Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897
Main Telephone: (847) 866-5100
Main Fax: (847) 866-5113 </p>

<p>Updating MS.</p>

<p>**AL=210<a href=“post%20222,%20per%20GC%20210%20is%20cutoff”>/B</a>
AK<=214 (post 62)
AZ<=229 (post 357)
**AR=203<a href=“post%20576,%20per%20?”>/B</a>
**CA=219<a href=“post%20560,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
CO<=213 (post 520)
**CT=219<a href=“post%20539,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**DC=223<a href=“post%20517,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**FL=210<a href=“post%20376,%20by%20firsthand%20view%20of%20NMS%20report”>/B</a>
**GA=215<a href=“post%20130,%20per%20Headmaster%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**HI=215<a href=“post%20320,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**ID=208<a href=“post%20554,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**IL=214<a href=“post%20472,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20214”>/B</a>
IN<=212 (post 336)
IA<=209 (post 50)
**KS=211<a href=“post%20229,%20per%20NMSF%20packet%20cutoff%20is%20211”>/B</a>
KY<=210 (post 92)
**LA=210<a href=“post%20533,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
ME<=218 (post 505)
**MD=220<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065560528-post14.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MA=223<a href=“post%20515”>/B</a>
**MI=209<a href=“post%20526,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MN=213<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MS=205<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065566477-post429.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MO=210<a href=“post%20553,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MT=208<a href=“post%2073,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20208”>/B</a>
**NE=210<a href=“post%20548,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20210”>/B</a>
NV<=211 (post 340)
**NJ=221<a href=“post%20269,%20heard%20cutoff%20was%20221”>/B</a>
NM<=211 (post 481)
**NY=217<a href=“post%20531,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
NC<=214 (post 314)
**ND=202<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**OH=212<a href=“post%2054,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20212”>/B</a>
OK<=208 (post 409)
**OR=215<a href=“post%20524,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**PA=216<a href=“post%20523,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**RI=211<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065603417-post430.html%5B/url%5D,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
SC<=212 (post 504)
TN<=212 (post 220)
**TX=215<a href=“post%20528,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**UT=203<a href=“post%20502,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20203”>/B</a>
VT<=217 (post 297)
**VA=218<a href=“post%20546,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WA=218<a href=“post%20343,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WI=209<a href=“post%20527,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Boarding school region with New England=223<a href=“post%20538,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**Boarding school region with TN=215<a href=“post%20530,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Internationals=223<a href=“post%20398”>/B</a>
This usually is set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states.</p>

<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 201
Any person with a score equal to or higher than this cutoff who is not a NMSF receives commended status.</p>

<p>No scores reported yet from:
DE
NH
SD
WV
WY
8 (?) boarding school regions
These usually are set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states in the region.</p>

583

<p>^ “Lowest score is usually the least populous, WY, which often comes in at the Commended cut-off.”</p>

<p>I hope you weren’t implying a causation … :)</p>

<p>Wy (544,270, smallest) = 201? (201 last year)
DC (599,657, next smallest) = 223
Vt (621,760, third smallest) <= 217 (213 last year)</p>

584

<p>Count me as the parent of yet another student who was not acknowledged in any way other than to get handed her packet by the counselor. He told her that she had til September 28 to get the paperwork in to him because he would be on vacation after that. And she’s the only one in her school this year (in a school that’s always had 4 or 5 every year). I found that out because I asked the counselor directly and his reply was “yes, she was the only semi-finalist but we’re hoping for several commendeds.”</p>

<p>Congratulations to all the other semi-finalists and their parents!</p>

585

<p>

No, certainly not. But I’d speculate pending statistical analysis that there is a correlation between proximity to urbanization and higher cutoff scores.</p>

586

<p>^ " … there is a correlation between proximity to urbanization and higher cutoff scores. "</p>

<p>You mean like the urban jungle of Burlington Vt.
[Burlington</a>, Vermont - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Vermont]Burlington”>Burlington, Vermont - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>No, it’s a matter of culture. In order to have high performing students, it must be important … to someone. In some parts of our country, high scores on standardized test is not what they dream about. They have other dreams … or no dreams at all :(</p>

587

<p>A claim of correlation can be confirmed or rejected through statistical analysis, not by single counterexample.</p>

<p>But I can certainly agree that culture plays a large role. I would only add that culture is undoubtedly influenced by such things as urbanization.</p>

588

<p>semifinalist with 207 in oklahoma</p>

589

<p>Here is the number to call—ask for Educational Services:</p>

<p>National Merit Scholarship Corporation
1560 Sherman Avenue
Suite 200
Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897
Main Telephone: (847) 866-5100
Main Fax: (847) 866-5113 </p>

<p>Updating OK.</p>

<p>**AL=210<a href=“post%20222,%20per%20GC%20210%20is%20cutoff”>/B</a>
AK<=214 (post 62)
AZ<=229 (post 357)
**AR=203<a href=“post%20576,%20per%20?”>/B</a>
**CA=219<a href=“post%20560,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
CO<=213 (post 520)
**CT=219<a href=“post%20539,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**DC=223<a href=“post%20517,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**FL=210<a href=“post%20376,%20by%20firsthand%20view%20of%20NMS%20report”>/B</a>
**GA=215<a href=“post%20130,%20per%20Headmaster%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**HI=215<a href=“post%20320,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**ID=208<a href=“post%20554,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**IL=214<a href=“post%20472,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20214”>/B</a>
IN<=212 (post 336)
IA<=209 (post 50)
**KS=211<a href=“post%20229,%20per%20NMSF%20packet%20cutoff%20is%20211”>/B</a>
KY<=210 (post 92)
**LA=210<a href=“post%20533,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
ME<=218 (post 505)
**MD=220<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065560528-post14.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MA=223<a href=“post%20515”>/B</a>
**MI=209<a href=“post%20526,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MN=213<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MS=205<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065566477-post429.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MO=210<a href=“post%20553,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MT=208<a href=“post%2073,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20208”>/B</a>
**NE=210<a href=“post%20548,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20210”>/B</a>
NV<=211 (post 340)
**NJ=221<a href=“post%20269,%20heard%20cutoff%20was%20221”>/B</a>
NM<=211 (post 481)
**NY=217<a href=“post%20531,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
NC<=214 (post 314)
**ND=202<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**OH=212<a href=“post%2054,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20212”>/B</a>
OK<=207 (post 588)
**OR=215<a href=“post%20524,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**PA=216<a href=“post%20523,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**RI=211<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1065603417-post430.html%5B/url%5D,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
SC<=212 (post 504)
TN<=212 (post 220)
**TX=215<a href=“post%20528,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**UT=203<a href=“post%20502,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20203”>/B</a>
VT<=217 (post 297)
**VA=218<a href=“post%20546,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WA=218<a href=“post%20343,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WI=209<a href=“post%20527,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Boarding school region with New England=223<a href=“post%20538,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**Boarding school region with TN=215<a href=“post%20530,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Internationals=223<a href=“post%20398”>/B</a>
This usually is set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states.</p>

<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 201
Any person with a score equal to or higher than this cutoff who is not a NMSF receives commended status.</p>

<p>No scores reported yet from:
DE
NH
SD
WV
WY
8 (?) boarding school regions
These usually are set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states in the region.</p>

590

<p>

Aptly put. The effect of a larger, more competitive environment certainly does increase (in my opinion, anyway) the likelihood of a student to take the PSAT. So few students actually take the PSAT in Arkansas it has never surprised me the qualifying scores are lower. If you look at the districts (in Arkansas) that the semifinalists are coming from, almost all of them are large school districts that emphasize the test or highly ranked districts known to be strong all around college-prep districts. Rural, smaller, or districts with lousy college prep programs (other than state mandated core things, of course) tend not to emphasize or even mention the test in anything other than passing, and some of their brightest won’t end up taking it. In an ACT state with a huge disparity in quality of college counseling across districts, it’s amazing how many students you can come across or talk to with 30+ ACTs and 4.0 GPAs never knew about the PSAT.</p>

591

<p>I would also add that the percentage of Asian students taking the test in various states also influences cut-off scores. I believe that the rise in California’s cut-off scores can be linked to the abundance of Asian students taking the exam in that state. </p>

<p>For the past few years, when looking at the released names of NMSF in California newspapers, a non-representative number of the students are Asian. When Asians only make up X percent of a population for a state, but they are 2X or 3X percent of NMSFs, that has to influence cut off scores for those states.</p>

<p>I’m not in any way suggesting that this is a bad thing. :slight_smile: Just stating what I’ve observed. :)</p>

592

<p>D got a packet with a 213 in Arizona</p>

593

<p>Here is the number to call—ask for Educational Services:</p>

<p>National Merit Scholarship Corporation
1560 Sherman Avenue
Suite 200
Evanston, Illinois 60201-4897
Main Telephone: (847) 866-5100
Main Fax: (847) 866-5113</p>

<p>Updating AZ.</p>

<p>**AL=210<a href=“post%20222,%20per%20GC%20210%20is%20cutoff”>/B</a>
AK<=214 (post 62)
AZ<=213 (post 592)
**AR=203<a href=“post%20576,%20per%20?”>/B</a>
**CA=219<a href=“post%20560,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
CO<=213 (post 520)
**CT=219<a href=“post%20539,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**DC=223<a href=“post%20517,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**FL=210<a href=“post%20376,%20by%20firsthand%20view%20of%20NMS%20report”>/B</a>
**GA=215<a href=“post%20130,%20per%20Headmaster%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**HI=215<a href=“post%20320,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20215”>/B</a>
**ID=208<a href=“post%20554,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**IL=214<a href=“post%20472,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20214”>/B</a>
IN<=212 (post 336)
IA<=209 (post 50)
**KS=211<a href=“post%20229,%20per%20NMSF%20packet%20cutoff%20is%20211”>/B</a>
KY<=210 (post 92)
**LA=210<a href=“post%20533,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
ME<=218 (post 505)
**MD=220<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/…28-post14.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MA=223<a href=“post%20515”>/B</a>
**MI=209<a href=“post%20526,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MN=213<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MS=205<a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/…7-post429.html%5B/url%5D”>/B</a>
**MO=210<a href=“post%20553,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**MT=208<a href=“post%2073,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20208”>/B</a>
**NE=210<a href=“post%20548,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20210”>/B</a>
NV<=211 (post 340)
**NJ=221<a href=“post%20269,%20heard%20cutoff%20was%20221”>/B</a>
NM<=211 (post 481)
**NY=217<a href=“post%20531,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
NC<=214 (post 314)
**ND=202<a href=“post%20564,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**OH=212<a href=“post%2054,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20212”>/B</a>
OK<=207 (post 588)
**OR=215<a href=“post%20524,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**PA=216<a href=“post%20523,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**RI=211 <a href=“%5Burl%5Dhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/…7-post430.html%5B/url%5D,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
SC<=212 (post 504)
TN<=212 (post 220)
**TX=215<a href=“post%20528,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**UT=203<a href=“post%20502,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20203”>/B</a>
VT<=217 (post 297)
**VA=218<a href=“post%20546,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WA=218<a href=“post%20343,%20per%20GC%20cutoff%20is%20218”>/B</a>
**WI=209<a href=“post%20527,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Boarding school region with New England=223<a href=“post%20538,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
**Boarding school region with TN=215<a href=“post%20530,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a></p>

<p>**Internationals=223<a href=“post%20398”>/B</a>
This usually is set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states.</p>

<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 201
Any person with a score equal to or higher than this cutoff who is not a NMSF receives commended status.</p>

<p>No scores reported yet from:
DE
NH
SD
WV
WY
8 (?) boarding school regions
*These usually are set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states in the region. *</p>

594

<p>In some ways, I think they should rename the competition to “state” merit instead of “national” merit. How do you think all those kids from massachusetts feel when their 222 would have earned them “national” status if they had just travelled a few minutes over the border to an other new england state. However in their own state they miss out not only on the “national” status, but also on all the scholarships that many colleges offer to “national” merit finalists. Seems pretty unfair to me, especially the dollars part.</p>

595

<p>^^^^ I agree they should remove the “national” from National Merit Scholarship Corp. The only thing National about it is that it’s run in all 50 states. The competition is NOT at all national.</p>

<p>Since people here seem to think it’s “fair” to have some states where NMSF is a 203 while another state it’s a 223. It’s social engineering when done this way. I won’t be surprised if in the future that SAT scores themselves will be “normalized” to make them “fair”. Where in some states it would require 100% correct answers to get a 2400 and other states would only require 90% correct answers to get a 2400 score. That would be the “fair” thing to do right since those in some backwater school don’t get the advantage of better schools & teachers right?</p>

596

<p>^I’m one who thinks it’s fair. Much more fair than a top “National” percentage.</p>

<p>There IS something National about the NMSC. The same test is administered on the same dates to all kids across the nation. All colleges across the nation recognize what a NM status means and where it comes from, even if all colleges don’t financially reward it or value it. (That part – whether the status warrants a lot of additional money or not – is more open for debate, imo, than whether scores along state lines are “fair.”)</p>

<p>I would think that all colleges are fully aware that different states have different qualifying minimums. Just about every college seeks diversity. Most colleges take pride in gathering students from as many states as possible. NMF’s from all states would tend to be the state’s top standardized test takers, and like it or not, top standardized test takers are viewed as top students, for the most part.</p>

<p>All colleges are also fully aware that different kids from different schools have different opportunities.</p>

<p>Some states don’t have any emphasis at all on the PSAT. Should the smartest kids in those states be penalized? Do the people who think the current system is so unfair really think that all the brilliant kids are in MA or NJ or DC or MD? That’s ridiculous. A lot of kids in those states are better prepped for the test. A lot of that has to do with money. A lot of it has to do with concentrations of private schools – again, money.</p>

<p>I do agree that there are kids in those high-scoring states that do lose out. They don’t have all the benefits enjoyed by concentrated high-scoring regions within their states. That really is unfortunate and unfair. But if NMFs really WERE picked from a top percentage nationally, versus by state, then that same problem would only be more widespread! Students from the best school districts (often the richest school districts) would get the rewards. NMF’s would primarily be from MA, NJ, MD, and DC, for instance. Students in ND, AR, UT, and MT could forget about it. Is THAT fair? Would that be representative of our country’s top talent? Or would it be more representative of our country’s richest talent? Do people really think there are no smart, high-achieving students in ND, AR, UT or MT?</p>

<p>And it’s not all about money. There are lots of states that simply don’t put ANY emphasis on PSAT. It’s not an issue. It’s not encouraged. School prep courses are not offered. Those kids are not pushed to take the test or even informed about the benefits of the test in some cases. Are the top scorers from those states less worthy of recognition?</p>

<p>Would the high-scorers in MA, NJ, DC, and MD do as well on the test if they were raised in ND, AR, UT, or MT? I don’t think so. The smart ones would still be smart. But their scores would likely be more representative of their states, I’m betting (i.e. lower).</p>

<p>Students should be measured against the opportunities provided to them. That is why the current system is more fair than the “national” system proposed here. That’s not social engineering. Social engineering is unfairly rewarding students with more opportunities as though they’re smarter or better, when in actuality, there are smart, achieving kids in all states.</p>

<p>(I am not, btw, speaking in defense of my own son. He got a 237, a score that would qualify in any state.)</p>

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<p>By your definition it’s social engineering then, since some with a 203 are provided more opportunities than some with a 222. Why you don’t want to admit that is beyond me. You consider it “fair” to normalize based on opportunity, that’s fine, but just admit what it is… social engineering.</p>

<p>Listen, I don’t argue that NM corp can do what they want, they’re a private company. But I’m willing to bet that 99.9% of NMSF winners and the general population THINK they’re the top scorers NATIONALLY. None of the press releases will say top scorer in their respective STATE.</p>

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<p>^I don’t mind whatever you want to call it. It’s more fair than taking the top scorers nationally – which would be choosing students with the top opportunities, in terms of money and/or emphasis on the test. Call it whatever you want.</p>

<p>And I disagree that NMSF winners think they’re the top nationally. NMSF winners are part of the process. They’re reading the websites, filling out their packets, becoming familiar with the rules. They’re paying attention to state cut-offs. They know they’re being measured by their states’ cut-off scores. And the colleges know that too. And besides, is that what you care most about? What other people think?</p>

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<p>^I would also like to point out that just because a state’s cutoff is, say 202 for ND, doesn’t mean that all NMFs in ND scored as low as a 202. NMSC just had to go that low to take the top percentage of qualifiers from ND. There could be plenty of 230s or 220s in the pool, as well. The fact that they had to reach so deep speaks of the small population and/or reduced emphasis on the test there, imo, not to the number of stupid people in ND. lol. I find it very hard to believe that ND doesn’t have its share of high-achievers or smart kids – kids that are going to do well in college and in life. (We’re not from ND, btw, so I have no irons in the fire there.)</p>

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<p>The Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (maybe Indiana, as well) boarding school cut-off was 215 per GC.</p>