<p>DVU, Congrats to your son! It's nice to see a school that will acknowedge kids who have performed well academically and get credit for it. This IS a big deal.</p>
<p>standrews: this sounds like affirmative action for the states. I really don't care if students from all states are included. And, really, every state would have some students with uniform cutoff. I just think there is a big difference between being a (semi)finalist with a score of 205 and one of 220. NMSC already has a National Achievement Award and a Hispanic award that are the affirmative action type of award. </p>
<p>As the parent of a child who would have been a finalist in many states a couple years ago (and missed semi-finalist by one point in our state), I feel that she (we) lost out on a chance for some big money. I think she deserved to compete for those large merit scholarships. (Yeah, she got merit money anyway but she might have gotten more. So we have some rather large bills to pay. Fortunately, we can do it. Not everyone is in that position.)</p>
<p>The national Hispanic program is ONLY a recognition program. The NMS does not provide ANY money for Hispanic scholars. Of course, the recognition is prestigious and the universities might be inclined to offer better finance aid to students who have been recognized in this program.</p>
<p>13, class of 750</p>
<p>11 out of 60. 28 were commended.</p>
<p>In our S's private school...97 students with 25 NMSF and 27 letters of commendation in 2007. Down slightly from prior years. Highest percentage in Missouri, year after year. We have had 4 Presidential scholars in 11 years.</p>
<p>39/250 this year...we have had as many as 54 recently...top boy's parochial school in New Orleans</p>
<p>Jesuit high school?</p>
<p>at my hs, it would generally be ~50/200</p>
<p>In response to Happytobeaparent:</p>
<p>"There are many students in a state such as Massachusetts, Maryland,.... who score in the top 1% nationally among all students who take this test, but they are not semifinalists (and thus have no chance to be a finalist) because their state's cutoff score is higher than another state's cutoff score (and there are many of those states)."</p>
<p>Correct me if I am wrong (usually am), but if they did away with the state cut-offs and created a national cut-off, would that cut-off probably be somewhere between 230 and 240? I don't know the exact # of people who score that high but let's say it's 16,000+. If they created this national cut-off at 235, how many juniors do you think would take the PSAT? Why spend the money? Most people could not score that high so it would be pointless and a waste of money. As a result, fewer students would take the test and Collegeboard would not make any money. This has to be a tremendous money-maker for CB. Am I totally wrong here?</p>
<p>wemel, the main reason for students to take the PSAT is to prepare them for SAT I. The majority of students do not have National Merit in mind since it is really a very small percentage that will gain that status regardless how you score them. I will encourage students to take the PSAT in their sophomore and junior year anyway.</p>
<p>we got like 10 / 60.</p>
<p>I think.</p>
<p>I'm the only semi-finalist from my school this year (and the only one in several years). Class of 288 students. The school hasn't said anything about it. No teacher has congratulated me except for my math teacher/NHS coordinator who I had to personally tell. However, today they honored our second snare (I'm first) for playing football and being on drumline. Never mind the fact that I was forced to quit cheerleading for drumline. Academic achievement really isn't as big as football to my school. </p>
<p>Also, my best friend missed the cutoff by one point (214 out of 215). Yes, she's valedictorian and will get scholarships from that, but it seems very unfair that last year we had a National Hispanic Merit winner who got a 189 and got a full tuition plus stipend scholarship to Arizona State. I don't think there should be all of these separate things. It's not fair to middle class "white non-hispanic" children really. Here in South Texas whites are the minority, so shouldn't I be getting minority scholarships?</p>
<p>School has 17, out of a class of 61... haha no joke</p>
<p>and if I would've gotten one more point it would've been 18 :((</p>
<p>It is unfortunate that your school seems to value football over academics-- but claiming "minority" status because "white" people are not majority in your state shows little understanding of what minority status has traditionally meant. When being white in your state means lower economic status, lesser access to good schools and less political power than the hispanic population, perhaps you can claim minority status......</p>
<p>My son's public school had 3 semi finalists this year out of a class of 265.</p>
<p>"Correct me if I am wrong (usually am), but if they did away with the state cut-offs and created a national cut-off, would that cut-off probably be somewhere between 230 and 240? I don't know the exact # of people who score that high but let's say it's 16,000+. If they created this national cut-off at 235, how many juniors do you think would take the PSAT? Why spend the money? Most people could not score that high so it would be pointless and a waste of money. As a result, fewer students would take the test and Collegeboard would not make any money. This has to be a tremendous money-maker for CB. Am I totally wrong here?"</p>
<p>Yes, you are wrong here. In 2006, state cutoffs ranged from 204 to 222. The NMSC selects about 16,000 semi-finalists based on these state cutoffs. There cannot be 16,000 people who score 235-240.</p>
<p>This year, about 20% or my class was semifinalist.</p>
<p>There were 28 at my school out of a class of 160. We are not private.</p>
<p>Happytobeaparent: You suggested that the state cut-offs were unfair and we should have a national cut-off like the commended scholars. I know what the state cut-offs are. If there was a national cut-off, I don't think anyone with a 204 would make NMSF.</p>