<p>Anyone else think that there will be a lower PSAT cut-off this year? On the College board website, it says that the writing score is based off the new SAT Writing section, not the SAT II Writing section. Additionally, they said to add 2 or 3 points to correlate that with last years score. So, in the end, does this mean that there will be a lower PSAT Commended and Semifinalist Cutoff?</p>
<p>I agree. The question is how many points lower.</p>
<p>It definitely will be lowered this year. They re-centered the writing curve (I got a 650 for 6 wrong which was a 710 last year). As proof, you can look at the the percentiles. If 1.4 million people took the test (according to our PSAT score sheet) and 50,000 people get commended, that means the top 3.57% of scores will get it. So, that means that if you got in the 96.43 percentile, you made it. So, anyone who is 97, 98, or 99 is safe, and about half of those in the 96th will get it. I know somebody who got a 201 and was still in the 97th percentile. Therefore, we know the cutoff has to be AT LEAST 2 points lower than last year (203). The range for the 96th percentile is about 198-200. So, we could be talking 3 or more points lower than last year. To see the percentile ranges, go here: <a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/counselors/psat/selection-index_2006.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/counselors/psat/selection-index_2006.pdf</a></p>
<p>Yea, I thought something was funny on the writing when i missed the same number of questions my sophmore year and more score weent down about 70 points.... it was crazy.</p>
<p><b> When do they announce the state and national cutoffs?</b></p><b>
</b>
<p>September.</p>
<p>i got a 202 (97th percentile)...does this mean i made the cut off?</p>
<p>yes, pretty much.</p>
<p>They announce the only "national" cut-off (refering to about two posts ago), which is commended, in April. It is in September that they announce the first "state" cut-off (Semi-Finalist). You will know if you made one or the other in April, but if you miss the Semi cut-off, you will actually get your official commendation in September, when it will be confirmed that you are Commended and not Semi. The final "state" cut-off (Finalist) will be announced February of senior year. </p>
<p>April- Commended (nationally set) cut-off announced
September- Semi-Finalist (set by states) announced; 34,000 of the 50,000 above the commended cut-off are awarded commendation and the remainer are informed that they are semi-finalists
February- Finalists (set by set) announced</p>
<p>Are the numbers exact or plus minus?</p>
<p>They are exact.</p>
<p>Carpe, If that's the case I can see a situation where two students with same scores one make it while the other one does not.</p>
<p>Wz, absolutely. And it causes a lot of tension. Hundreds and hundreds of students will recieve scores and only get commended while those same scores in other states recieve semi or in some cases finalist. That's the way it works.</p>
<p>According to the National Merit website, the number is not exact. For the Juniors who took the test in 2004, there were 53,000+ who made the cutoff.</p>
<p>Wemel, I'm sorry, I misunderstood the question. I had thought it was concerning whether the cut-off was exact (in other words, if someone with a 201 had a chance of making a 202 cut-off).</p>
<p>Wemel, that's exact the information I am looking for. If the number 50,000 is not unchangeble I think it's likely National Merit may increase the number accourding to increaseing number of psat takers. They are about 1.5 millions in 2006.
P.S. Everyone assume the number 50,000 is a fixed number.
Thanks Carpe for the discussion.</p>
<p>The following stat is from National Merit website
<a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org/06_annual_report.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.nationalmerit.org/06_annual_report.pdf</a>
How come more students made Semi in Michigan than in Maryland and Mass while less students took the psat in Michigan?</p>
<p>2006
Entrants ,Commended, Semifinalists
Alabama 11,258 308 224
Alaska 2,463 54 40
Arizona 15,196 325 276
Arkansas 6,562 70 152
California 149,265 4,665 1,867
Colorado 18,681 525 231
Connecticut 28,179 870 200
Delaware 5,609 160 46
District of Columbia 3,816 207 65
Florida 57,525 1,469 730
Georgia 38,623 1,197 409
Hawaii 5,594 130 77
Idaho 4,928 55 94
Illinois 50,813 1,715 728
Indiana 42,134 586 341
Iowa 9,476 204 199
Kansas 10,956 379 170
Kentucky 13,234 278 222
Louisiana 12,913 262 247
Maine 10,019 115 84
Maryland 44,389 1,630 319
Massachusetts 45,428 1,731 336
Michigan 35,291 631 553
Minnesota 20,430 568 354
Mississippi 5,992 29 148
Missouri 14,915 511 321
Montana 5,071 77 60
Nebraska 7,333 94 124
Nevada 5,863 41 95
New Hampshire 8,841 195 71
New Jersey 64,986 2,278 463
New Mexico 4,355 91 108
NewYork 119,657 2,776 1,009
North Carolina 45,569 959 384
North Dakota 2,524 37 44
Ohio 53,654 1,391 684
Oklahoma 9,096 148 218
Oregon 15,364 349 181
Pennsylvania 75,743 1,681 743
Rhode Island 8,546 115 55
South Carolina 17,828 281 192
South Dakota 3,280 23 54
Tennessee 14,794 559 268
Texas 140,155 3,151 1,236
Utah 5,000 105 157
Vermont 4,106 105 45
Virginia 46,097 1,526 390
Washington 25,133 805 335
West Virginia 4,477 40 96
Wisconsin 21,893 474 369
Wyoming 2,020 5 33
Other Selection Units 19,833 995 251
TOTAL 1,394,907 36,975 16,098</p>
<p>It’s because the number of semifinalist “slots” given to each state is proportional to the total number of seniors graduating from high school in that state – NOT the number of test-takers. Not all high school students take the PSAT, and the proportion of students taking the test varies by state.</p>
<p>I was told that's why it takes almost a year to determine who the semifinalists are. NMSC waits until the summer following the PSAT administration to do the allocations, because it uses the number of high school graduates reported by each state for that school year.</p>
<p>worried_mom,</p>
<p>That makes sense.</p>
<p>does anyone know what score one in illinois would need for a finalist invitation? i know illinois is one of the more competitive states....i have a 208.</p>
<p>Cali, unforunately, that score will only be Commended in IL. :(</p>