National Merit? Notifications??

<p>When will we hear if we made commended status or not? I heard it was sometime in April.</p>

<p>Just thinking the same thing. But if you look at the percentile rank on the PSAT sheet shouldn't 97 or above be in the group? (Doing the math: 1.4 million tests, top 50,000 recognized = 3.57%) Unless I'm missing something, it looks to be close to last year with a 200ish cut off. (S has 201 and 97%.)</p>

<p>the website says that top scorers (both commended and semifinalist) will be notified in April and have the chance to notify 2 colleges of their choice.</p>

<p>**Note, when we are notified in April, we still won't (definitely) know whether or not we are commended or semifinalist...only that we are one of them.</p>

<p>I'd look for paperwork in about a week. I'm pretty sure my letter came right in the middle of April last year. Good Luck!</p>

<p>that's very good to hear.</p>

<p>=( any chances with a 196?</p>

<p>NM Cutoffs are done generally by state. Here is last years:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/385453-official-national-merit-semifinalist-cutoff-scores-2007-a-36.html?highlight=national+merit+cutoff%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/385453-official-national-merit-semifinalist-cutoff-scores-2007-a-36.html?highlight=national+merit+cutoff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>^^^
That's for semifinalist. I believe commended is a national number. Last year was 200.</p>

<p>From NationalMerit.org:
Program Recognition</p>

<p>Of the 1.4 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. In April following the fall test administration, high-scoring participants from every state are invited to name two colleges or universities to which they would like to be referred by NMSC. In September, these high scorers are notified through their schools that they have qualified as either a Commended Student or Semifinalist.</p>

<p>Commended Students</p>

<p>In late September, more than two-thirds or about 34,000 of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for Merit Scholarship® awards, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.</p>

<p>bumppppppppppp</p>

<p>anybody hear anything yet? If so, what state?</p>

<p>Nothing in Illinois yet.</p>

<p>Nothing in Nashville yet, but my mail comes late in the afternoon and I am at work. I thought that another thread mentioned something how Yale sends students fan mail around the time the notifications comes out. D got her Yale fan mail letter yesterday, and in it they mentioned her success in testing so maybe this will be the week the other letter comes!</p>

<p>^I recieved a letter from Yale as well (yesterday).</p>

<p>Yeah I did too.</p>

<p>If you do receive notification, please post your PSAT score so we can figure out what the commended cutoff is. Thank you!</p>

<p>i haven't received anything yet =(</p>

<p>but i also heard that many semis don't even hear back until sept? does anyone know if this is true to any degree?</p>

<p>In April or May, anyone who scored above the commended cutoff will receive a letter stating that they are recognized, but it won't specify commended or semifinalist. In late August/early September, high schools will notify those students who have semifinalist status. In late September/early October, schools will notify those students who have commended status.</p>

<p>is the yale letter any indication of your status in the national merit program?</p>

<p>ie. does everyone get the letter -- or only those who qualified for commended -- or only those who got semi?</p>

<p>no, the yale letter doesn't indicate anything about your status.</p>

<p>Yale probably has a range of scores that they request from the collegeboard that is totally unrelated to NM cut offs.</p>