<p>Alabama qualifying score - I just got my son’s packet, and 211 is the qualifying semifinalist score in AL this year.</p>
<p>^^Well, that is some jump between top 1% PSAT and top 1% SAT scores then, considering PSAT (240 possible) is mini version of SAT (2400 possible).</p>
<p>In my opinion, some colleges overrate the importance of NMF status. I mean seriously, it’s one test score…</p>
<p>Anyway, I wonder what the NE boarding school cutoff is.</p>
<p>NMSF is a big deal for students attending USC. They have a guaranteed 50% tuition merit based scholarship for NMF with a verifying SAT score. So, I was on pins and needles for my son. USC is not at the top of his list of Universities, but if he qualifies for a Trustee Scholarship (full ride), it would be hard to turn it down even if he gets accepted to an Ivy or other Elite University.</p>
<p>So Alabama is a 211? Really? This tends to bode well for Louisiana, as LA has always been even with or under AL, but never over.</p>
<p>The 99th percentile for the SAT is right around 2200 or 2210. I think most kids get their best scores as Seniors. Considering the PSAT scores are Junior scores, I think it’s a pretty logical progression.</p>
<p>I hope and pray you are right!! So your child actually scored a 211 and received a letter for Alabama? My son also scored a 211 but his GC told me today that they have not received any packets in the mail yet. My son is going to Univ of AL so this is a huge deal! Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>Daughter notified today in NC - her qualifying score is 217</p>
<p>My son actually got a 219, but his packet has a paper that gives the selection index scores. There’s a ** which says indicates the semifinalist qualifying score for our state. Everyone that has a packet can look at this and report their states semifinalist qualifying score.</p>
<p>My son took the SAT right after he took the PSAT. He scored a 217 on the PSAT and a 2270 on the SAT. He said that without a doubt the PSAT is harder.</p>
<p>Anyway, I wonder what the NE boarding school cutoff is.</p>
<p>Very likely no more than 223.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: Thanks; I was just curious :P</p>
<p>@NextGen: In my opinion, PSAT questions are much easier. It’s just that you’re penalized more for missing a question on the PSAT than on the SAT. I also scored higher on the SAT than on the PSAT…</p>
<p>*My experience is that virtually every school that had scholarships for NMFs had similar scholarships for other quality students who did not happen to score well enough on their junior year PSAT to qualify for National Merit. But, we didn’t look at USC or Alabama. *</p>
<p>We did not find that to be the case.</p>
<p>I can’t think of one big NMF scholarship school that gave as much to someone with - say - an ACT 32 as it did to those who are NMF. There might be a few that have some competitive scholarships that are similar…but being competitive means harder to get and may require near perfect scores. </p>
<p>Bama is quite rare that it gives free tuition to all with an ACT 32…but that’s still not as much as what they give NMFs. And, again, Bama is rare to be that generous. </p>
<p>*A lot of the elite schools in this country pay all costs if need is demonstrated, so there are plenty of other options out there for people who come up short for National Merit. *</p>
<p>Well, yes, but only…</p>
<p>…if you QUALIFY for lots of aid. Some have NCPs that won’t pay…or families with unaffordable EFCs. In those cases, getting accepted to such an elite comes with a bill that can’t be paid.</p>
<p>and, with 15,000 NMFs out there, all are not going to be accepted to elites that give full need schools anyway.</p>
<p>USC’s full tuition trustee scholarships seem to be based on SAT and ACT scores.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/private/docs/1112/uscScholarships1213.pdf[/url]”>http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/private/docs/1112/uscScholarships1213.pdf</a></p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Yes…the NMF scholarship is for half tuition. To get the Trustee Scholarship, you need really high SAT or ACT scores…higher than what some/many NMFs might have.</p>
<p>“NMSF is a big deal for students attending USC. They have a guaranteed 50% tuition merit based scholarship for NMF with a verifying SAT score”</p>
<p>Don’t think it’s guaranteed…</p>
<p>Iglooo - thank you for the definitive link. BTW, last year’s SAT 99% was 2210+ and average gain from PSAT in fall to SAT in spring is about 55 SAT points.</p>
<hr>
<p>PLEASE DON’T FREAK OUT! Check the explanation of the notation in the first post. When you see, for instance, AZ <= 219, that means that Arizona’s cutoff is no higher than 219. This comes from a report like, “I live in Arizona, made a 219, and got my letter.” When you see, for instance, TX > 216, that means that Texas’ cutoff is higher than 216. This comes from a report like, “I live in Texas, made a 216, and didn’t make it.”</p>
<hr>
<p>Remaining states that need to be finalized:
AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA,
ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND,
OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY</p>
<p>Updating AL, NY, NC</p>
<p>**AL = 211 <a href=“post%20#281,%20per%20NMSC”>/B</a>
AK = ?
**AZ = 213<a href=“post%20#126/#132,%20per%20GC”>/B</a>
AR = ?
CA <= 225 (post #50)
CO = ?
CT = ?
DE = ?
DC = ?
**FL = 214<a href=“post%20#107,%20per%20GC”>/B</a>
GA <= 221 (post #182)
**HI = 216<a href=“post%20#225,%20per%20GC”>/B</a>
ID = ?
**IL = 216<a href=“post%20#110,%20per%20GC”>/B</a>
**IN = 214 <a href=“post%20#147,%20#193,%20established%20by%20score%20comparison”>/B</a>
IA = ?
**KS = 214<a href=“post%20#87,%20per%20principal”>/B</a>
KY > 211 (post #111)
LA <= 216 (post #101)
ME = ?
MD = ?
MA <= 228 (post #143)
MI = ?
MN = ?
**MS = 205<a href=“post%20#192,%20NMSC”>/B</a>
MO = ?
MT <= 209 (post #90)
NE <= 215 (post #10)
NV <= 211 (post #250)
NH = ?
NJ = ?
NM = ?
NY > 217 (post #265)
NC <= 217 (post #288)
ND = ?
**OH = 214<a href=“post%20#28,%20established%20by%20score%20comparison”>/B</a>
**OK = 209<a href=“post%20#106,%20NMSC”>/B</a>
OR = ?
PA <= 215 (post #224)
RI = ?
SC = ?
SD = ?
TN = ?
**TX = 219<a href=“post%20#46,%20per%20principal”>/B</a>
UT = ?
VT = ?
VA = ?
WA = ?
WV = ?
WI <= 209 (post #166, #191)
WY = ?</p>
<p>10(?) Boarding school regions
No scores reported yet.
These usually are set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among the individual states in the region.</p>
<p>Internationals=?
This usually is set to be equal to the highest cut-off score among all the individual states.</p>
<p>Commended (national cutoff) = 202 (Class of 2012 Notification Letters - College Confidential)
Any person with a score equal to or higher than this cutoff who is not a NMSF receives commended status. This group represents the highest 50,000 scorers.</p>
<p>@VADAS1 Are you sure? I thought 2210 - 2220 was closer to top 2%. My son scored 2260 and from my memory one section was top 1%, other two sections were top 2%.</p>
<p>But, I suppose 6 months or a year later could account for the difference. A full year would be too late for early college admission.</p>
<p>I was asked about California. I don’t have any news. Since my son is homeschooled, there’s no index other than his score. Sorry!</p>
<p>if I’m remembering correctly (and I might not be…lol), it seems like the states that were affected by Katrina had some cut-off drops that year and the next…and now it looks like those cut-offs may be rising again.</p>