<p>Any news from colorado? I hope my 214 made the cut.</p>
<p>I qualified in New Mexico with a 231, and my guidance counselor said that the cutoff was 210 (up 2 points from last year).</p>
<p>going back to the question of why so many states’ cutoff scores went up – has anyone thought about the possibility that this test was simply much easier than those from previous years…?</p>
<p>I don’t think the test was easier. The commended cutoff only went up 1 point. The scores really weren’t noticeably better. I just think there were more people taking the test, but the number of NMSF isn’t going up, so it would be a natural thing for scores to work their way north, especially in states where the cutoff score was very low. Those are mostly the scores we are seeing going up so far. Now if Massachusettes and Maryland both go up 2 or 3 points per state, I’ll be surprised.</p>
<p>@VADAD1- Would MA and MD going up by a couple points simply be surprising because a lot of people take the tests in these states? Or because they already have high cutoffs?</p>
<p>Mass and Maryland already have really high cutoffs and a high percentage of people taking the tests. Also DC has a really high cutoff as well because of all those elite prep schools in DC. </p>
<p>So I’d be surprised to see those go up more than a point.</p>
<p>Good! because I’m a junior this year and trying to get a 221 is going to be hard enough.</p>
<p>
It is difficult to tell with DC as its cut-off always seems to match that of the highest state, so it might be subject to different rules. However assuming the cut-off is established “normally” I would bet the reason they it is so high is that it has the lowest HS graduation rate in the country and, thus, earns disproportionately few NMSF slots.</p>
<p>
<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-percentile-ranks-composite-cr-m-w-2010.pdf[/url]”>Higher Education Professionals | College Board;
You are not thinking about probability correctly. A high percentile in each section is more likely to be even higher in aggregate scores. A person who is exceptionally tall, smart, and athletic will be even rarer than ones who are just exceptionally tall, exceptionally smart, or exceptionally athletic. (Section scores aren’t as independent as these traits but the mathematical consequences still apply.)</p>
<p>I hope 211 is correct for Alabama! That is what DD scored and she has already been accepted to U of Alabama.</p>
<p>There are lots of southern states with terrible graduation rates that have extremely low cutoff scores.</p>
<p>The DC public school system is terrible, but there are a bunch of elite prep schools in the city, and that is biggest reason why the number is so high. There is an article on this, let me see if I can find it.</p>
<p>Missread- my son has been accepted to Univ of Alabama as well. I’m hoping to see something official with his name on it saying 211 is good enough. I’ll post when we get an official notice.</p>
<p>I did find the article, but it didn’t address the issue of why the scores are so high. It did address a different issue, which is that most of DCs winners don’t even live in Washington DC. </p>
<p>[The</a> Answer Sheet - D.C.'s National Merit winners aren’t all from D.C.](<a href=“http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/dc-schools/poor-washington-dc-not-only.html]The”>http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/dc-schools/poor-washington-dc-not-only.html)</p>
<p>DC is interesting. Even though their median scores are probably the worst you will see, they consistently have 1.5 to 2.5 percent scoring in the 75 to 80 range on all three test modules.</p>
<p>Compare that to most states…and you start to see why their cutoff is so high.</p>
<p>There are indeed many elite prep schools in DC but that doesn’t change the fact that their cut-offs might be lower if the graduation rate was higher. But yes, that they have such a pool probably keeps them above states with similarly low graduation rates.</p>
<p>Edit: cross-posted. Thanks for the article.</p>
<p>I am a little surprised we don’t have a firm MA or MD cut-off score yet.</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, NY, NC, ND,
OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY</p>
<p>Updating NM</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 = 210<a href=“post%20#302,%20per%20GC”>/B</a>
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.
Descartesz is invisible</p>
<p>Yeah, you are probably right. A lot of these southern states have terrible graduation rates that are getting worse as well, and I’d imagine that is playing a role in their cutoff scores going up. Hopefully that isn’t happening in VA. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>I’m not surprised we are slow getting info here in the east. Most all of the schools have not been open because the power is out. In Virginia, school hasn’t even started yet.</p>
<p>@Descartesz Thanks for linking the chart. I see now.</p>
<p>2200 is top 2%.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Or, is it possible that 2012ers are more competitive?</p>
<p>i go to school in nebraska but live in iowa (not sure how that works). anyways, i got in with a 209. i’m pretty sure that’s borderline.</p>
<p>According to a 2011 report on national graduation rates (edweek.org - diplomas count) The leading states are New Jersey, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsineach graduate more than 80% of their high school students. At the other extreme, fewer than 6 in 10 students graduate in the District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and South Carolina." </p>
<p>SC’s graduation rate must have dropped in 2011 It was 72% in 2010. I’m keeping my firngers crossed for S. We can deal with a 2 point jump, but nothing more!</p>
<p>from GC, New Mexico cutoff = 210</p>