<p>Sorry if this is in the wrong forum...this place is a little confusing. </p>
<p>I just got a letter saying I qualified for the first round of the National Merit program....the next round drops from 50,000 to about 16,000. My PSAT score was 217. [If it makes a difference, I got 80s in both verbal sections.]</p>
<p>So...do I have a chance at the next round? Is there a general score it gets cut off at?</p>
<p>You have a pretty good chance, but it is based on the state in which you live, and 217 would get it in most states. In some states however, you would not make the cut. Tell where you live and we can give a better answer.</p>
<p>Massachusetts...and I hear that is one of the hardest...</p>
<p>should I be worried if i haven't received a letter yet?</p>
<p>Colleen, see this thread:</p>
<p>The semifinalist cutoff for MA the past two years has been 222, it's possible but unlikely that it to drop 5 points.</p>
<p>for details, see post #202 in this thread:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=74297%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=74297</a> </p>
<p>It also includes a link to last year's Semifinalist cutoffs (the prior post gives the cutoffs for the year before that).</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>