New PSAT

What does a 1440/1520 qualify me for? Anything? It’s in the 99th percentile, but among NMS that’s no great feat. I live in Pennsylvania. My NMSC Selection Index was 216 (the highest being 228)

I think you’re going to be a NMSF.

Last year’s PA cutoff was 216 on a test with a max score of 240. Since this year’s test max is 228, the cutoffs for all states will be around 95% (228/240) of last year’s scores. Based on that logic, PA’s 2016 cutoff will be around 205. You’re way above that, so I think you’re in.

Here’s a link to a blog I found where the author estimated the 2016 cutoff for every state. I think she may have simply calculated the 2016 cutoff as 95% of the 2015 cutoff for every state.

http://blog.prepscholar.com/does-your-psat-score-qualify-for-national-merit

Hi,
We live in Illinois. My daughter has scored 218 (1470/1520) in PSAT held in Oct 2015. Will she qualify as NMSF? Though IL cut off was 215 on 240 range last year. Which is about only 90% approximately? This year I was told the PSAT was lot easier and many students might have done quite well. I understand one has to wait till Sept 2016 to find out.

Thanks

The Illinois cutoff is likely to drop to around 205 +/- 2 points this year. Even if the PSAT test was a lot easier, it’s rare for the cutoff in any state to jump more than five points in one year. Between 2007-2015, the only examples of cutoff increases of more than five points were in Alaska (2014, +8 pts) and Nevada (2011, +6 pts). That stated, I think you’re a lock for NMSF in IL if your daughter meets the other qualifications (e.g. junior class, US citizen, etc.).

No one knows at this point what the cutoffs will be. They don’t know which will drop or which may go up. I am pretty sure that Prepscholar will revise their estimates after studying the preliminary Concordance Tables that College Board released. According to some posters, College Board will announce in April what the cutoff for Commended is. This will probably equal the lowest of the state cutoffs.