<p>The National Merit Scholarship organization, along with their "all about profit "sister organization called the college board, wants to keep secret the state cuttoff scores for their National Merit Awards and distinctions. They have commandeered the entire US school system and college system, make kids chase their tails for little (promise of bigger) awards, they bribe our kids to spend money on their tests in the hopes of getting certificates for umpteen meaningless AP tests, they have our kids giving them money for more and more tests (and prep programs) in the hope of getting a certificate or keeping up with peers willing to take more and more tests and they discourage kids from spending time learning meaningful things infavor of learning better ways to fill in little circles labeled A, B, C or D. And, they say they plan not to make public cuttoff scores by state. Really? Say wHat? As they administer the tests in public schools they have absolutely no right to any secrets from the public. Here's hope that the public FOILS for proper disclosure of all cuttoff scores and anything else that is clearly the public's right to know. I know they are only and all about profit but they benefit from public resources and access to our children through the public school system and the public should force them to be transparent Aren't you tired of the control that the College Boards has exerted on the educational system in this country? How do you feel about them keeping these secrets?</p>
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<li> No.</li>
<li> I don’t mind.</li>
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<p>Oh, all this time I thought that questions with A, B, C, D answers came from the idiots in Iowa City! :)</p>
<p>@MaineLonghorn
@xiggi </p>
<p>Cant stop laughing because of your comments(looooooooooooooooooooooooooool)</p>
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<p>Considering my success on College Board tests, I’d be first in line at a meet-and-greet with College Board executives.</p>
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<p>DGAF.</p>
<p>trolololololololololololololololololololol-ing</p>
<p>^Not very successfully. No one is taking the bait.</p>
<p>1) I don’t care.
2) Meh.</p>
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<li><p>No</p></li>
<li><p>In any case, there we know enough past cutoff scores that any future cutoff scores could be accurately determined to within 1 or 2 points.</p></li>
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<p>@maine…i meant i was trolling lol</p>
<p>Thanks to CC, the state cutoff scores for National Merit Semifinalists tend to be pretty accurately known each year, as soon as the NMSF’s are announced. All it takes is a student with score n, not NMSF, and a student with score n + 1, NMSF, and the cutoff for the state is known. Some of the less populous states, or those less represented on CC, make take longer to settle. However, CB not announcing it doesn’t mean that it can be kept secret. Look around on these boards. Also, CB itself doesn’t know in advance of the tests what the actual cutoffs will be by state. So a student going into the PSAT can pretty much know just as well as CB does, what the likely cutoffs will be.</p>
<p>As far as the certificates for multiple AP’s go: QMP took 7 AP’s, got all 5’s. I myself probably would have fallen for the “Oh, take one more and become an AP National Scholar.” But QMP did not.</p>
<p>Does QMP stand for QuantMechProdigy or QuantMechProgeny?</p>
<p>The latter–although it’s kind of a stupid joke, it also stands for Quant Mech Prime (as in, distinct from Quant Mech), and also Quant Mech Prime, the derivative of Quant Mech. (I’ll be here all week, folks, try the veal).</p>
<p>^ Is quat mechanics interesting ???</p>
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<p>Everyone can use jokes and some levity in this forum. They help getting through another day of slaving over the latest BB tests. :)</p>
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<li><p>No. Standardized testing isn’t entirely “standardized” or “perfect,” by any measure, but I’d rather have it than an educational system hampered by ridiculous subjectivity and absolutely no basis for evaluation.</p></li>
<li><p>No. Who cares about National Merit cut offs? The PSAT is a joke, as are National Merit Semi-Finalist standings. The only benefit is whether you get a scholarship. You don’t need to know the cut-offs to get one. Either you advance in the competition or you don’t. No need for a revolution.</p></li>
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<p>Also, I’m tired of people on this website claiming that the College Board and Educational Testing Service aren’t “not for profit,” which they are. Yes, they make a lot of money but there are reasons why they are able to and need to do that. Perhaps you should actually get some factual basis behind your complaining, instead of just “UGH I HAVE TO PAY 90$ FOR AN AP TEST… GOD COLLEGE BOARD IS SOOO NOT NOT FOR PROFIT.”</p>