Does anyone know how to find out the historical cutoffs for NMSF status for boarding schools? My son is a day student at a boarding school in Ohio. Based on historical data, his 218 PSAT looks like it would qualify him in Ohio. But now I understand boarding schools operate differently and tend to have higher cutoffs. But I’ve been unable to find this information. I know he won’t know for sure until next September, but would love to know if he has a chance based on what’s happened in the past.
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Found this on prep scholar:
Any American students studying in international schools abroad will also have to meet whatever the highest state’s cutoff score is (so 223 for this year). As for boarding school attendees? You’ll be measured against a regional cutoff; it usually equals the highest cutoff of the state within your regional grouping.
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This picture shows Index=219 is old data from 2014.
Ohio is in the MIDWEST region,
so look through last year’s numbers for those states.
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There is a National Merit Scholarship section of College Confidential that you might find helpful.
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Thank you all! Looks like 218 will likely just miss the cutoff. Bummer.
BUT wait,
he could qualify for CB Recognition Award,
for Diversity and/or Rural/Small Town,
which gets some pretty great merit to limited colleges.
My DS2022 got free tuition+free board1yr+$1K for UAlabama, and $31K/yr for Northeastern with the Recognition Award.
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Scores just released for NJ, S’s index is 222, this year in NJ cut off was 223 OMG!!! Hoping for their cohort the cutoff goes down the one point but not optimistic. This has been a year of this kind of thing.
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No, he will qualify for NMF. The cut off last year was 216. Scroll down all the way to states list.
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It is very frustrating but congrats to your S for doing so well!
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Per Art Sawyer’s blog:
The cutoff for a boarding school is set at the highest state cutoff within the boarding school’s region.
So, you’d need to find out what states are included in the region.
Thinking ahead to next fall about the NMSF/NMF process and reporting first choice college to NMSC. Let’s say a NMSF is planning to ED to a highly selective school but that school does not appear to offer a scholarship for NM according to the school website. Does the student still report that college to NMSC as first choice and then change it later if denied? (And what is up with BU wanting first choice college designation by March 1?) Time to read some older threads…
For college choice, S marked “undecided” on his NMF application. His ED college does not offer a NM scholarship and we hadn’t done enough research yet to determine where to use the benefit. Hopefully, he can edit the application if ED doesn’t work out.
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He can change it in his profile.
D22 didn’t indicate on PSAT college either and once received NMSF, changed it in her NM portal.
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I guess my questions are really this:
For a NMSF, (1) is the first-choice college reported to NMSC then communicated to that college regardless of whether the college gives scholarships based on NM, (2) when/how does that communication occur, especially as a student may change the choice over time, and (3) could that impact the college’s admission decision as demonstrated interest? I am guessing this is the reason for BU’s March 1 first-choice deadline, or might BU’s reason be merely budget-related (though BU’s scholarship would not be automatic)?
You usually opt your top college that gives NMF scholarship as your first choice. Some colleges have early deadlines but most colleges go with May 1st. If the college with early deadline is your dream school, go with it and then can change it later if you don’t get admission in that.
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Hope the cutoff drops a bit so he can make it. Being so close and missing would be hard.
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Got the PSAT scores: he will make the commended but will miss the Semi Final. Kind of expected as his English is his weaker area so harder to make the cut off.
Interesting the % of kids getting 1400 has been lower that last few years could be Covid or the test just got harder.
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It is excruciating! He got a 1470 but misses the cutoff only in our state and one more. Hopefully pandemic learning loss will help him and the cutoff will be lowered next year. (That was terrible right!! Ha) Craziness!
Not terrible at all. I would hope the for the drop to being so close. Pandemic related drop-off does seem real. Fingers Crossed
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I think I understand better. I had skimmed over this somehow in the NM instructions:
MARCH 1, 2023
A Finalist who has reported a sponsor college as first choice before March 1 will be included in the first group referred to that institution for scholarship consideration. Only the sponsoring college you have listed as your first choice will be notified.MARCH 1 THROUGH MAY 31, 2023
Periodically NMSC will notify sponsors of additional Finalists who have reported (by May 31) the college or university as their first choice. Only the sponsoring college you list as your first choice will be notified.
So, if March 1 senior year is the earliest date that NMSC will communicate the first choice college to the college, then it doesn’t matter what the student designates until March 1 (I had been thinking of demonstrated interest in fall applications, though this first choice designation seems irrelevant for that because the college wouldn’t know).
(There’s an interesting older thread discussing the competing early deadlines for BU and USC)