<p>Time for a parent to vent..
I find it rediculous that every state has a different standard on a NATIONAL test. f I am to understand this correctly, a low income student from Connecticut has to get a 2210 on his/her PSAT's to be on par with a wealthy student, possibly attending a private school, from Florida( for example) who gets a 2120? Thats so UNFAIR. Its should not be called a NATIONAL Merit scholarship if they dont meet the NATIONAL standard!
Its not sour grapes because my son got a 2390. But so many deserving students from CT are getting the raw end of the deal! <exhale> I'm ok now, got that off my chest. </exhale></p>
<p>I am being blinded? what do you parents think?</p>
<p>It is impossible to account for all differences in background and such in one relatively simple system. So students in each state compete with each other more or less. Fair enough.</p>
<p>Seems like a good system to me. Not all states have the same standards and, therefore, the playing field isn't level. This seems like a way to compare kids in a more equitable peer group.</p>
<p>There is no "wealth" element to the National merit stuff. Scores are scores. Commended scores are set nationally - everyone who meets that score is commended (or SF). Semi-finalist scores are set so that each state has a representational basis - each state has approx the same percentage of its students meet the mark. It means that the mississippi students meet the SF mark with a much lower score than New York. Is it fair? Maybe not, but that's the way it is. If the SF score was national, some states would have a very low percentage of finalists.</p>
<p>I agree with the OP. There are no objective standards within each state. it is terribly discriminatory towards kids from low-performing schools within high-ranked states.</p>
<p>But, if you do insist on making it a state comparison, then call it that. "National" is misleading and incorrect when there isn't a national standard.</p>
<p>the PSAT's are a NATIONAL test. State tests (CMT's in CT) compare "peer" groups. How is it fair if a low income kid from Bridgeport CT where 85% receive free or reduced lunch has to get a 2210 on PSAT's as opposed to the rich kid fom Boca Raton in florida who gets a 2120? I dont see how that can ever be resolved in my mind..</p>
<p>I look at the issue from 30,000 feet, and believe that the whole concept of NMF is "unfair." It's one two hour test on one day of a kid's life. It's all or nothing. It does advantage the "advantaged." One more correct bubble on a two hour test can be more important financially than four years of academics and a 4.0 gpa. (Schools like USC give automatic scholarships to NMSF's with a 3.7, but nada to a 4.0 at the same HS with a more rigorous curriculum who misses one more bubble.)</p>
<p>But, as our former Prez used to say: Life is Unfair. :)</p>
<p>Maybe a bunch of states would stop giving the test if they didn't produce a reasonable share of semi-finalists. Also, because a lot of the scholarships are corporate based or linked to particular colleges, it may make more sense to spread the semi-finalists around the country.</p>
<p>One more bubble is correct. My s got a 750 on math (really a 75 on the PSAT)and missed one easy (stupid) question. He missed one level one question. He said it was so easy he rushed through it. I know, it is his fault. I am not a parent that makes excuses. But, to miss one level one question and have it cost him really everything as far as scholarship and merit money is absurd. Now I have vented. Thanks.</p>
<p>First of all, life is never fair to everyone all the time.</p>
<p>Just like race in admission. There are even schools (so I have heard) that have put a hard limit to asian students because the % is over represented per population. Now, I would like to see NBA put a cap on their players if any race is over represented. Or the president for that matter.</p>
<p>It doesn't cost them "EVERYTHING" for merit money, maybe some money comes a little easier- we have 3 kids that are semi-finalists for the morehead this year and none of the 3 were NMF. They were commended- which is based on national results. I think it has said on these boards so many times that NMS is nice to get but is by no means a "must have" colleges understand that the scores vary, they know it's one test- that's why they don't ask for it on their apps. Maybe the poor kids will find they have more "need" money, and all the others may have to do a little more work to find those scholarships but they are out there and I think we may be giving the NMF money more weight than it really deserves. Oh course I only know what I have read on these boards in regards to this, and I could be off base.</p>
<p>2by2 I am confused by your comment. They are either commended or semi-finalists, they can't be both. Only the semi-finalists can move on the nmf. Are you saying they were commended, or they were semi-finalists that did not progress to nmfs.</p>
<p>One my daughter's year. Basically bad grades. This was a kid who did well in any class which piqued his interest; didn't bother in any class he thought was boring.</p>
<p>About 1/16 do not become finalists. The numbers generally given are 16,000 semi-finalists, 15,000 finalists. I know only one from last year who did not become a finalist; my suspicion is that her grades were not quite what was expected. A rebellious type.</p>
<p>My son was a finalist, but he didn't get a penny. But yes, the state wide distribution obviously discriminates against states where students score higher on the test. (Whether it's because they are wealthier or have better schools is really moot.) Luckily a low income student who scores over 210 on the PSAT is likely to have good choices in college and good need based or merit aid somewhere.</p>
<p>My D was eligible in everyway EXCEPT her PSAT score at her college of choice</p>
<p>She was commended but not a SemiFin...one question away...and she missed out on 10,000plus a year- she did recieve some $$ for being commended, but one question in one day and 40000 puff</p>
<p>Ah well.....sigh...hrmphhh....</p>
<p>Coming from California- with a population that truely runs the gamut from obscenely weathly and privelaged to dirt poor, our cutoff seems high, but CB is a monopoly and unfair and just got my younger Ds scores, and guess what, same as her sis!!!</p>