<p>I got a letter today saying that I am one of the “50,000 highest scoring students” and that whether or not you advance to semi-finalist will be decided in the fall. </p>
<p>I got a 219 in Washington. Cut off for SF last year was 220. Any chance that the cutoff will drop and I’ll make SF?</p>
<p>Is the 50,000 Reporting service cutoff allocated by state or is it the top 50,000 across the board?</p>
<p>It’s the top 50,000 nationally, not the top 50,000 per state.</p>
<p>alca - it’s been decided already, you just wont know until Sept. Your score is either good enough or not, it can swing 2 or 3 points every year.</p>
<p>If it’s been decided, why can’t they let us know? You’re being a little harsh Idavis. Are you a mom?</p>
<p>Did not mean to be harsh, just factual. Scores vary. Nothing to decide… scores are in.
They just are not announced - Finalists anyway. Parent here.</p>
<p>Any Californians hear anything today?</p>
<p>Post #178 is CA.</p>
<p>jefferycoleman, last year cut off was 216 in Illinois and there is a good chance the cut off will probably drop a couple of points this year.</p>
<p>Thank you! I needed that! My friend got a 240, and we’re very proud of her. I’m sorry Idavis, I just don’t understand why they can’t release cutoff scores if they’re already decided on them. It seems…cruel.</p>
<p>Commended is based on national rankings, which is why they can send the “at least commended” letters now. However, NMSF spots are allocated among the states based on each state’s number of HS graduates in relation to total HS graduates for the year. Of course, the number of high school graduates is not known until graduation. And then the data has to be compiled and analyzed. No one’s holding anything back. They don’t know yet.</p>
<p>Just got my letter today for a 230 in CA, I’m thinking that getting into the SF is very probable.</p>
<p>Congrats to all who received/are receiving letters of Commendation. It’s seems like some like to downplay this but I feel differently. Who knows what doors will open because of the letter? Pick your 2 schools carefully - we are meeting with the Head of our Counseling Dept. for advice ( my DS’s Counselor is brand new) to get some help.
1 reach? 1 safety? Not sure. What’s your strategy? He wont be a Finalist so no
NMS $$ but there may be other Scholarships that will come his way now - you just dont know! 
So pick your 2 schools carefully and Congrats again!!
Pays to be a glass half full person.</p>
<p>I’m an Eeyore, glass-half empty kind of person. From my years on CC, I don’t think it matters much at this point who you notify. They will certainly know your child is Commended when he applies to the school. My D is going to send it to the one school on her list that gives larger money for NMSF, and then pick one of the reaches that only gives about $2000/year.</p>
<p>Idavis, how do you know your son/daughter won’t be a SF? What did he/she score?</p>
<p>Do we know yet what the Commended cutoff is this year? Any one get a letter with a 199, 200, or 201?</p>
<p>Received letter for 202 in Mississippi</p>
<p>On another thread, we have a second-hand report of someone who scored 200 and received a commendation letter this week.</p>
<p>Got our letter in TX today. Round 1 down. Now, how to be patient until late Aug/early Sept…??</p>
<p>Just got my letter in the mail today. 227 in Maryland.</p>