Is it possible to get commended with a 1390 (index 206)? I know someone that got commended with that same score from last year’s PSAT.
@JBStillFlying - thanks for the info. We’re in a very competitive state - NJ, and he definitely needs to do more practice for his SAT and PSAT next year ( he did no practice for PSAT since he’s in 10th grade). He took SAT in 8th grade only for qualifying JHU CTY program, and his score got removed by college board. so hopefully after a year’s preparation he will get his dream score.
Lots of off thr charts smart kids on this forum. The depth 1480+ psat kids is literally amazing!
The commended cutoff score is index score, last year was 211. If the score is 1390, the index score can be more than 211, for example, if the score is (37+38)x10+ 32x20 = 1390, the index is (37+38+32)x2 = 212.
@vxia12371 There are several online, free ones that you can make an account for, but I actually used a friend’s VPN and found out after the fact that he had downloaded that VPN from questionable sources, so I’m not so sure it’s the best one to recommend for use :)) I suggest using an online one
Does anyone have any thoughts on the Texas cutoff and how that may fluctuate ??
Just because one school has a lot more NMSF doesn’t mean the cutoff will go up…
we had around 10 NMF last year, but only 1 NMF this year and the cutoff still went up. (cutoff went from 220 to 221 (tx))
You can’t predict a state-wide cutoff based off of one school.
While it is possible that IL would go up to 223 (there’s a chance of anything happening), I find it unlikely. 222 seems more accurate.
@SlayMeLove
I am hoping the texas cutoff stays at 221, as that’s what I got. It is possible that the cutoff will go up a point, but I find it unlikely for the cutoff to not be 221/222
@homerdog I am an average Joe - No insider or anything that sort. School is nice to enough reveal the data. My best advice is if you are 221 - You might have a remote chance as you state. But if you are a parent especially don’t keep that high hope. I had to go through thinking my daughter will make it to NMSF (Class of 2017) and after 8 months in Sept 2016 (unofficially actually late August as home school scores starts coming in…) it was brutal when I found out IL cutoff was 219. Usually in their previous 5 years her School was well with in the range of 22 children making it to NMSF as every other year for the prior 5 years they had high teens and low twenties alternating. That also favored my thoughts those 8 months. In fact she got it into one of the direct Medical programs and doing quite well by God’s Grace. Yes she did loose $10K/year if she had been a NMF as her current School gives $10K/year for NMF!
My son, a junior, took a summer prep course to get ready for PSAT in October. We decided that he should also take the SAT (first attempt) in November while the preparation was fresh. We received the SAT score first. He got a 1520. (760 and 760) We were so excited…he exceeded every practice test he ever took. Today we got the PSAT score back and it was actually LOWER. He got a 1450 (700 and 750) with 215 indexed score (something that I don’t really understand.) Since we live in Illinois, a competitive state, he won’t qualify for the NMS program, is that correct? Is it weird that he did better on the SAT than the PSAT??
@momtozoe43 - Sorry to hear that. Yes 215 is no way going to qualify in IL. But he will be in commended list with 50K other children nationwide! PSAT is supposed to be lot easier compared to SAT. My Son was taking SAT practice tests before his actual PSAT and pretty much getting perfect scores in sample SAT tests. We thought he will ace out PSAT but ended up 730 in English/Writing and 740 in Math (Index score of 220 in IL which won’t make it as I am predicting based on his School record IL to hit 223 if not 222 at least cut off for NMSF for class of 2019. But he did tell us after his PSAT he didn’t do well. Only consolation for us is that he got a Perfect ACT (36) in his first attempt in Sept 2017. He will take the real SAT when his school offers it in Feb/April 2018.
@momtozoe43 that’s not an odd occurrence. S19 studied all summer and got a 1540 on the August SAT and got a 1470 on the PSAT! His SI is 221 since his reading and writing scores were strong and offset his lower math score. He never thought his reading score would be higher than math. He’s a very strong math student in BC Calc as a junior and got an 800 on SAT math section. He mistakingly thought that the PSAT would be just an easier SAT but he thought the math seemed different. After a day of reading about predictions on the 2019 cut offs, I’m over it. If Illinois stays at 221 then he will be NMF. If it goes to 222, he will not. The schools he’s interested in don’t give scholarships for NMF and we think his GPA and his SAT score will still earn him merit money at some of the schools on his list. If he’s a NMF, that will be exciting for him but either way it’s ok.
Thanks for your answer. I didn’t know there was a commended list. That makes me feel a little better. He worked so hard; it’d be nice to get some recognition for it.
36 on ACT is awesome. There should be an award for that, too!
My daughter’s SI is 220 (IL resident). She’s slightly bummed especially if the cut off number for IL will be 221, but I’m totally proud of her. Her math score increased by 200 points compare to last year’s PSAT she took as a sophomore. I told her that kind of growth shows that she learned a great deal especially when math in general has not been her strong suit. All of our kids have many years of education ahead of them. One test’s result does not define them. Becoming NMSF and then NMF is a nice award; our eldest was NMF. However, that status will not make or break chances at the colleges and major she is considering. Besides, there are positive outcomes from not becoming NMSF. She’ll have one less application to work on next fall and she doesn’t have to sit through another standardized test again because her ACT is high.
Congrats to students with SI numbers that will qualify them for NMSF. Good luck in the next round too.
@momtozoe43 Thanks! No award. For him one thing less to worry as he is taking 5 AP courses in Junior year and hoping he does well to get into one of the competitive programs. I am sure this will help in college admissions but as you know the admission process is holistic and you never know…
My D took the Oct SAT and then the PSAT a few days later. She thought the PSAT was tougher! Did very well on the SAT, if she gets that score on the PSAT (didn’t get them yet) she will have a shot at NMSF and def be commended. But she’s thinking she didn’t do nearly as well. We’ll see.
@WGSK88 why if your son got a 36 would he take the SAT. My child got the same - one and done 36 - so why even bother with the SAT. For some schools, you may have to send in all test scores. Myother child did the same 36 and done. Never sat for the SAT, just submitted ACT and various subject tests. that child did great in admissions process, but I believe bc of other ECs and essays and recs. The others we knew who were just score “perfect” did not do as well.
@Luska19 OMG same thing. Made one stupid mistake on reading and it dropped 10 points ;(
Do we have any general knowledge on whether or not average index scores went down? Are they curved to the same standard every year?
I scored a 1450 last year with SI of 219, and this year scored a 1470 with an SI of 218 due to decreasing in points earned in R/W while increasing in math. Generally speaking, I certainly don’t think I could’ve gotten worse in terms of R/W, though; so I guess coming in I figured I was a shoo-in since I had also definitely improved in math (and indeed I went from a 710 to a 760).
I’d complain further about the lack of consistency – but when it comes down to it, I suppose the score on any standardized test is mostly skill, but also the luck of the draw. A metaphor of the world, perhaps? It just hits particularly hard on us 21st-century teens holding ourselves to the idea that we are valued in terms of scores and where we’re admitted. Anyone else sulking about – or parents with teens in such a position – please remember that we are so much more than the “title” of a particular college, and anyone who suggests otherwise is truly the fool. You are you, whether you go to community college or Harvard; and any material difference between the two realities, from an existential perspective, is negligible.
May that fall on deaf ears or on someone who needed it. Just felt so compelled to speak what I’ve learned. (Still rather intrigued to see if I may qualify in GA, though ahaha… just not for the reason of finding my self-worth.)