<p>Hi, i took the New PSAT last winter, and i was wondering if anyone could tell me what the cutoff score is for National Merit Finalist (iono if this matters, but i live in texas and i got a 213)</p>
<p>216 I think for Texas</p>
<p>It's not out yet...</p>
<p>Is it?</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>If you took the test last October, the cutoff for semifinalists isnt released until the list of semifinalists is released. Last year the Texas cutoff was 216.</p>
<p>You didn't make it so just put it behind you. The Selection index stays the same or inches up a point or so in most states. The exception is in swiftly growing states such as Nevada where affluent suburbanites are elbowing the native rural population. There it is shooting up.</p>
<p>This truly is the most unfair competition in American high school acadamia. One shot at the apple. No best of, averaging or even a full length SAT that softens the harshness of missing a question or two. Me thinks the days of this racket are numbered.</p>
<p>Hey Florida, good point and well said, but why the rude intro? Maybe Samian is going into 11th grade. Plus, it is not unheard of for a state's selection index to go down, especially in a state like Texas where rapid immigration of non-native English speakers combined with initiatives like NCLB is creating a deeper pool of lower-scoring PSAT testers.</p>
<p>But I agree with you 100% that this system for selecting National Merit Scholars is terrible. Even the College Board freely admits (urges, actually) that cutoffs not be used for scholarship programs and admission decisions, because the SAT is such an imprecise measuring instrument.</p>
<p>I apologize. If she scored 213 as a soph she's in good shape and should take a kaplan which should ensure her a free education at u of tex when she takes it for keeps this Oct. </p>
<p>But, the index falling three in texas? Never happen. It only goes up. Part of that is fueled by kids on the bubble as sophs who take the kaplan or whatever to squeeze a few. This finalist mania is a very, very harsh business.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago I attended a free by invitation only weekend at the University of Florida. They used last year's selection index for the invitation index. They marketed very heavily to the prospective finalists. Total free ride. small classes in honors program. Money for study abroad, research, etc. luxury dorm. Inside track to combined profesional degrees. So, an invitee asks, what if they raise it by a point and because of that we miss out? The answer was you get nothing! Nyet. Not a sou. It's all or nothing. Sorry. </p>
<p>Very unfair. Very arbitrary. Just the way it is. IVY's and colleges at the top pretty much ignore it. But to those looking to raise their status it's like recruiting athletes.</p>
<p>"combined with initiatives like NCLB is creating a deeper pool of lower-scoring PSAT testers."
You're quite the subtle one. If you're going to start arguing politics, at least get your facts straight <a href="http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/52/88/5288.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/52/88/5288.htm</a> Mr. Perfect Score. NCLB, while no panacea, has had some success.
This whole "Selection Index" system promotes several competing standards, basically implying that if you come from a backwater state you can qualify with less, while if you go to a relatively competitive state, too bad if you get in the gray zone. Sounds like the whole "geographically diverse" admissions game that colleges play.</p>
<p>There are a whole lot of issues in this package. Actually, the high performing student from the rural or under performing school district, frequently has loads of opportunities that transcend the nmsqt business. The psat issue, still is the same in those states also, a single, too short exam the whole ball of beans rides on.</p>
<p>I would love to see simple study done with say 500 semi-finalists and 500 junioirs who come reasonably close to missing the cut off. Give the 1000 students a full sat twice, six months or so apart. Take the 500 with the best sat averages and see how many were the original 500 semis. Wouldn't be suprised if it blew the whole game out of the water!</p>
<p>I wish I could publish a guide, or at least add to a current one, on how to get into elite schools without actually accomplishing anything, based on BS admissions techniques. This would include: live in a backwater state like Wyoming or Montana, go to a school that is though decent does not send any of its students to ivy leagues (to lessen intra-school competition), grow up in a poor neighborhood, etc.</p>
<p>ill be taking the PSAT in oct. (im a rising junior)... does anyone know any recent years' cutoff for a finalist in nj???</p>
<p>thanks alot</p>
<p>It's been posted on CC a few times, but [url=<a href="http://hseagle.sas.edu.sg:8068/hscounseling/Tests/NMSCindex.htm%5Dhere%5B/url">http://hseagle.sas.edu.sg:8068/hscounseling/Tests/NMSCindex.htm]here[/url</a>] is a better formatted list</p>
<p>tanman-
I'd had that URL link to the state NM semifinalist scores by state, but it isn't working. Do you have another website that provides this info?</p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://hseagle.sas.edu.sg/hscounseling/Tests/NMSCindex.htm%5DThis%5B/url">http://hseagle.sas.edu.sg/hscounseling/Tests/NMSCindex.htm]This[/url</a>] should work.</p>
<p>thanks. That one did work. And it looks like the exact same url as the previous ones-- the diffrence being this one worked. :)</p>
<p>w t f is up with abbreviating "Kentucky" KE????? Did no one pass 4th grade and realize it was KY? (referring to the link posted by tanman.)</p>
<p>sorry. ranting.</p>
<p>WV is only ~35 mins away from my house. I wish we'd move!</p>
<p>But you also have to remember that a NMF from PA will look better than a NMF from WV. Plus you wouldn't be in-state for colleges like UPenn, Carnegie Mellon.. Etc...</p>
<p>:)</p>