<p>I just got one via snail mail today too!!!</p>
<p>emilyequalsfun, they look at everything on your Finalist application, including the letter written by your guidance counselor. Who gets the money really depends on how well you stand out from other NMFs in the area.</p>
<p>I think every last bit of what you write on your application is used for consideration when NM chooses the 2500 students for its own scholarship, even down to your prospective college major. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but I do not know any students who chose "Undecided" and won one of the 2500.</p>
<p>I didn't get a letter yet, but I didn't receive a "FAILURE" one either, so I'm still optimistic. I'm worried that either my sending the SAT scores from June (several months before I received the NMSF letter) or not ever selecting a top choice college (I left the form blank and I still have the little yellow card) may have hurt me, but at the same time, I didn't receive the bad letter in January. </p>
<p>The letters are sent from NJ, right?</p>
<p>my bad--looking at my score, i got a 213, and im from illinois. once again my fault, i failed to remember i took the test this year and wont get results until senior year</p>
<p>National Merit is located in Evanston, IL, so I'm assuming they're from IL... so hopefully east coast gets them tomorrow!!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Cut-offs arn't based on population. They're based on the score that separates the top whatever % of the kids in that state.</p>
<p>So it's more along the lines of states with higher academic quality having higher cut-offs. The most populated states are all above average academically, so they also have among the higher cut-off scores, just not -the- highest.</p>
<p>That distinction usually goes to MA/NJ/MD and maybe a couple of others (DC?), all of which are obviously not the most populated.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>From the National Merit web site's booklet for participating students: Semi-finalists are designated on a state representational basis...based on the states's percentage of the national total of high school graduating seniors.</p>
<p>There are 16,000 semi-finalists nationwide. Each state gets a share proportional to the number of high school graduates. States with high educational attainment (i.e., students score well on standard assessments of academic skills) tend to have a large number of students with high scores. So, when National Merit ranks all students according to their PSAT scores, the cutoff number will be a relatively high score. MA has a highly educated population on average, so its cutoff score is relatively high. Similar-sized states with a less educated populace have relatively low cutoff scores. If you want to be a National Merit Scholar and you live in Massachusetts, move to Arkansas.</p>
<p>.. there are states with lower cutoffs than Ark.. I think >>;</p>
<p>but yeah, you could either move or you could just do well... though the cutoff was only 206 here, a couple of my friends and I would have qualified in every other state as well</p>
<p>"If you want to be a National Merit Scholar and you live in Massachusetts, move to Arkansas."</p>
<p>Or maybe Mississippi, Nevada, or Wyoming - which all had lower cutoff scores! <g></g></p>
<p>Then again, if you move to Arkansas and become a NMF, you can take advantage of the AR Governor's Distinguished Scholarship, which equals a free ride!</p>
<p>After I typed that, I realized it sounded snide and insulting, and I want to apologize for that. I live in a neighboring state that shares not only a border but a lot of geography and culture. I only said Arkansas because I happened to take note of the cutoff score recently when a friend of mine was relocating from MA to AR and was wondering about the schools. So sorry. (My family is planning to spend spring break canoeing and camping on one of your rivers. I'm looking forward to it.)</p>
<p>No offense taken, midmo. :-)</p>
<p>Have a great spring break trip!</p>
<p>yeah, got finalist letter today...
now I'm just waiting for scholarship $$$$</p>
<p>MA's cutoff is usually around 221</p>
<p>got mine today as well</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am new to this board. My son is in his 11 th grade II semester at Naperville North high school, IL and he worte his PSAT in Nov, 2006 and he got 228. He has not received any mail regarding NM finalist. Wondering when do you guys think that they announce NM finalist and what do you think abou his chances as we are from IL?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>If he is a junior, he won't hear anything until later this year. The current National Merit Finalists were notified this month, and they're seniors. ... That 128 is fantastic!</p>
<p>Yeah he's going to be notified of semifinalist around September of his senior year and of finalist status Feb of his senior year.</p>
<p>Thank you guys for your quick response. Do we have to do anything mean time? What is the process to name the finalist? These kids have to write one more test?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Your son has nothing else to do regarding NMSF between now and semi-finalist next fall. (Except take the SAT, which he'd be doing anyway. Eventually, his finalist status may depend on whether or not his SAT score supports his high PSAT score.) Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, he is taking his SAT in March. What do you think would be reasonable supporting SAT score they look for deciding his finalist status?
His 228 in PSAT (IL) and SAT 2200, what are his chances? Thanks</p>
<p>With an SAT of 2200, I think he'd be a shoo-in for finalist status. (In my humble opinion.) Just so long as he doesn't drop far below what one would expect following a brilliant 228 PSAT score. My daughter scored a 219 (KY) on the PSAT; when she produced a 2290 on the SAT the following year, I was thrilled--and relieved. Earlier this month she received her finalist notification.</p>
<p>Congratulations! She did very well in her SAT! 2290 is very good score. Is she planning to go to Yale/Harvard for medical?
I wish her all the best! I am sure she should be geeting into good Ivy league school. Good luck!</p>