Predicted National Merit Scholarship Cutoffs for 2018 and 2019 (Updated)

Predicted National Merit Scholarship Cutoffs for 2018 and 2019 (Updated) SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips What score do you need on the PSAT to qualify for National Merit distinction? The answer to this question depends on where you live. To achieve National Merit recognition, you need to match or exceed the cutoff score in your home state. We’ve compiledtheNational Merit Semifinalist state cutoffs based on the most recent data from the fall of 2017.Before checking out the qualifying scores, let’s discuss how the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) determines who is named Commended Student orSemifinalist. Howto Qualify for National Merit National Merit is open to U.S. citizens who test in the U.S. in the fall of 11th grade. Only your junior year PSAT counts toward National Merit distinction and scholarships, though taking the PSAT as a sophomore or freshman can be good practice, especially if you’re aiming for top scores. Students who achieve top scores may receive recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. NMSC compares your PSAT scores with those of other students in your state using its own Selection Index, which falls on a scale between 48 and 228. The top 3-4% of scorers arenamed Commended Scholar. The top 1%, usually about 16,000 students, are named National Merit Semifinalists. Semifinalists may go on to apply for Finalist status and potentially win scholarship money. As I mentioned above, NMSC uses its own Selection Index along with state percentiles. Let’s take a look at how your scores convert to this index. Just how many differentscoring scales are actually onthe PSAT? Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. Understanding Your Scores on the PSAT To understand your National Merit eligibility, you mainly need to pay attention to your PSAT section scores for Math, Reading, and Writing and Language. Each section isscored between 8 and 38. NMSCadds each section score together and then multiplies by 2. Let’s say you got a 30 on Math, a 31 on Reading, and a 32 on Writing and Language. Added together, the sum of these scores comes out to 93. Multiply by 2, and you get your National Merit Selection Index Score: 186. Asan equation, this would look like: (30 + 31 + 32) x2 = 186. Based on our estimates for the qualifying PSAT scores, a score of 186 wouldn’t make it into the top 1%. Check out the cutoff scoresbelow. Does your PSAT score report look like a jumble of numbers? For National Merit, you just need to understand one: your Selection Index. Predicted National Merit ScholarshipCutoffs The cutoffs in the chart below apply to students who took the PSAT in October 2017.While the National Merit Scholarship Corporation hasn't released the exact state-by-state cutoffs it used, we have been able to crowdsource this information from individuals around the country. If you see any state cutoffs that look off, let us know in the comments! Here's the full list of Selection Index scores that qualified for National Merit Semifinalist. State Selection Index Alabama 216 Alaska 215 Arizona 220 Arkansas 214 California 223 Colorado 221 Connecticut 222 Delaware 222 DC 223 Florida 219 Georgia 220 Hawaii 220 Idaho 214 Illinois 221 Indiana 219 Iowa 216 Kansas 218 Kentucky 218 Louisiana 217 Maine 217 Maryland 223 Massachusetts 223 Michigan 219 Minnesota 220 Mississippi 215 Missouri 217 Montana 214 Nebraska 216 Nevada 218 New Hampshire 219 New Jersey 223 New Mexico 215 New York 221 North Carolina 220 North Dakota 212 Ohio 219 Oklahoma 215 Oregon 221 Pennsylvania 220 Rhode Island 220 South Carolina 216 South Dakota 215 Tennessee 219 Texas 221 Utah 215 Vermont 216 Virginia 222 Washington 222 West Virginia 212 Wisconsin 216 Wyoming 212 Average Score 218 If you tested in California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Washington, DC, then the bar was especially high. You had to score at or above a 223. North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming had the lowest cutoffs at 212. The average cutoff for all states was 218. If you haven't taken the PSAT yet and are aiming for National Merit, you should aim to get a Selection Index score 2-5 points higher than the cutoff score for your state. The reason you should aim a little higher is that qualifying scores can fluctuate a little from year to year. Aiming for a National Merit Scholarship but worried your score won't qualify? If you're not sure you can self-study your way to a qualifying PSAT score, you'll love our PSAT prep program, PrepScholar. We designed our program to learn your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics and customize your prep to be as effective as possible for you. When you start with PrepScholar, you’ll take a diagnostic that will determine your weaknesses in over forty PSAT skills. PrepScholar then creates a study program specifically customized for you. To improve each skill, you’ll take focused lessons dedicated to each skill, with over 20 practice questions per skill. This will train you for your specific area weaknesses, so your time is always spent most effectively to raise your score. We also force you to focus on understanding your mistakes and learning from them. If you make the same mistake over and over again, we'll call you out on it. There’s no other prep system out there that does it this way, which is why we get better score results than any other program on the market. Check it out today with a 5-day free trial: Based on these cutoffs, how can you figure out what section scores you need on the PSATto qualify for National Merit? Let's talk goals. What Should You Score on Each PSAT Section? As discussed above, NMSC's Selection Index adds your three section scores together and doubles them. In order to figure out what you need for each section, simply work backward. Divide your state's qualifying score by 2, and then split that up by 3 (or however you want based on your target scores for each section). Let's consider the average qualifying score of 218. If you have a selection score of 218, then your section scores add up to 109. To get this sum, you couldscore around 36-37 on each section (Math, Reading, and Writing and Language). If you're much stronger in maththan in writing, then you could aim for a perfect 38 on Math and a little lower on Writing and Language. Overall, you need to get a sectionscore in the 30s for each section on the PSAT to compete for National Merit. Again, aim for a few points higher than the minimum, as cutoffs can vary somewhat from year to year. If your goal is to be named National Merit Semifinalist, then you'll want to put in some effort towardprepping for the PSAT.Below you'll find links to useful resources, such as official PSAT practice tests and sample questions. You'll need to crackthe books to geta purrfect score. How to Prep for the PSAT The best way to prepare for the PSAT is to familiarize yourself with official practice questions and self-timed PSAT practice tests. Score your attempts, figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and design a study plan that targets your weak areas. Depending on where you’re starting out, you might want to put in 40 hours of prep or more. You should familiarize yourself with the test content to review key concepts and get used to the tricky wording of the PSAT/NMSQT. At the same time, you can try out different strategies for answering questions efficiently, like recognizing answer types and using the process of elimination. One essentialpart of studying is reviewing and analyzing your mistakes. Rather than taking a practice test and moving right on to the next, you should take the time to deconstruct your errors piece by piece. Did you misunderstand the question, lack content knowledge, or make a careless mistake? By understanding the root of your mistake, you can figure out what you need to fix for next time. All of your prep might not only pay off with National Merit distinction and scholarships, but it should also help you achieve excellent scores on the SAT! What’s Next? If you achieve amazing PSAT scores and are named Semifinalist, how do you go on to win the scholarship? This guide talks about the application process for moving from National Merit Semifinalist to National Merit Finalist and scholarship winner. If you're scoring highly on the PSAT, then you might be in a good position to get a perfect score on the SAT. FYI, you don't have to be a genius to get a 1600 - full scores are all about how much and how well you prep! Check out this guide to getting a perfect score on the SAT, written by a perfectscorer. Disappointed with your scores? 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