What is the average National Merit score?

Scores Needed for National Merit Scholarships These selection index scores vary by state. The average cutoff score is approximately 215, but if you live in Wyoming or Montana, you might qualify with a lower score, whereas if you live in areas like Massachusetts, New Jersey, or D.C., you will likely need a higher score.

What is a good National Merit score?

National Merit cutoff scores

You can see that a Selection Index score of 221 would qualify a student for National Merit Semifinalist status in most states, but some states required higher scores, including Massachusetts, with a cutoff of 222, and New Jersey, with a cutoff of 223.

Is 1400 a National Merit?

First, a 1400 is an excellent score on the PSAT, so congratulations on that achievement. However, whether it qualifies for National Merit does depend on the state you're in, as whether or not you're named a semifinalist depends on whether your score is within the top 1% of test-takers in your state.

Is 224 enough for National Merit?

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Scores by State

That means the qualifying score to become a semifinalist depends on your state. For the 2022 scholarship cycle, the state qualifying scores ranged from 207-224.

Is National Merit top 1 percent?

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.

What's a Good PSAT® Score? Updated for 2022-2023!

How impressive is National Merit?

At this stage you might be named either a Commended Student or a Semifinalist. Both are impressive markers that are worth putting in your college application. Less than 5% of test takers receive any commendation from the National Merit program.

How rare is National Merit finalist?

A finalist chances of winning

Of the 1.5 million applicants who submitted a PSAT score, there are only 7,250 National Merit Scholarship winners. This means you have a 0.5% chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar, making this one of the most competitive merit-based scholarships.

Does 1470 qualify for National Merit?

To be competitive for National Merit Semifinalist status, students need to score about 1400 on the PSAT in less competitive states like Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota . . . or about 1470 on the PSAT in more competitive states like Connecticut or New Jersey.

Is National Merit Finalist hard?

Becoming a National Merit Finalist is competitive and requires a top score on the PSAT. Although it varies from state to state, most students must score above 1400 (out of 1520) to qualify as a Semifinalist, which means they can compete to move on to Finalist standing.

What percent of people get National Merit?

At the end of the competition, a select group of Finalists are chosen to receive $2500 National Merit Scholarships. Scholarship winners represent less than 1% of the initial pool of student entrants.

Is National Merit a big deal?

Certain universities offer very large scholarships to National Merit Scholars. The actual National Merit Scholarship doesn't make a huge difference, but a university-specific full-ride or nearly so certainly does (thus graduating debt-free).

Is NHS a National Merit?

National Merit Finalist and National Merit Scholar recognition are both appropriately designated as National honors. Since National Honor Society selection is done at the school level, you should designate it as a school honor.

How do I know if I am a National Merit finalist?

Finalists are notified in early February by mail at their home addresses. A student may also access their Finalist letter through their Online Scholarship Application account.

Is it a big deal to be a National Merit Scholar?

This is considered a great honor that is documented in a Certificate of Merit. Around 15,000 semifinalists advance to this standing.

Do all National Merit finalists get money?

There are 3 different kinds of National Merit Scholarship awards you can win, all tend to be relatively small monetarily, and only about 50% of finalists even win one: Directly from the sponsors of National Merit: $2,500 one time payment that is awarded by state.

What percent of people get National Merit finalist?

About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

Does 1490 qualify for National Merit?

A 1490 should in theory be good enough for cutoff on the PSAT National Merit Semifinalist in most states. California, NYC, and Boston may bump up to 1500 at some point in order to qualify for semifinalist standing. This is an excellent award to pursue for the college admissions process.

How is National Merit score calculated?

The Selection Index is double the sum of your Reading and Writing (RW) score, and Math score divided by 10. Alternatively, you can simply drop the last zero on your section scores, double the RW and add the Math. For example, a student with scores of 690 RW and 720 M would have a Selection Index of 69 x 2 + 72 = 210.

How do I know if I am a National Merit Semifinalist?

National Merit Semifinalist Qualifying Scores

The NMSC uses its own Selection Index to determine which students qualify as Commended Students and Semifinalists. In general, students who score in the top 3-4% are named Commended Scholars, while students who score in the top 1% are deemed Semifinalists.

What is the difference between a National Merit semifinalist and a finalist?

Finalists. A Semifinalist must fulfill several additional requirements and advance to the Finalist level of the competition before being considered for a National Merit Scholarship.

How many people get National Merit every year?

In each annual National Merit Scholarship Program, about 50,000 academically talented high school students are honored, but only some 16,000 of them are named Semifinalists.

Is it a big deal to be a National Merit semifinalist?

In essence, the commendation is an honor bestowed as those students exit the competition. An additional 16,491 test-takers qualified as semifinalists in pursuit of prestigious National Merit Scholarships. The threshold varies from state to state, but most semifinalists scored well above the commendation level.

Does National Merit give money?

National Merit^® $2500 Scholarships

All Finalists compete with all other Finalists in their state or other selection unit. Awards provide a one-time payment of $2,500.

Do Ivy Leagues care about National Merit?

Ivy League schools don't award any merit scholarships, which includes National Merit Scholarships. These schools have the highest achieving students applying to their institutions and would rather award need-based financial aid to assist the most students in a fair and equitable manner.