What percentile is National Merit Commended Scholar?

The top 3-4% of scorers are named 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.

What score is commended for National Merit Scholarship?

The Commended Student cutoff is likely to rise to 209 (above the 207 from the last 3 years). Estimates can be imperfect, but we are confident that the Commended cutoff will fall within the 208 to 210 range. The higher Commended cutoff, in turn, correlates with higher Semifinalist cutoffs. Below are those estimates.

What percentile is a commended scholar?

Generally, the top 2%-3% of PSAT scorers receive commended student status, or about 34,000 students. This is certainly an accomplishment, but it means that these students did not receive high enough qualifying scores to be named a semifinalist this cycle, as usually semifinalists score in the top 1% of PSAT takers.

Is National Merit Commended Scholar impressive?

Congratulations on becoming a National Merit Commended Scholar! It's an amazing accomplishment that reflects your hard work and academic abilities. You should definitely include it in the honors and awards section of your college applications, as admissions officers will recognize the value of this achievement.

What level of recognition is commended Scholar?

One level of recognition within the National Merit Scholarship Program is Commended Student status. This designation is given to those students who score within a certain range on the PSAT, but do not meet the requirements for Semifinalist or Finalist standing.

HOW TO WIN THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP / PSAT National Merit Scholarship / National Merit Scholar

What percent of people get National Merit Commended?

Those not making Semifinalist – about 34.000 of the 50.000, and about 3-4% of all PSAT takers – are "Commended", and receive a Letter of Commendation; they do not continue in the competition for Merit Scholarship awards.

Should I put National Merit Commended Scholar on resume?

You should list academic honors on your resume as long as they are relevant to the position you are applying for or demonstrate a significant achievement. Generally, if you have received academic honors in the past five to seven years, they can still be included on your resume.

Is National Merit Commended an honor?

In mid-September, nmsc sends principals a list of their school's Commended Students with Letters of Commendation for presentation to the students. Although Commended Students are honored for their academic promise, they do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarship awards.

What percent of PSAT takers are commended Scholars?

This means that while they did not qualify to move on to the next round of selection, their PSAT scores are still among the top 50,000 out of over 1.5 million participants. To put it simply, being a Commended Student means that you are among the top 3% of PSAT takers nationwide.

How do I know if I am a National Merit Commended Scholar?

Students whose scores qualify them for recognition in the National Merit Program will be notified through their high schools in September following the test administration.

How are National Merit Commended students chosen?

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. Students are compared on a state-by-state basis.

What percentile is commended on PSAT?

Each year, the top 3-4% of test takers become Commended Students, and the top 1% proceed as Semifinalists. This works out to around 16,000 Semifinalists, of whom 15,000 will move on and become Finalists.

Do colleges care about National Merit Commended?

Your SAT and ACT scores are far more important to colleges; your National Merit status does not add much new information. However, having a high number of enrolled Semifinalists is seen as a badge of honor at some colleges and will factor in their admission decisions.

What is a 1490 PSAT National Merit?

If you're in 11th grade, anything between a 1490 and 1520 places you in the top 1%. About 1.5 million students in each grade take the PSAT each year, so the 99th percentile puts you among the top 15,000 test takers.

Does a 1400 PSAT qualify for National Merit?

3. Does a 1400 PSAT Qualify for National Merit? Based on the scores of real grade 11 students who took the PSAT, a score of 1400 puts you in the 97th percentile. You may not qualify for the National Merit Scholarship with this score: it also depends on the cut-off scores of your state.

What does it mean to be a commended National Merit Scholar?

Commended Students:

This letter means they are not eligible to move on in the competition, but it still looks good to college admissions offices and may qualify them for special scholarships.

How good is National Merit Commended?

1. Commended Scholar: Students who earn this designation have placed in the top 50,000 scorers on the PSAT (out of about 1.5 million test-takers). This recognition doesn't come with any monetary awards; however, it can still strengthen a student's application and show colleges a high level of academic achievement.

Should I put commended Scholar on common app?

NMS Commended usually goes on the Awards/Honors section of the Common App, and it's relatively prestigious. Both.

How do I list National Merit Commended on common app?

If you have fewer than five awards listed in your Honors section, feel free to include a National Merit designation here. Commended Student and Semifinalist should be listed at the state level, while Finalist and Scholar should be listed at the National level.

How rare is a National Merit Scholar?

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.

Do Ivy Leagues care about National Merit?

Universities have the option to sponsor a National Merit Scholarship in an effort to net freshmen who have earned this impressive distinction. However, many highly-selective schools like those in the Ivy League or Ivy-equivalent colleges choose not to participate in this merit-based scholarship program.

Is 93 percentile on PSAT good?

An "OK" PSAT score is one higher than the 50th percentile, which means you scored the same as or higher than half of all other test takers. An excellent score is a score in the 90th percentile or higher (although a 90th percentile score still isn't high enough to qualify for National Merit, as we discuss more below).

What is Commended Scholar Award?

Commended Scholars are those that have a high score, but their results are lower than the selection index in their state. This year, the cutoff for Commended Scholars is 214.