What score do you need for the National Merit Scholarship?

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 PSAT score do you need for National Merit?

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.

How hard is it to get National Merit Scholarship?

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.

Is 1200 a good PSAT score?

A good PSAT score is between 1210 and 1520, which would put you in the top 10% of test takers. The average score earned on the PSAT is about 920, and a “perfect” score on the PSAT would be the maximum score of 1520.

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.

How to Win a National Merit Scholarship | PSAT Tips

Is 900 a bad PSAT score?

A combined score of 900 is the 31st percentile, (students scored higher than 31% of the people but unfortunately, 69% of the students scored higher). On the other end of the spectrum, a score of 1220 is the 85th percentile (students scored higher than 85% of the people and only 15% of the students scored higher).

What GPA do you need for National Merit?

National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalist students take their academics seriously. You must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA to qualify for the application process and maintain that GPA throughout your four years of high school.

Is National Merit a big deal?

This is considered a great honor that is documented in a Certificate of Merit. Around 15,000 semifinalists advance to this standing. Merit Scholars: About 7,500 seniors are notified in March that they received the designation of “Merit Scholar” and are awarded the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.

How impressive is National Merit?

As mentioned above, becoming a National Merit Semifinalist is an impressive achievement in itself, since just the top 1% of scorers in a given state receive that recognition.

Is 1470 a good PSAT score?

Each year, approximately 1.6 million juniors take the PSAT. The data above tells us that the top 1% of test takers—about 16,000 juniors—scored between 1460 and 1520. Contrary to what many believe, you do not need a perfect PSAT score to get into the 99th percentile.

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.

Is 1060 a good PSAT score?

Many schools have rolling admissions, which means you can start a program in a few weeks! For most students, a good PSAT score is above the 75th percentile, or a 1060. Sophomores can raise their scores by taking the PSAT again in their junior year.

How do I know if I qualify for National Merit Scholarship?

United States high school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary S A T/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which serves as an initial screen of over 1.5 million entrants each year, and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.

Is my PSAT score good enough for National Merit?

In order to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, most students need a PSAT score within the top 1% of their state. That means the score cutoff will change depending on where you reside, and how well others in your state did on the PSAT.

Is 1150 a good PSAT score?

We can define a "good" PSAT score as one that's higher than the 75th percentile of the user group. This means you scored equal to or higher than 75% of all other test takers. For juniors, 75th percentile scores are around 560 to 590 in each section, or about 1150 in total.

Do colleges care if you are a National Merit Scholar?

While the size of the award isn't as generous as other programs you'll find in your quest to find and win scholarships, it's worth educating yourself on this award for one huge, added benefit: being a National Merit Scholar can provide a powerful boost to your college application.

How many National Merit finalists are there 2023?

(Evanston, Illinois) Today, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced this year's National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Do all National Merit finalists get money?

Although all students who become Finalists are outstanding, not all Finalists receive a Merit Scholarship award. Of the 15,000 Finalists in the 2024 program, about half will win an award, and no student will receive more than one scholarship offer from NMSC.

Does Harvard accept National Merit?

Some colleges that do NOT sponsor scholarships for National Merit students include Harvard and other Ivy League schools, Middlebury College, MIT, Stanford, and Williams College. You must choose one of the sponsor colleges as your first-choice school on your application to be considered for a scholarship.

Do Ivy Leagues accept National Merit Scholarships?

Ivy League universities don't offer merit aid. Some colleges offer merit aid to reduce costs. Out-of-state students may receive more merit aid than in-state students. Students may need to maintain a certain GPA.

What percentile gets National Merit?

What Is a Good PSAT Score for National Merit? Each year, NMSC recommends the top 1% of junior semifinalists for a scholarship, meaning you'll typically have to score in the 99th percentile. Of those students, fewer than 8,000 will receive a scholarship.

How bad is a 920 PSAT score?

Looking at these numbers in context, you can consider your PSAT or PSAT 10 score decent if you land in the 50th percentile, meaning you scored as good as, or better than, half of the students who took the test. This correlates with a composite score of about 920.

Is 1200 a good PSAT score for a freshman?

Anything above the 75th percentile is ranked as good. 1200 is a good PSAT score as a freshman. A composite score above 1170 is considered excellent.