What scores do you need to be a commended national merit scholar?

[Anonymous]

Does it matter which high school or just the state?

I have two kids in high school. I assume my kid with a 1380 PSAT did not make the cutoff.

[Anonymous]

Depends what kid's selection index score was (derived from math/reading scores). For class of 2026 that score was 210 (2210 and above = commended, nationwide). Nobody knows yet what the cutoff score will be for class of 2027 - won't know until this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it matter which high school or just the state?

I have two kids in high school. I assume my kid with a 1380 PSAT did not make the cutoff.

It’s not the score, but the selection index, which is national. Google selection index for the past few years do get a sense of where your kid stands.

As an example, my kid with a 212 (1440) is likely on the cusp of commended scholar.

[Anonymous]

My friend’s DC was NMSF last year (DC is current senior, so took PSAT last year) - DC had a perfect score on 11th grade
PSAT. Another friend’s DC (also a senior) did not get it and she said DC got one question wrong.

[Anonymous]

The cutoff for Commended is national and is announced in April.

National Merit Commended typically adds little to no value for college admissions or scholarships. To be clear, it is not the same as National Merit Semifinalist/Finalist.

[Anonymous]

The selection index is defined by the formula

[ (PSAT math) + 2 * (PSAT reading) ] / 10

Since PSAT math and reading both max out at 760, the highest possible selection index is 228. To be a commended scholar the most recent year, the cutoff is 207 regardless of state. To be a Semifinalist, the cutoff varies with states. You can google "NMSF compass" and look up Art Sawyer who does a great job every September in sharing with students the cutoffs he hears shortly before they become official.

[Anonymous]

My 10th grader took the PSAT in school and it's my understanding that she just missed the cutoff to be a semifinalist (if she was an 11th grader and the score mattered). She had a 1450 and with their odd way of calculating the score, she was missing a few points. We'll see how she does in 11th grade.

I really don't think the PSAT matters much in this day and age, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend’s DC was NMSF last year (DC is current senior, so took PSAT last year) - DC had a perfect score on 11th grade
PSAT. Another friend’s DC (also a senior) did not get it and she said DC got one question wrong.

Likely talking about semi-finalist, not commended. Semi-fi cutoffs last year were crazy high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cutoff for Commended is national and is announced in April.

National Merit Commended typically adds little to no value for college admissions or scholarships. To be clear, it is not the same as National Merit Semifinalist/Finalist.

It’s not a huge deal, but commended status can be useful if you’re applying somewhere test optional, as it’s an indicator that you scored reasonably high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The cutoff for Commended is national and is announced in April.

National Merit Commended typically adds little to no value for college admissions or scholarships. To be clear, it is not the same as National Merit Semifinalist/Finalist.

It’s not a huge deal, but commended status can be useful if you’re applying somewhere test optional, as it’s an indicator that you scored reasonably high.

Agree. For example, UC systems and U of Washington are test-blind and won't even look at your SAT scores, so having a little "NM Commended" under Awards is a plus.