National Merit Semifinalists 2024
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Anonymous
That’s definitely a part of it, but not all of it. NMSF is ~top 1% of test takers by state (b/c of the weight/bias given to the RW section can’t say it is precisely the top 1%). The different cutoff should address some discrepancy. But not all. Because they double the RW scores for NMSF you can’t get an exact number, but basically, the cutoff in DC/Va is around 1486 and 1460 in Texas. I don’t think those 26 points are the difference between 10% and 30% of your student body making it. Those are both 99th percentile scores. But the cutoff does explain some of the discrepancy. Something else going on with enrollment patterns. Where top end private schools in Texas are collecting more 99th percentile kids than the schools in this thread. Not really a big deal, but interesting to compare. |
Anonymous
When my kid was at TJ, it was about 150 nmsfs out of about 420 kids. |
Anonymous
Grow up. |
Anonymous
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Same questions come up every year, so I am cutting and pasting a post from last year's "why is DC different post" conversation:
The answer to why there are different scores per state is because the NMSF award is not primarily about the score. The intention of the program is to distribute the award proportionally across the country, awarding the top students in each state of the nation (not the top students nationally). The Commended program does award students on a truly national basis, and the number awarded is not proportional by state. No matter where you live, if you meet the top ~2-3% of scores in the nation, you get the national recognition. So NMSF is a State level award, and National Merit Commended is a National level award. "NMSC designates Semifinalists in the program on a state-representational basis to ensure that academically accomplished young people from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool. Using the latest data available, an allocation of Semifinalists is determined for each state, based on the state’s percentage of the national total of high school graduating seniors. For example, the number of Semifinalists in a state that enrolls approximately 2% of the nation’s graduating seniors would be about 320 (2% of the 16,000 Semifinalists)." https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior...1758&gid=2&pgid=1881 So, for example, California has about 13% of the nation's seniors, so they get 13% of the 16,000 semifinalists. They will always get ~2080 semi finalists, no matter what the scores are. Note that this is the number of graduating seniors, not the number of students taking the NMSQT. The cut score for the state is determined by ranking the state's juniors' scores and figuring out what score student number 2080 had, and how many tied with that score and the score just above that until they get to a pool of about 2080 students. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the number of ties at that score. So, locally, VA and MD will always have roughly the same number of SFs each year (~400 and ~300 respectively each year), absent a huge population swing; what the cut score is depends on what the 300th or 400th student scored, then adjusting for ties. DC is too small to use the percentage of seniors (they'd only be allotted ~15 awards), and too "smart" to use the commended (as other non-states do) because then their percentage of NMSF would be way over the 1% average. So they have to use the top cut in the nation, which usually gets them about 30-50 SF, which usually hits close enough to the 1% goal. |
Anonymous
DC always has between 30 and 50 kids. There have been 99th percentile kids in DC who do not get NMSF. Texas will always be allotted many more scholar slots. California will always be allotted the most. The cut score for a state is decided base on that number of kids, not the other way around. |
Anonymous
I’m more impressed with kids who are both smart and rich (a genetic and socioeconomic lottery winner). But good for the striving Blair students. Maybe their children will be both smart and rich private school students too. Each generation should do better than the last. |
Anonymous
What is it now, in 2024? I remember when Ivies admitted 15-20% of applicants. That fact isn’t relevant to this discussion either. |
Anonymous
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My 2E, ADHD kid doesn't use their extra-time accommodations at school, because they've yet to encounter a school test difficult enough for them not to just breeze through it in a fraction of the time allotted to their whole class.
I would nevertheless encourage them to use the accommodation on their PSAT, even if it might turn out that they still don't need extra time. It's not cheating. It's just allowing them to demonstrate what they're capable of when they're not wildly distracted. |
Anonymous
Being lucky isn’t impressive. Striving is. |
Anonymous
We’re entitled to our own opinions. Being smart and rich is lucky. It’s also impressive. Who would turn down such an embarrassment of riches? |
Anonymous
Cutoffs this year Texas 219 Virginia 222 Maryland 222 DC 223 (as a poster notes they get stuck with MA/NJ’s cutoff) |
Anonymous
About half of that number, thanks to the racist TJ Reform. |
Anonymous
Wow - that’s a huge number for Potomac bc their grades are not that big |
Anonymous
PP as asking why so many more in TX and the answer is because TX has more students, thus is given a larger number of semifinalist spots. It's a proportional allotment. |
Anonymous
Great explanation. |