PSAT scores/National Merit

[Anonymous]

https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior...ate%20Semifinalists.

"National Merit $2500 Scholarships
These awards are unique because every Finalist is considered for one and winners are named in every state and other selection unit. The number awarded in each state is determined by the same representational procedure used to designate Semifinalists."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year's qualifying scores listed here, around page 13.
221 for MD, 219 for VA and 223 for DC.
Apparently won't announce qualifying scores for this year's juniors for sometime.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/g...am.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

I don’t understand why there is a single national cutoff score for a test that calls itself National Merit.

This test is taken by 3 million students to qualify as 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 make finalist, out of which couple of thousands get college or parent's employer sponsored scholarships. Only 2500 out of 3 million actually get National Merit Foundation's own sponsorship to become free standing National Merit Scholars. Its a small dollar amount but they get regardless of their college choice.

That doesn't answer the question you quoted. Why does a student from New Jersey have to score significantly higher than a student from Montana?
-not the pp you quoted

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child did poorly in the reading section, she received a 610, while a 740 on math section. Any suggestions on how to improve?

According to PP logic on this thread, your child is a boy.

FWIW, my kid (boy) did a lot better on the Reading/writing section last year than this year. I've read that there was a significant change in that section this year.

Last year (as a 10th grader), he was 99th percentile in the Reading/Writing section. This year he had 93rd percentile.

My daughter also did a lot better on reading last year than this year. We are wondering if it was just her or if there was some change because of the digital format or something else.

[Anonymous]

"Choosing Scholarship Winners
Only Finalists will be considered for the National Merit® Scholarships. Approximately half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship® winners (Merit Scholar® awardees). Winners are chosen on the basis of their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. Scholarship recipients are the candidates judged to have the greatest potential for success in rigorous college studies and beyond."

"Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements, which are provided in the information they receive with their scholarship applications. These include completing an application, having a consistently very high academic record, writing an essay, being endorsed and recommended by a school official, and taking the SAT® or ACT® and earning a score that confirms the PSAT/NMSQT performance. Click here to see the Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.)"

[Anonymous]

Is there data on how many students typically get a perfect score on PSAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year's qualifying scores listed here, around page 13.
221 for MD, 219 for VA and 223 for DC.
Apparently won't announce qualifying scores for this year's juniors for sometime.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/g...am.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

I don’t understand why there is a single national cutoff score for a test that calls itself National Merit.

This test is taken by 3 million students to qualify as 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 make finalist, out of which couple of thousands get college or parent's employer sponsored scholarships. Only 2500 out of 3 million actually get National Merit Foundation's own sponsorship to become free standing National Merit Scholars. Its a small dollar amount but they get regardless of their college choice.

That doesn't answer the question you quoted. Why does a student from New Jersey have to score significantly higher than a student from Montana?
-not the pp you quoted

To distribute opportunities evenly among all states, every student has to compete with others with similar opportunities.

I guess merit foundation doesn't want to judge people who had limited opportunities in Montana or Alabama with students who had abundance of opportunities in New Jersey or California and colleges also want geographical diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there data on how many students typically get a perfect score on PSAT?

About 1% so roughly 1,000, not all of them make scholars unless they meer all other requirements as well.

[Anonymous]

Roughly about 25 (plus minus some depending on state's population) top students are picked from each state for National Merit Foundation's free standing scholar status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there data on how many students typically get a perfect score on PSAT?

I don't think College Board has released this type of data in several years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a good score for a 10th grader?

You can expect about a 100 point increase from fall 10th grade to fall 11th grade. My 10th grader got 1280, so I’d guess he’d get around 1380 next year. Good but not great. I will definitely have him do SAT prep junior year

I have twins.

My son went up 140 points with a decent amount of prep. 1300--> 1440

My daughter went up 100 points with the same prep. 1200->1300

She actually has better grades in harder classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a good score for a 10th grader?

You can expect about a 100 point increase from fall 10th grade to fall 11th grade. My 10th grader got 1280, so I’d guess he’d get around 1380 next year. Good but not great. I will definitely have him do SAT prep junior year

I have twins.

My son went up 140 points with a decent amount of prep. 1300--> 1440

My daughter went up 100 points with the same prep. 1200->1300

She actually has better grades in harder classes.

Thats helpful--what is "decent amount of prep"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can also have them take tons of practice tests. I bought about 10 books and my kid just took about 50 English practice tests-one a day for a month and a half this summer. After awhile they start developing pattern recognition. My kid can read a reading passage and answer questions in their sleep.

The kid took practice tests 50 days in a row? 1) This isn't real. 2) And even if it was true, I bet they still wouldn't raise their average score by 50 points.

I did a practice section of the GMAT every weeknight and a whole exam every Saturday and Sunday for two months, and I got a perfect score. It works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year's qualifying scores listed here, around page 13.
221 for MD, 219 for VA and 223 for DC.
Apparently won't announce qualifying scores for this year's juniors for sometime.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/g...am.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

I don’t understand why there is a single national cutoff score for a test that calls itself National Merit.

This test is taken by 3 million students to qualify as 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 make finalist, out of which couple of thousands get college or parent's employer sponsored scholarships. Only 2500 out of 3 million actually get National Merit Foundation's own sponsorship to become free standing National Merit Scholars. Its a small dollar amount but they get regardless of their college choice.

That doesn't answer the question you quoted. Why does a student from New Jersey have to score significantly higher than a student from Montana?
-not the pp you quoted

To distribute opportunities evenly among all states, every student has to compete with others with similar opportunities.

I guess merit foundation doesn't want to judge people who had limited opportunities in Montana or Alabama with students who had abundance of opportunities in New Jersey or California and colleges also want geographical diversity.

The bolded makes no sense. Students in a state do not have similar opportunities to others in their state. Nova is much different than SW VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a good score for a 10th grader?

You can expect about a 100 point increase from fall 10th grade to fall 11th grade. My 10th grader got 1280, so I’d guess he’d get around 1380 next year. Good but not great. I will definitely have him do SAT prep junior year

I have twins.

My son went up 140 points with a decent amount of prep. 1300--> 1440

My daughter went up 100 points with the same prep. 1200->1300

She actually has better grades in harder classes.

Oh she must have been annoyed at her brother

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year's qualifying scores listed here, around page 13.
221 for MD, 219 for VA and 223 for DC.
Apparently won't announce qualifying scores for this year's juniors for sometime.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/g...am.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

I don’t understand why there is a single national cutoff score for a test that calls itself National Merit.

This test is taken by 3 million students to qualify as 16,000 semifinalists, 15,000 make finalist, out of which couple of thousands get college or parent's employer sponsored scholarships. Only 2500 out of 3 million actually get National Merit Foundation's own sponsorship to become free standing National Merit Scholars. Its a small dollar amount but they get regardless of their college choice.

That doesn't answer the question you quoted. Why does a student from New Jersey have to score significantly higher than a student from Montana?
-not the pp you quoted

To distribute opportunities evenly among all states, every student has to compete with others with similar opportunities.

I guess merit foundation doesn't want to judge people who had limited opportunities in Montana or Alabama with students who had abundance of opportunities in New Jersey or California and colleges also want geographical diversity.

The bolded makes no sense. Students in a state do not have similar opportunities to others in their state. Nova is much different than SW VA.

Exactly.
And do you really think students at some of the poor performing public schools in Newark have "an abundance of opportunities" compared the the sons and daughters of some of the very wealthy people in mining in Montana?