National merit 2026?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

My kid got a 224 last year but they had a perfect math. So there are higher indexes without scoring perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I personally think having different cutoffs for different states is bogus. Why should one kid be a NMSF with a 212 while a kid with a 222 in another state is not?

Because some states/school districts have a lot more resources. I personally think the current approach is fair.

I think that the system is generally fair. As a public school teacher in DC, I think that DC's scores are inflated by kids who come into DC for private school from MD and VA. I think it's hard when there are lower income kids in DC whose score would get them NMSF in almost every other state, who don't get NMSF, in state tuition, or in state financial aid. I know a kid like this whose scores would have qualified in any state except DC, NJ, and MA, and who would have qualified in DC if their scores were flipped.

How is that "generally fair"?

As someone who lives in MD, where there are more opportunities. I think it's fair that our cut off is set higher than South Dakota, because it's about exceeding the norm for your community.

My guess is that DC has a higher percentage of out of state kids earning NMSF than any other state. If you look at the list of who won, it's a lot of kids from Sidwell, GDS, St. Anselm's etc. . . and a high percentage of those kids don't live in DC. So, I think that that is unfair for kids from DC. I think the cut off should be based on the percentiles of kids who live in DC.

I also think that when the high cut off is combined with the lack of instate options in DC, and an extremely unfair DC TAG program that is designed to help MC and UMC kids, but that doesn't address the fact that state schools generally don't give financial aid to low income kids who are OOS, I think it is unfair for kids from DC.

Given that DC makes up 0.2% of the population, I would describe a system that is fair for everyone but 0.2% of the population as "generally fair".

Did you know that in July, the unemployment rate for South Dakota was 1.9%, the lowest in the nation, and Maryland’s was 3.4%?

The median household income in SD’s wealthiest county (Lincoln) is $112,681. Last year, their students had a cutoff of 209. The median household income in MD’s poorest county (Somerset) is $44,980, and last year’s cutoff for them was 221.

The difference in cutoffs doesn’t reflect the difference in resources or opportunities available to students. The cutoffs reflect NMSF’s prioritizing geographic diversity and proportionality (in relation to the population of the US). They reward students for test performance (verbal more than math) strictly within that framework.

The population of South Dakota is 900,000 and Maryland's is 6 million+. The top employers in South Dakota are a couple of health systems and Smithfield Packaged Meats. If you feel the resources are so much better for your child in South Dakota, you can always move there.

Chasing National Merit status isn’t a high priority for me, but if it was, it would be pretty dumb to live in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Compass Prep is now reporting that the cutoff for Maryland is 226

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Compass Prep is now reporting that the cutoff for Maryland is 226

I wouldn’t be surprised. At DC’s school, there are many more kids than usual with perfect PSAT scores. I would not be shocked if 10 percent of that class gets NMSF. And Maryland is a relatively small state, with only about 300 NMSFs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

My kid got a 224 last year but they had a perfect math. So there are higher indexes without scoring perfectly.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

Insane because this year seems to have many more prepared or smart students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

Insane because this year seems to have many more prepared or smart students?

I think the test was actually the issue. Like they miscalculated the hard questions so no differentiation at the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

Insane because this year seems to have many more prepared or smart students?

No easier test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

Insane because this year seems to have many more prepared or smart students?

As discussed above, DC's cutoff is not a reflection on how well DC students did. DC always has, by definition, the highest cut off score in the country. So it's a reflection of how well other states' students did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid got his today. VA public. They handed them out in school, which was good. I thought it would come by email.

What score did they receive to get it in VA? Congratulations to your child!

Thanks! PSAT was 1500. IDK what the index is. The letter didn't say. I calculated the index last year but I don't remember what it was now. Whatever it was, 1500 was comfortably above the usual cutoff.

Does anyone know what is the index score for 1500 psat?

We would need the math/verbal breakdown to tell you. Index = (2x the verbal score + math score) / 10.

Keep in mind the maximum score on each section for the PSAT is 760 vs 800 for the SAT, so some of these high index scores require an almost perfect score on the test.

What is the highest index one can get with 1500 score?

The highest index would be by getting a perfect verbal. So, 760 verbal plus 740 math would be 1500. Index would be 226.

226 is rumored to be the cutoff for DC this year. Insane.

Insane because this year seems to have many more prepared or smart students?

As discussed above, DC's cutoff is not a reflection on how well DC students did. DC always has, by definition, the highest cut off score in the country. So it's a reflection of how well other states' students did.

And this year, the top performing states seems to be Maryland (cutoff = 226). That’s why DC is at 226.

[Anonymous]

Is 226 confirmed for Md? That’s nuts.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the cutoff for Virginia?