Anonymous wrote:I’m in VA and was able to get scores earlier but am now getting the message that scores won’t be available until tomorrow.

I'm also getting that message

Anonymous wrote:^ oops- link below
https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/

I'm a newbie. How does the PSAT score correspond to those scores?

DC got 1480. What does this score map to in that link?

Anonymous wrote:

This is incorrect. DC follows whichever state has the highest score, in this case, it was MD.

Actually, this is wrong. The highest cutoff is typically DC, Mass and CA. We live in MD but DD goes to school in DC. When she was NMSF, the cutoff was 223 in DC and 221 in MD. Look at historical data.

For class of 2022, highest cutoff is DC and US abroad. The cutoff for WV is 17 less than DC.

This is incorrect. DC follows whichever state has the highest score, in this case, it was MD.

Actually, this is wrong. The highest cutoff is typically DC, Mass and CA. We live in MD but DD goes to school in DC. When she was NMSF, the cutoff was 223 in DC and 221 in MD. Look at historical data.

Anonymous wrote:
What was up with Maryland's and DC's selectivity score of 224 for class of 2022? Neither have ever been that high.
Due to pandemic conditions in fall of 2020, most state scores stayed the same or went down.
My theory is that savvy and competitve students and parents in this area took advantage of the relaxed alternate score process and submittted high SAT scores from any time in junior year.
I don't think the 224 cut-off will be repeated this year.
Thoughts?

Actually, the uber competitive and savvy parents had their kids take PSAT elsewhere because no PSATs were offered in MCPS. But, then, it backfired because, even though NM says the SAT is an extension, and the scoring should be capped not scaled, it really is easier to score high, I think. But, all the kids I know, including my own (of course!) who qualified via alternate entry most likely would have qualified had it been a regular year. It just became a steeper bar for the gamers and for people in counties that did not cancel PSAT.

Anonymous wrote:This article has an interesting analysis on predicted cutoffs for 2023. DC is always the highest nationally (due to so many private schools), and MD/VA are usually a point or two lower. NMSF looks at where the student’s school is located, not residence.

This is incorrect. DC follows whichever state has the highest score, in this case, it was MD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How important is NMSF in college admission?

Isn't NMSF essentially saying one has a high score? Wouldn't the student's SAT/ACT convey the same information?

No, you have to sit for the real SAT/ACT test. NMSF does not matter for the top 20 schools. If you're not a NMSF but has a high SAT score, you're fine for college admissions, but not vice versa.

I’m in VA and was able to get scores earlier but am now getting the message that scores won’t be available until tomorrow.

Anonymous wrote:Where can a DCPS parent find the scores?

I don't think DCPS students get scores until tomorrow.

1320 was 98thpercentile for 10th grader. (today)

^ oops- link below
https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/

This article has an interesting analysis on predicted cutoffs for 2023. DC is always the highest nationally (due to so many private schools), and MD/VA are usually a point or two lower. NMSF looks at where the student’s school is located, not residence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How important is NMSF in college admission?

Isn't NMSF essentially saying one has a high score? Wouldn't the student's SAT/ACT convey the same information?

Yes, and if you tank your GPA it means nothing at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What was up with Maryland's and DC's selectivity score of 224 for class of 2022? Neither have ever been that high.
Due to pandemic conditions in fall of 2020, most state scores stayed the same or went down.
My theory is that savvy and competitve students and parents in this area took advantage of the relaxed alternate score process and submittted high SAT scores from any time in junior year.
I don't think the 224 cut-off will be repeated this year.
Thoughts?

This is common knowledge (although both states are close to the highest cutoff each year anyway). But I view it through a less cynical lens. Most MD students didn't have the opportunity to take the psat since schools were closed almost all year, so their use of alternate entry wasn't to game the system but it was the only way to enter.

Wow. Why is everyone so defensive on this site? Statistically speaking it is an interesting anomaly. PP was simply looking for other hypotheses.

Anonymous wrote:That’s strange, VA students and parents are not as savvy?

DMV likely are but whole state pulls average down. Their score last year was not 224, weirdly high, so not cited in PP comments.