Hey everyone! So I've been trying to find out how National Merit Semifinalists are determined by state. Can someone explain the process, like how many are selected from each state and how it's related to the PSAT scores?
Hey there! National Merit Semifinalists are selected based on their PSAT/NMSQT scores. The selection process is determined by state, and the number of Semifinalists from each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors.
The process goes like this:
1. Students take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year of high school.
2. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) calculates a Selection Index for each student by adding twice their Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) score to their Math score, creating a total out of 228. For example, if a student scores 68 in ERW and 65 in Math, their Selection Index would be (68 x 2) + 65 = 201.
3. To qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist, students must have a Selection Index score above a certain cutoff, which varies by state. This cutoff is based on the top 1 percent of scores in each state and usually between 212-225.
4. The NMSC then selects the top scorers in each state as National Merit Semifinalists, ensuring that the number of Semifinalists selected is representative of the state's percentage of graduating high school seniors.
Keep in mind that these cutoffs may change from year to year, based on the performance of PSAT/NMSQT test-takers within each state. The specific state cutoffs are not predetermined or announced in advance, but you can find the previous year's cutoffs online to have an idea of what to aim for.
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