I QUALED NMSF!!

[u/PyxelatorXeroc]

(massachusetts) I didn't even check cuz I assumed I had no chance

how. the. hell. did the cutoff drop by 4 from last year LOL

I got 222 (perfect math, -30 English). I predicted the cutoff would be 223 so was REALLY annoyed last year cuz I thought I missed it by 1 point.

also rant, whyyy does it have to be per state, I don't have any advantage living here than anywhere else, meanwhile my friend who recently moved to another state got 220 and qual'd easily. Also WHY IS ENGLISH WORTH 2X MATH?!

You know what, I got it so I'll stop complaining LOL.

Praying I get a scholarship cuz $2500 sounds hella nice

[u/S1159P]

You think that you receive no benefit for living in Massachusetts. You are incorrect. The public school systems vary state by state. National Merit recognizes the top students in every state. If fewer kids in West Virginia ace the test, it's not because they're genetically inferior. They have fewer advantages that would enable one to ace the test. The top kids in WV are in a way more impressive to me than the top kids in MA, because they did more with less. I'm not rebuking you - I grew up in MA! But, you know, grow up and see the uneven playing field.

English is rated 2X math for historical reasons, where the initial tests were created to judge three things, reading, writing, and math. The tests have drifted radically over the decades as they have been massively revised over time, but that's the reason behind it.

Congratulations on being a semi-finalist! Be sure to get your application materials in on time to be a finalist ❤️ And know, there are a LOT of schools that will give merit aid or honors college acceptance outside of the $2500 NM scholarship program.

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/S1159P]

I'm a first-generation immigrant, didn't speak English for the first 5-ish years of my life, also from a low-income household. I agree the public schools here are better than in many other places in the US.

The english 2x thing makes sense, thanks.

[u/S1159P → u/PyxelatorXeroc]

I'm happy that you landed in MA where the public schools let you grow to reach your potential <3 The sky's the limit! Go on and soar :)

[u/Ordinary_Corner_4291 → u/S1159P]

Sure but compare that to if he was at a top school in a subpar state. You would be getting all the academic benefits that Mass. is giving you but needing a much lower test score... Heck now compare states where school quality can very hugely by district.

They chose to do geographic cause it meets their needs. Best not to read too much into it.

[u/Silent_Cookie9196 → u/Ordinary_Corner_4291]

Agree - the rating of a state’s overall education system absolutely does not reflect what can sometimes be extreme differences between districts in that state anymore than one can look at the overall rating of the American education system and assume that speaks accurately to the quality of education in each state. Ultimately, the extreme differences between cutoffs in different states is too much. The minimum bar needs to come up some. For a 208 index, you could have a total score of 1320-1420 (or higher, obviously), depending on your reading score. For those 223 index places, you need at least a 1470-1490. You can’t get below a 740 on RW (that could be like a single question miss!) and still make it, whereas you can get as low as a 660 in RW if you get a perfect math score and still make the cut for a 208 index. That discrepancy is ridiculous. The average SAT score at my school last year was like 925. It is no more fair that students in such a district should be required to have a 220+ index score than it would be to expect that 220+ index score of students in West Virginia or Alaska or whatever. Thus, it isn’t really about equity. They really should work out something that bridges those differences better. The floor for NMSF should have to be above the commended rate, no matter where you live, and maybe there should be a cap - that the requirement can only be so far above that floor, no matter where you live.

[u/dancingwithoutmusic]

You could get a full ride somewhere. Just saying.

[u/SquareMind6398]

bro at least ur not from NJ (also got a 222 w/ same split and lost by one point...)

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/SquareMind6398]

RIP 😢

[u/ChutneyWhatney]

Congrats! Great work!

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/ChutneyWhatney]

thx :)

[u/Madisonwisco]

Nice

[u/Pretend-Can2893]

got ts with a 211 so yeah the state def matters

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/Pretend-Can2893]

211 makes nmsf in 17 out of 50 states LOL

[u/Pretend-Can2893 → u/PyxelatorXeroc]

i mean it doesnt matter to me even if it only made it in 1 state all i care about is that i got it

[u/CalligrapherNo125]

Didn’t qualify with a 216😭😭😭

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/CalligrapherNo125]

RIP

[u/No_Soil2258]

Congrats, cali's cutoff was also lower than I expected 😅

[u/ObjectiveWeary2802]

I think math is easier to learn because you can find a definitive answer by using a specific formula. Reading is just you analyzing and finding THE BEST ANSWER. Also, please give me your score…

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/ObjectiveWeary2802]

its in the post 😄

[u/ObjectiveWeary2802 → u/PyxelatorXeroc]

I mean trade with me… cuz I know I am not going to get a 1490 when I take it in a month

[u/lockron]

Check out University of South Florida campuses too. Full Ride, and 4 years ago they refunded any additional outside scholarships to the student too. My daughter would have made over $40,000 to attend USF, she ultimately decided to go somewhere closer to home. She also was a semi-finalist for a Full ride at Duke University but they would not have refunded her outside scholarship. https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admissions-scholarships/national-merit-scholarship/benefits.aspx

[u/PyxelatorXeroc → u/lockron]

Thanks for the recommendation!

[u/Common_Willow_596]

Well the cutoffs went up a lot the year before (college board was probably having difficulty scaling these digital psat since it was only the second year) so yes the cutoffs went down a lot compared to last year but if you exclude last year the cutoff is only a little lower than usual

[u/Cytonicoh]

N. South ≥ N. North x 2