National Merit PSAT Cutoff Scores: Class Of 2018

The National Merit Scholarship Program’s mission is “to promote wider and deeper respect for learning in general and for exceptionally talented individuals in particular.”

Here are the national merit PSAT cutoff scores for 2018 to best help you succeed in receiving a National Merit Scholarship.

If you didn’t perform well on the PSAT, we highly recommend checking out our tutorials and resources, or signing up for our SAT prep course!

Commended Students, Semifinalists & Finalists

Let’s take a moment to discuss the differences between Commended Students, Semifinalists, & Finalists.

Commended Students

Commended students are recognized for their academic performance, but don’t advance forward in the National Merit Scholarships formal competition.

Semifinalist Students

Semifinalists are the highest-scoring test-takers in each state. They then qualify to become Finalists by completing their NMSC application and showing that they meet all the required academic standards.

[leadmagnet_five]

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation provides the requirements at the same time students receive their Semifinalist status. Most of them are straightforward:

• A completed application
• An extremely solid academic record
• A letter of recommendation
• An essay
• A strong SAT score confirming PSAT performance

Finalist Students

About 95% of National Merit Semifinalists become Finalists, so making that Semifinalist list is the biggest achievement that predicts Finalist success.

Commended and Semifinalist Students may receive “Special Scholarships” sponsored by external businesses and organizations. However, only Finalists receive official NMSC scholarships.

Scholarship Awards

Of the roughly 15,000 Finalists, around 8,000 will receive Merit Scholarships and various awards.

Finalists are chosen statewide based on:

• A combination of skills
• The potential for success
• Academic achievement

The NMSC is very clear about this, stating that:

“All winners of Merit Scholarship awards (Merit Scholar designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.”

[leadmagnet_two]

The scholarship opportunities that the winners receive are huge. The total number of scholarships is just shy of $35,000,000. That number breaks down to $4,500 per student selected.

Class of 2018 NMSC Semifinalist Predictions

The chart below highlights our predictions for the 2018 National Merit Semifinalists in each state.

These predictions are made based on a variety of Prep Expert metrics and analysis.

These Semifinalist scores offer the best prediction of success for an NMSC Scholarship. Roughly 50% of National Merit Finalists go on to receive a significant scholarship.

Please note that we have included PSAT scores (out of 1520) and all corresponding National Merit scores (out of 228) in our 2018 ranking analysis.

We’ll update this list when the actual scores are released in a few months!

State	PSAT Score	NMSQT Equivalent
Alabama	1390	210
Alaska	1400	211
Arizona	1430	216
Arkansas	1380	208
California	1470	222
Colorado	1420	214
Connecticut	1450	219
Delaware	1430	215
Washington DC	1470	221
Florida	1420	213
Georgia	1450	219
Hawaii	1430	215
Idaho	1390	209
Illinois	1430	216
Indiana	1430	215
Iowa	1390	210
Kansas	1390	210
Kentucky	1410	212
Louisiana	1390	209
Maine	1420	214
Maryland	1470	222
Massachusetts	1480	223
Michigan	1420	214
Minnesota	1410	212
Mississippi	1390	210
Missouri	1400	211
Montana	1350	205
Nebraska	1390	209
Nevada	1390	210
New Hampshire	1430	215
New Jersey	1460	220
New Mexico	1430	215
New York	1450	218
North Carolina	1450	218
North Dakota	1350	205
Ohio	1420	214
Oklahoma	1390	210
Oregon	1450	218
Pennsylvania	1440	217
Rhode Island	1430	215
South Carolina	1390	210
South Dakota	1350	204
Tennessee	1430	215
Texas	1450	218
Utah	1410	212
Vermont	1410	213
Virginia	1460	220
Washington	1450	219
West Virginia	1350	205
Wisconsin	1410	212
Wyoming	1340	204

Additional Program Information

If you want to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship, you must:

1. Take the official PSAT no later than in your junior year of high school.
2. Be fully enrolled in high school with no issues and a normal path towards graduation (keep in mind this can involve being homeschooled).
3. Be a United States citizen or have an application for residency in America with the intention of attaining permanent citizenship.

There are also ways for non-citizen students to start the application process. To learn more, please visit the NMSC’s website and browse the Scholarship Program qualifications.

More articles that might interest you:

• Cutoff scores for national merit scholarship in 2019
• How to study for the PSAT

Are you interested in improving your test-taking abilities? Check out all our SAT and ACT prep offerings as well as any other articles for additional assistance or give us a call at (877) 345-7737.

For more test strategy, college admissions, and scholarship application tips sign up for our FREE class happening right now!