How rare is a National Merit Scholar?
After all, according to the College Board, last year more than 4.5 million high school juniors took the PSAT, but the National Merit Scholarship selected only 7,500 finalists. That’s less than a fifth of a percent.
How hard is it to be a National Merit Scholar?
While qualifying for a National Merit Scholarship isn’t difficult, becoming a finalist requires scoring in the top 1\% on the PSAT. While there is some variance from state to state, most high school students need to score over 1400 out of a possible 1520 points to first qualify for Semifinalist status.
What are the chances of getting a National Merit Scholarship?
Roughly 1.5 million high school juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall and about 50,000 of those students qualify for a scholarship. That means only 3\% of the test takers will qualify. From that group, winners will be chosen based on their skills, extracurriculars and potential for success in college and beyond.
Is National Merit Scholar a big deal?
Now, it is pretty insignificant. You can expect an award of anywhere to $2000-8000, with many of the awards being a one-time scholarship of $2500. When a private college education costs in excess of $200,000, National Merit is not enough to make a big dent.
Do colleges look at National Merit?
But, in reality, National Merit honors provide only a minimal admissions-odds boost and, often, little or no money. Also, many of the colleges that strong students most want to attend — such as the Ivies, Stanford, MIT, Amherst, Williams, and more — don’t participate in the National Merit competition at all.
What is the average PSAT score for National Merit Scholarship?
215
The average of all the PSAT NMSQT qualifying scores is 215….PSAT NMSQT Qualifying Scores for 2021.
| State | Selection Index |
|---|---|
| Average Score | 215 |
Does GPA matter for national merit?
The National Merit Corporation is first and foremost looking to award academic achievement. There is no strict cutoff, but a competitive GPA (3.5 and above) and high SAT scores (approximately 1400 and above) are recommended.
Do Ivy Leagues give National Merit Scholarships?
Ivy League schools don’t award any merit scholarships, which includes National Merit Scholarships. These schools have the highest achieving students applying to their institutions and would rather award need-based financial aid to assist the most students in a fair and equitable manner.