National Merit Scholarship Finalist Scores - What's Competitive?

Hello! I'm trying to estimate my chances of becoming a 'National Merit Scholarship Finalist'. What scores do most finalists tend to have, and how competitive is the selection process?

Hello! The National Merit Scholarship Program is indeed quite competitive. To become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, you must first qualify as a Semifinalist, which is based on your junior year PSAT/NMSQT score - your Selection Index. The Selection Index refers to the sum of your three section scores (Evidenced-Based Reading, Writing and Language, and Math) multiplied by two.

The minimum Selection Index required to become a Semifinalist varies by state, as the top 1% of scorers in each state are designated as Semifinalists. The cutoff scores for Semifinalists typically range from 209 to 222 (out of a possible 228). You can look up past Selection Index cutoffs for your state to estimate the score you'll need to be within that top 1%.

Once you are designated a Semifinalist, you will need to complete an application to become a Finalist, including submitting your high school transcript, information about your activities and awards, an essay, and a letter of recommendation. Additionally, you must take the SAT and obtain a score that confirms your PSAT performance—as a rule of thumb, your SAT score should be close to or higher than your PSAT Selection Index. Approximately 15,000 out of the 16,000 Semifinalists are named Finalists, so as long as you have a consistent academic performance and strong application materials, your chances of becoming a Finalist are fairly high once you're a Semifinalist.

Ultimately, around 7,500 National Merit Scholars are awarded scholarships out of the 15,000 Finalists. These scholarships can come from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, corporate sponsors, or participating colleges and universities.

So, to summarize, a competitive score highly depends on your state's cutoff for the Selection Index, but typically falls within the 212-222 range. It's essential to maintain strong academic performance and prepare an excellent application to progress from a Semifinalist to a Finalist. Good luck!