Significance of national merit score?

I’ve been hearing a lot about the 'National Merit score'. What exactly is it and how important is it regarding college applications? Are certain scores thresholds for scholarships?

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in their junior year of high school.

The National Merit score you are referring to is often the Selection Index score, which is used by the NMSC to determine eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The Selection Index score is calculated by doubling the sum of your Reading, Writing, and Math test scores.

The score you need to qualify for National Merit varies by state and year, but generally, you'll need a score in the top 1% of all PSAT/NMSQT test takers. To achieve this, you typically need a Selection Index score above 215, though this can go up or down slightly depending on the year and state.

As for the significance, semifinalists and finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program make up less than 1% of U.S high school seniors, so achieving this recognition can be a boost to your college application. Finalists also have the opportunity to compete for National Merit Scholarships, some of which come with monetary awards. Moreover, some colleges offer substantial scholarships to National Merit finalists or semi-finalists.

However, remember that while National Merit status can indeed give you an edge, it is far from the only factor in college admissions. Your academic performance in challenging coursework, involvement in extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation all play significant roles as well.