Hey everyone! I'm aiming for National Merit – does anyone know if getting a 1400 on the PSAT is good enough to qualify? Or does it depend on the state you're in because I've heard something about cutoffs being different?
I'm glad to see you're setting high goals for yourself with the National Merit Scholarship Program! First, a 1400 is an excellent score on the PSAT, so congratulations on that achievement. However, whether it qualifies for National Merit does depend on the state you're in, as whether or not you're named a semifinalist depends on whether your score is within the top 1% of test-takers in your state.
To get a rough estimate of whether your score is in the running for National Merit, you can check the previous year's cutoffs as a baseline. Keep in mind these are just estimates, and the actual cutoffs for the year you take the test won't be released until well after the test date. That being said, the cutoff is usually right around 1400 in many states, so you're certainly in a good position, but for the most competitive states, the cutoff can reach up to the 1470-1480 range or higher.
Congratulations again and let's hope for the best!
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