1. Calculate your Selection Index (SI) if you don't know it
Your Selection Index is the number that's used to determine whether you qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
You can find your Selection Index by looking in your PSAT Score Report or by using the calculator below.
2. Determine whether you'll be commended
Students who meet or exceed the commended cutoff for their year receive a Letter of Commendation at the very least.
Unlike the semifinalist cutoffs, the commended cutoff is nationwide and does not vary by state.
Out of 1.5 million entrants, only 50,000 are considered high scorers, from which only 34,000 are commended.
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Class of | {{year}} | |||||||||
Commended SI Cutoff |
3. Determine whether you'll be a Semifinalist
Select Your State:
Semifinalist status is determined on a per-state basis.
You'll find out whether you qualify as a semifinalist in late September.
Only 16,000 of the 34,000 commended students make it to this step. However, there is still the finalist round to get through before any scholarships are given. Whether you get through the finalist round depends on other criteria. Full details can be found on the official site.
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Class of | {{year}}* | |||||||||
Semifinalist SI Cutoff |
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Take these statistics with a grain of salt. We take a lot more into consideration when coming up with our predictions.
If you're looking for an estimated range, the actual cutoff has been within 1 point of our prediction >80% of the time, and within 2 points of our prediction >90% of the time.