Tutoring News Post

Class of 2027 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Selection Index Cutoffs for the PSAT and SAT

August 23, 2026: The official class of 2027 statewide SI cutoffs have begun to leak! They currently range from 208 (New Mexico, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming) to 223 out of a possible 228 points in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.. Nearly all cutoffs have fallen significantly (2 to 5 points) from last year's historic highs.

Have any new information to share about this year's statewide cutoffs? Please email me at mcelroy@post.harvard.edu, and your identity will be kept confidential.

Update: please keep in mind that as of today, Saturday, September 5th, all information is currently crowdsourced (aka reliant on trusting strangers on the internet to be honest / get their facts correct) and thus subject to final edit before the official cutoffs are released by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in mid-September.

High schoolers: if you missed out becoming a on National Merit semifinalist, don’t fret: studies have suggested that fewer than 30% of Ivy League students are National Merit semifinalists, finalists, or scholarship winners. To state the obvious, some of the 50 U.S. states are obviously far more competitive than others -- and colleges will keep this in mind during the admission process.

The main qualification for National Merit is a high PSAT score (out of 1520), unless you utilize the little-known / controversial Alternate Entry process for students who are unable to take the 11th-grade PSAT. Thus, a high SAT score (out of 1600) in one's junior or senior year will in most cases serve the same purpose.

You can also rest assured that, unlike SAT and ACT scores, PSAT scores are not an official part of the college admissions process. In other words, including your PSAT score on your college applications is 100% optional.

Best of luck on your PSATs, SATs, college applications, and beyond.

-Brian

2025 Guide to the National Merit Scholarship Program

Information about the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Competition

Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program

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Unofficial, Crowdsourced Statewide Class of 2027 Selection Index (SI) Cutoffs:

Alabama 210 (214 last year) -4
Alaska ? (214 last year)
Arizona <= 215 (217 last year)
Arkansas 210 (215 last year) -5
California 220 (224 last year) -4
Colorado <= 214 (219 last year)
Connecticut ? (223 last year)
Delaware ? (220 last year)
Florida 216 (219 last year) -3
Georgia <= 217 (220 last year)
Hawaii ? (219 last year)
Idaho <= 211 (215 last year)
Illinois 218 (222 last year) -4
Indiana 212-215 (218 last year)
Iowa 210-213 (214 last year)
Kansas ? (216 last year)
Kentucky ? (214 last year)
Louisiana <= 211 (216 last year)
Maine <= 214 (217 last year)
Maryland 222 (224 last year) -2
Massachusetts 223 (225 last year) -2
Michigan 215 or 216 (220 last year)
Minnesota <= 216 (219 last year)
Mississippi 211 (213 last year) -2
Missouri 214 (217 last year) -3
Montana ? (213 last year)
Nebraska <= 217 (214 last year)
Nevada 211 (214 last year) -3
New Hampshire ? (219 last year)
New Jersey 223 (225 last year) -2
New Mexico 208 (210 last year) -2
New York 220 (223 last year) -3
North Carolina <= 218 (220 last year)
North Dakota 208 (210 last year) -2
Ohio 216 (219 last year) -3
Oklahoma 210 (212 last year) -2
Oregon ? (219 last year)
Pennsylvania 219 (221 last year) -2
Rhode Island ? (219 last year)
South Carolina <= 213 (215 last year)
South Dakota ? (211 last year)
Tennessee 214 (219 last year) -5
Texas 219 (222 last year) - 3
Utah ? (213 last year)
Vermont ? (216 last year)
Virginia 219-221 (224 last year)
Washington 221 or 222 (224 last year)
Washington, D.C. 223 (225 last year) -2
West Virginia 208 (210 last year) -2
Wisconsin 212 (215 last year) -3
Wyoming 208 (210 last year) -2