How is the National Merit selection index calculated?

Nick's answer is that you double the verbal score, add the math score, and drop the zero, so a 540 on reading and a 580 on math give a selection index of 166. He notes the index runs from 48 to 228, that it only counts during junior year, and that the score to aim for is 221.

Recorded December 2024. Deadlines and policies change; check the current year's dates.

Transcript

It's on a wacky scale. It ranges from 48 to 228. I think, honestly, just to obfuscate what's really going on here, just to make it seem more impressive, they put it on this innan scale.

The way they do it: they double the verbal score, and then they add the math score, and then they drop the zeros. Right? So if the student has a 540 on reading and a 580 on math, we take 540, we're going to double it, then we're going to add the math score, which is 580, divide by 10, or lop off the zero, and we get 166 for selection index score for the National Merit Scholarship competition. It only counts during your junior year, and the score you want to hit is 221.

More explainers for parents: https://www.prepgurus.com/13secrets (the free 13 Secrets to College Admission guide) and https://highschoolreach.com (look up any high school's college outcomes)