Semifinalist cutoffs aren't set nationally -- each state draws its own line, and Indiana's confirmed Class of 2027 line sits below every state that touches its border. Here's exactly where 215 sits.
The number: 215, below all three Midwest neighbors
Per Compass Education Group's confirmed reporting, Indiana's Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 215, down 3 points from the Class of 2026. The full state-by-state list shows Indiana sitting below Ohio and Michigan (both 216), and three points below Illinois at 218, the highest cutoff anywhere in the Midwest.
Bordered on three sides by higher numbers
Indiana's own line sits at the bottom of a tight cluster, with every direct Midwest neighbor confirming higher:
- 218: Illinois -- three points above, to the west
- 216: Ohio, Michigan -- one point above, to the east and north
- 215 (Indiana's line): Indiana
- 211: Kentucky -- four points below, to the south
The part that surprises people: the lowest number in a tightly-packed cluster
Indiana sits geographically dead center among Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, yet confirms the lowest cutoff of the four -- not the average, and not a match for any of them. Semifinalist slots are allocated to each state in proportion to its share of the nation's graduating seniors, a separate calculation from the cutoff score. The cutoff itself depends entirely on where the top slice of Selection Index scores lands among each state's own PSAT/NMSQT takers that year -- being surrounded by higher-cutoff states doesn't pull a state's own number up, since each state's line is set independently from its own test-takers' results.
What this means for you
- Check your Selection Index against 215, not Ohio's, Michigan's, or Illinois's number. Use the calculator to convert your actual PSAT Reading & Writing and Math scores directly, rather than assuming a score that clears a neighboring state's bar clears Indiana's too.
- This is the confirmed, official cutoff, not a projection. NMSC announced Class of 2027 Semifinalists nationally on September 9, 2026, and Compass Education Group's number reflects real qualifying and non-qualifying score reports.
- A one-point gap still matters. Indiana's 215 sits one point below Ohio and Michigan's 216 -- close enough that a single Selection Index point can be the entire difference between clearing Indiana's line and falling short of a neighboring state's.
- If you're weighing a move within the Midwest before junior year, check both states' specific lines. Eligibility is based on where you're enrolled at the time of the qualifying PSAT, not where you grew up.
- This is one piece of the larger National Merit picture -- see the full breakdown of how National Merit actually works for how the cutoff fits into the whole Commended-to-Scholar process.