Semifinalist cutoffs aren't set nationally -- each state draws its own line, and Maine's confirmed Class of 2027 line sits just one point behind the only other U.S. state it touches. Here's exactly where 214 sits.
The number: 214, one point behind New Hampshire
Per Compass Education Group's confirmed reporting, Maine's Class of 2027 Semifinalist cutoff is 214, down 3 points from the Class of 2026. The full state-by-state list shows Maine one point below New Hampshire at 215, its only bordering U.S. state -- Maine's other land border runs entirely along Canada. Maine ties exactly with Missouri and Tennessee, neither of which it's anywhere near.
One real neighbor, one close comparison
Maine only borders a single U.S. state, and its line sits just below it:
- 215: New Hampshire -- 1 point above, to the west
- 214 (Maine's line): Maine, Missouri, Tennessee
The part that surprises people: matching two Midwestern and Southern states, not its own neighbor
Maine's exact cutoff lands on Missouri and Tennessee -- two states more than a thousand miles away -- while New Hampshire, its only actual U.S. border, confirms one point higher instead. 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 -- Maine's isolated position, bordering only one other state, makes its number look more like a coincidence with distant states than a regional pattern.
What this means for you
- Check your Selection Index against 214, not New Hampshire's number. Use the calculator to convert your actual PSAT Reading & Writing and Math scores directly, rather than assuming a score that clears New Hampshire's bar clears Maine'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 is close enough to matter. A single Selection Index point separates Maine's line from New Hampshire's.
- If you're weighing a move within northern New England 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.