<p>So, does anyone know the answer to Reaching's question about whether the NMSC $2500 scholars are picked by state?</p>
<p>I've long been curious about the NMSC awards.</p>
<p>jennqtf4- We cross posted. I think the 8,200 number makes it look as though some finalists are far more likely to get an award than they actually are -- those whose parents work for a sponsoring corporation and those who will be attending a participating college are far more likely to get money out of this than those who fit into neither category.</p>
<p>For those of you still waiting to find out if you're finalists: my daughter's school GC notified her today (Wednesday 2/7) that she's a finalist. We're in Nebraska. Letters from NMSC are supposed to be mailed directly to students today, so expect them at home within the next few days. There's another thread "anyone else anxious about national merit finalist notification" that also has quite a few other states in which kids have been notified by high school officials; also indicates that a lot of areas have been off school due to snow &/OR extreme-cold days, so mail delivery may also be slower than usual in some parts of the country, too.</p>
<p>D doesn't really care whether she gets the $2500: it would be nice to get, but really would just be gravy on top. (The private LAC she's going to doesn't officially participate with the NMSC but they do give full tuition to applicants who are Natl Merit Finalists.)</p>
<p>Careful jenqtf4. The 8,200 you are talking about include corporate and university/college sponsored awards. The 1,000 referred to earlier is money direct from the National Merit organization.</p>
<p>This is what National Merit web site says. It's state by state - in some fashion.</p>
<p>National Merit $2500 Scholarships
Every Finalist competes for these single payment scholarships, which are awarded on a state representational basis. Winners are selected without consideration of family financial circumstances, college choice, or major and career plans.</p>
<p>jennqtf4 - the 8200 awards referenced on the site includes all three types of awards - the $2500 NMC, the corporate sponsored and thecollege sponsored awards. The latter two are the bulk of the awards. There is a much smaller number of the $2500 unconnected awards given. My D is in the same boat as mathmajor's kid, also accepted EA to Yale, which does not give a college sponsored NMF award, and parents don't work for a NM corporate sponsor, so my D's only shot is from the smaller pot of $2500 awards. Grace, you are totally correct in your assessment.</p>
<p>I'm a semifinalist, and I'm homeschooled. I've got very high SAT's and a flawless GPA, but I'm still driving myself bananas waiting to hear whether I'm a finalist or not. I'm pretty sure I made it, as long as my "school official" (karate instructor) mailed in my form on time...
Has anyone from Texas gotten his finalist notification one way or the other yet? Since I'm homeschooled, will I receive the high school notification at my house? Or will there even be one?</p>
<p>Penguin - You should at least get the letter they were mnailing out yesterday to the home addresses. </p>
<p>My daughter's "Mum's the word" school hasn't said anything yet (they probably assume she knows) and she isn't the type to ask. It IS anxious-making not to know. I sympathize. I'd give it a week and then call NMSC if you haven't heard anything.</p>
<p>My school finally passed out Certificates of Merit today.</p>
<p>Oh, and thelongroad, I think they give out 2500 $2500 NMSC scholarships. Still a slim minority for 15,000 Finalists, but better than only 1000. ;)</p>
<p>got the letter today since I only live an hour away from Evanston. =] good luck to anyone else. And it is 2,500 scholarships of $2,500. I stand corrected.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm a semifinalist, and I'm homeschooled. I've got very high SAT's and a flawless GPA, but I'm still driving myself bananas waiting to hear whether I'm a finalist or not. I'm pretty sure I made it, as long as my "school official" (karate instructor) mailed in my form on time...
Has anyone from Texas gotten his finalist notification one way or the other yet? Since I'm homeschooled, will I receive the high school notification at my house? Or will there even be one?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm from Texas also and my school hasn't told us anything yet....
Even though we'll probably get notification in the mail tomorrow, I'm going to my counselor's office and straight up asking her what's going on.</p>
<p>yeah I asked my GC if she's heard from NM and she said she hasn't gotten anything. She suggested that maybe the principal was keeping it and didn't tell her. She said she'd ask him. The only semifinalists at my school are me and the valedictorian.
I hope we both made it and will find out tomorrow!!</p>
<p>Congrats to all of you. I have a question. My dd will be hopefully competing for NMF next year and I have a question about those who made NMF and sat scores. She made a 222 and on her dec sat 760 cr, 680 math, 660 writing. She has a 4.3/4.0 unweighted gpr. She will retake sat but would this score keep her from moving on. I read where one kid didn't make it with a 2100 but he had a 3.0.</p>
<p>I think your daughter should still make it because she has an excellent GPA.</p>
<p>But I do I hear you should shoot for at least within 10 of the PSAT score (like a 2120 would be enough to be considered 'safe' since NMSC just wants to see a score that is somewhat similar to the PSAT). But a 2100 isn't even that far off.
:] I really don't think it'd keep her from moving up.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement kaseyditz. From reading I have heard that the cr+math are more important than writing and that they were looking for over a 1300 for those two. I am trying to get all the info I can so I can help her have the most opportunities possible. I will have 3 in college at one time.</p>