<p>Is it safe to assume that you are a finalist if you have NOT received notification from the NMSC by now? Supposedly those who are not advancing to finalist are notified in January. Now that it is February 3 without hearing anything, should my D consider herself a finalist?</p>
<p>I would. They don’t publicly announce finalists, only semifinalists and scholarship recipients. Your D’s HS guidance office may be able to be helpful. Congratulations to your D! I still remember my experience (and son’s- I got some needed money, he didn’t and didn’t need it), the same same numbers today despite the larger population- even harder to qualify. Unfortunately it seems as though there are no more awards given either, so more than half of the very deserving finalists won’t get any money. Good luck to her.</p>
<p>According to the national merit website:</p>
<p>February 3 NMSC mails notification to high school principals about the status of their Semifinalists;a Certificate of Merit is provided for each Semifinalist who qualifies as Finalist</p>
<p>February 10 NMSC notifies Finalists of their status at their home addresses</p>
<p>Do the high school principals notify students immediately, or do they have to wait until the 10th when the students are notified directly?</p>
<p>I called the National Merit Sch. org yesterday to get clarification when/how to declare “first choice”. The woman I spoke to said that they had just mailed out notification to the prinicipals the day before and would be mailing out letters to the students next week.</p>
<p>Do all your college acceptances come in before the deadline to pick your first choice?</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, you have to pick something, but can change it later by sending them a card.</p>
<p>Yes, you are to pick a first choice by 3/1, but can change it up to 4/28. However, colleges get the first list in early March, some require that you be on this list at that time to receive the money, others that you be on the list by April 1, still others let you designate at any time up to the deadline.</p>
<p>They send this all out “snail mail”, don’t they? The waiting is endless…</p>
<p>Lassie3 --Just remember that once you select the “first choice” college and mail/fax the card back if the college selects to give you a scholarship and you don’t attend the scholarship just goes to waste. Per the documentation that was sent to the semifinalists: May 31 is the deadline date for NMSC to receive reports of a sponsor college as first choice.</p>
<p>If the National Merit Corp person who spoke with DeirdreT was correct and the principal notification packets were mailed out snailmail on 2/3, I assume that some Illinois principals (NM is in Illinois, right?) must have heard at this point. So the question is: Have any students heard yet?</p>
<p>My son was notified by his principal today at school that he is a Finalist! He also received a certificate from National Merit Program stating such.</p>
<p>Congrats to your son! That’s wonderful! Where are you geographically, in terms of the NM letter having made it to the school?</p>
<p>Thanks, Nester! We’re in Iowa.</p>
<p>If I haven’t heard anything by now from the principal or the NMSC, can I assume anything? Am I a finalist because I should’ve heard if I’m not by now? I know that’s kind of already been said, but if principals were supposed to notify students by now…</p>
<p>Sorry for the freaking out, it’s just that a lot’s riding on this whole thing for me.</p>
<p>Luckygirl –</p>
<p>Don’t worry! The info on this threat seems to be completely correct. Letters to prinicpals were just sent out by snaillmail. NM is located in the midwest, so it would make a lot of sense that the letter would make it to JDA’s son’s school in Iowa right away. His principal seems to have let students know immediately, but other principals might wait until the students are contacted directly by NM, which won’t happen until next week.</p>
<p>Even knowing all this, we’re a little crazed waiting for notification too. S also has a lot riding on it also, and we’ll all feel a lot better (I hope!) when we hear for sure.</p>
<p>Luckygirl, we’re in Ohio and my daughter hasn’t heard yet. Mind you mail doesn’t always seem to get distributed in a timely manner (I think it took a week for the semifinalist notifications to come) but I really wouldn’t worry. And snail mail to the households will go out on the 10th so you’ll hear soon.</p>
<p>Thanks! It’s been bad enough waiting for months for letters from colleges…then there’s this. I know 90% get through and all, it’s just that you’re never totally sure, you know?
Well, good luck to all!</p>
<p>Son hasn’t heard as of yet if he’s finalist.
What schools are you guys considering?
any that give good $ for finalist?<br>
Anyone considering Texas A & M?</p>
<p>Texas A&M indeed gives good $ for NMF. There are other schools that offer good $ as well. You can search here for some of the older threads about free ride for NMF.</p>