<p>^ I’m not sure, in 2007 my daughter was graduating from elementary school :)</p>
<p>@MDmom14-----Thank you. Crazy day today, and just now checking this thread! Might be a good thing…as it can get nerve wracking! 
I have checked the other “official” one, and see MD has no other responders. I am now thinking we won’t hear anything until next week, but if you do get any info…please let us know. You have been so helpful…and must be very excited. I’m sure your student is beyond happy/excited too!</p>
<p>Are there any homeschoolers (specifically in Texas) still waiting for scores? I would have thought that if they were mailed last Tuesday that we would have it by now. But again the mail has been delivered and nothing. </p>
<p>We moved over summer and I e-mailed NMSF the updated address and got a reply from them “Thank you for providing updated address information. Notification will be sent to the address below in the fall.” </p>
<p>I’m concerned that they ended up sending it to our previous address, and while we do have mail forwarding they had the address incorrect originally and we didn’t bother changing it because we knew we were moving and I thought updating it after April when we knew we were moving in July was silly.</p>
<p>@15OR217
I asked my principal today, he still has nothing.</p>
<p>Congrats to our compiler rockfishdg who I think learned today their daughter is officially a NMSF!!! I think I read that right! And thanks to rockfidshdog for taking on such a daunting task</p>
<p>Rockfishdg—Congratulations—to you and your dtr!!! And now…as you seem very knowledgeable re: this whole process…please help…as I am now confused as I read back, was there some sort of letter that went out to High Schools in April re: High Scorers? Will only those who rec’d notice of the letter…be considered for NMSF. This whole process seems rather confusing, especially since NM website has old info. Help!</p>
<p>What are my chances with a 222 in California?</p>
<p>@KCTaxguy, does your son know the cutoff for Missouri?</p>
<p>@univbound</p>
<p>here is what my daughter’s school posted back in April:</p>
<p>2014 National Merit Scholarship Program</p>
<p>LACES has 22 students who have qualified for the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.</p>
<p>With a Selection Index score of 203 or above, LACES had 22 students qualify for the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Each of these students is among the 50,000 highest scoring participants of some 1.5 million students who took the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Program. </p>
<p>Of the more than 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 16,000 will be named national Merit Program Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 others will be commended for their performance of the PSAT/NMSQT. Semifinalists and Commended Students will learn of their standing in September. Semifinalists will be the only students who will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for about 8,300 National merit Scholarships to be offered in 2014.</p>
<p>LACES Students who will receive recognition in the 2014 National Merit Program:</p>
<p>•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•</p>
<p>Congratulations to each of these remarkable students!</p>
<p>@univbound we never saw the letter at all either. It seems a lot of schools don’t notify until they know who are commended and who are sf.</p>
<p>Of those 22 (all 203 & above) only those at or above CA cutoff make NMSF</p>
<p>Others will get commended certificates mailed to their homes later this month</p>
<p>No he does not know the MO cutoff.</p>
<p>I read the Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists and also the referenced 2012 Official Student Guide. In the 2012 guide it specifically states the college sponsored scholarship can be for 4 years of undergrad. I just wonder how Bama and OU, and maybe there are others, are able to offer for more than 4 years and/or for grad school? I am not questioning whether they do it as it is pretty black and white on their websites. Just curious if they call the scholarships something else or how it works procedurally?</p>
<p>I called this morning and didn’t even get to let the person know that we homeschool and the package would be coming right to our home and that we moved and I just wanted to confirm our new address with them. They must be getting a lot of phone calls, because she stated that mailings were only sent out a week ago and I should wait. So rather than sound like an irate parent I said okay and told her I would be patient, and hung up. </p>
<p>Would they not have all been mailed on the same day? Because I noticed someone in Hawaii posted their package arriving, and surely it would arrive in Texas before Hawaii.</p>
<p>Apparently my family does not have much luck when it comes to mailings from the College Board & NMSF. We had to call for her initial PSAT scores because the address was incorrect and never made it to us, then we had to call about the commended letter because the address was incorrect again and never made it to us. Now we changed the address to something completely different and it seems like our mailing is still in USPS purgatory. </p>
<p>Sorry to be so long winded I’m just frustrated knowing she’s supposed to get a package and it not arriving. I guess if it doesn’t show up today or tomorrow I’ll be more adamant on the phone on Monday.</p>
<p>KCTaxguy…What you’re talking about is the difference between “official” and “unofficial” NM university-sponsored scholarships. </p>
<p>“Official” university sponsored scholarships are usually in the range of $1K-$2K per year. The “unofficial” NM university sponsored scholarships are the large $$ full or near full ride type scholarships. Many times the “unofficial” large $$ package from these universities will include the smaller “official” amount as part of the overall award.</p>
<p>The difference is primarily in two areas: where the money “comes from” and the designation of a student as a National Merit Scholar. The bulk of the “unofficial” award comes directly from the school into the student’s account, while the smaller $1K-$2K amount goes from the school to NMSC, who turns it around and sends it to the student account. It seems silly, but in this way the money comes “from NMSC” and thus it is considered an “official” NM scholarship.</p>
<p>Any Finalist who receives an “official” NM scholarship (one-time $2500, “official” university sponsored, corporate, or special scholarship) is designated as a National Merit Scholar. In the grand scheme of things, the Scholar designation is a “nice to have” thing but for many folks the ability to have our children get their undergrad for little or no debt is the most important thing. :)</p>
<p>Bama can add a 5th year of tuition if they choose to because that is part of their “unofficial” NM scholarship package. It can be confusing sometimes, but as long as the money spends the same and covers the same costs…it’s all good!!</p>
<p>^So, if you take an “unofficial” scholarship then you can’t take an “official” one? </p>
<p>I have this dread fear of dc receiving a $2,500 check and that eliminating big money somewhere! Don’t want to “mess up.”</p>
<p>Hoggirl…No, it’s not an “either/or” situation. At many of the full ride or full tuition schools, the description of their award will state that it includes the smaller “official” amount or it may be listed separately. </p>
<p>As an example, our D1 is a Class of 2011 NMF and is attending UMinn. Her scholarship package included an “official” NM scholarship of $1K per year for 4 years, making her a National Merit Scholar. In addition, she was awarded a $10K per year for 4 years Gold Scholar scholarship from UMinn which is their “unofficial” NM scholarship. She receives the full $11K per year because of her NM status, but the two awards show up in her student account separately. The $1K amount ($500 per semester) usually hits her account a few weeks after the rest of her funds due to the lag time to send it to NMSC and have it returned.</p>
<p>The only potential “loss of money” sometimes occurs if NMSC awards a student the one-time $2500 award as their “official” scholarship. If the student’s first-choice school happens to offer a $1K per year “official” NM university sponsored award, the student is not eligible to receive both the $2500 and the $1K/year award since a student is only allowed to be offered one “official” scholarship. In any case, if the school offers a large $$ “unofficial” award that portion is basically unaffected by how the “official” portion shakes out.</p>
<p>According to past conversations with NMSC, the decisions on who gets offered the $2500 scholarships are made fairly early in the process (Feb timeframe) even though notifications are not sent out until later in the spring. NMSC does not divulge what criteria they use to choose $2500 winners, nor do they look at whether a student has named a first choice school or what that school might offer NMFs. In this example, it’s POSSIBLE that the student MIGHT lose out on $1500 over the course of their 4 years ($2500 one time versus $4000 over 4 years). It really depends on the school. Some schools (OK State is one I know of) will supplement the student’s package with the additional money so that all NMFs who attend receive the same amount of money. You’d just have to check with the individual school to see how they’d handle that situation.</p>
<p>I don’t know if there is any significance but thought I would share with this group and see if anyone had any insights…</p>
<p>The National Merit website was unavailable earlier this AM. It is now back online but the OSA Login prompt has changed from “2013 Candidates and Semifinalists” to “2014 Candidates and Semifinalists”</p>
<p>We’re still waiting without a notification. After it didn’t come in today’s mail I sent an e-mail after the elusive response I received on the phone this morning.</p>
<p>@mom21clgbnd</p>
<p>You get your mail “pony express” …We ( Hawaii) get ours via “canoe” based on the surf! LOL </p>
<p>We haven’t heard anything yet, so that one poster from Hawaii is lucky. Never got so much as a peep from the school back in April either. </p>
<p>Probably wont’ make NMSF if the scores are trending up, but still praying.</p>
<p>@univbound @scoutdad I tried to see if I could get any additional info but the gc was tight lipped and reiterated that they’re not allowed to give any additional info and their policy is not to disclose anything at all until the “official” date of 9/11. They only told the parents of the nmsf individually ahead of time so we could plan to be at the “surprise” ceremony they are having for the kid(s) on Tuesday. Hopefully you had better luck on your end?</p>