Here we go again for the class of 2016. It’s January 1st, so finalist notifications are just about a month away. For anyone who may not move on to finalist, rejection letters may go out next week. I highly doubt they would be mailed out on New Years Day when USPS doesn’t even deliver. I’ve been on edge for months now because I have one C on my transcript, so I’ll be anxiously checking my mailbox every day starting next week.
Anyone else in the CC community who is a NMSF with iffy grades? I can’t tell you how tremendously supportive everyone has been during this long (and seemingly drawn out) NM process. We’re all in this together!! Crossing my fingers that everyone with borderline grades becomes a NMF and this isn’t a “1 C=disqualification” year!
That’s unfortunate @mstomper. Were the D grades semester grades or final grades that went on the NM transcript? I have a C, so I may get a rejection letter sometime in the coming weeks.
@albert69 from obsessively reading threads from last year, I felt like you were a tremendous help to all those NMSFs-with-C(s) and their parents waiting anxiously for finalist confirmation. I too hope no CCers are rejected, because a few were last year.
And so the waiting begins…the trip out to the mailbox will really be nerve-racking starting this weekend, when the letters will have been (ostensibly) mailed out…
Headed to Alabama for Capstone Scholars day next Friday…got the full tuition for ACT Scores and additional 10k Engineering scholarship letters in fall. Was hoping for an Oklahoma package and Baylor to compare against other schools where we will have to pay full boat. We’ll be doing the “walk of angst” for next couple weeks with many of you! Son has a 3.65/4.38 with 12 AP classes and the rest of available classes honors, but two AP classes were C’s. Missed 40 days of school from illness which contributed to lower GPA, guessing that won’t get considered despite inclusion in application or letter from school. Good news…no misses in Fall Semester and a 7 A’s. Great progress that should make his case but won’t. It’s a pity the National Merit People don’t look at 7th semester grades…posts here indicate even appeals that discuss good senior grades are at times form letters where grades weren’t set yet. Oh well…hope for the best and no letters until February 7 or so:) May this be a year of grace for 2 Cs and jubilant dancing in the proximity of mailboxes for all!
@RedbirdDad - Parent from Class of 2015 NMF Thread here & I don’t want to get your hopes up but…if you read the 2015 thread (starting in Jan 2015), I am almost positive that we had one student make it through to NMF w/2 Cs on his transcript last year. I recall that both Cs were in AP classes, but I don’t know if there were issues like illness involved. I do not recall the student’s state, either.
I made an effort to document these cases in the thread last year, as best I could, to give some level of hope to those in the years ahead. It’s good that your DS’s high school documented his health issues in the NMF app, so now all you can do is wait. I’m wishing you all the best on that front.
Based on what we saw last year, the UW GPA is definitely something to consider, as well as your state. Those may be factors at-play.
If your son advances, my DS was very impressed w/OU when we toured. He absolutely would have gone there, except it was just a bit too far for his liking. UA looked incredible on paper, but - again - he did not want to be that far away from home (12 hour drive for us).
You probably already know this, but be aware of the “fees” associated w/OU and especially Baylor. DS applied & was accepted to Baylor. but several students in his class were going there & that turned him off (plus the distance). Anyway, I got to looking at the Baylor “fees” espc. and - wow - they added up. Outstanding school, no doubt, but several thousand dollars in “fees.” OU was along the same lines, though I think less so. Just be aware.
@GoAskDad do you think my having a UW GPA in 3.83 in a large state with around 800 NMSFs every year (FL) work in my favor? Again, this is all just speculation, but I’m just wondering what other people think who have gone through this process before.
It’s hard to say because of your large state, @lcgusa - but I personally believe that UW GPA of 3.83 is very strong and will go a long way in helping your case. But that’s just based on last year + a few years of my prior reading on CC. It’s my opinion only, and things could change from year-to-year. Your semester C was in an AP or Honors class, correct? My DS made it w/something like a 3.75 and one C in a non-honors class, though it was an accelerated study of chemistry & I know his GC addressed it in her NMF paperwork. Also, my DS had some solid awards & ECs on his app, but I don’t know if that mattered at all. His state (not large), UW GPA, and GC explanation probably helped carry him through.
I’m holding out high hopes for your chances, and please keep us posted. You can check last year’s thread to see when the first letters arrived (plus there was a separate thread on the topic of rejection letters, too). I recall that we had a small wave of them, and then nobody heard anything after that. None of us knew if that meant anything, and it’s obviously a small sample we’re working with here on CC, but I believe we saw letters arrive over the span of one week, if that. I still cannot believe these NMF letters go out via USPS, but I suppose that adds to the “drama” of it all. Maybe that’s by design.
@GoAskDad unfortunately, I got a final grade of C in geometry honors freshman year. I don’t know whether my counselor put it in as a final grade or 2 semester grades on my transcript. other than that, two Bs and the rest As. If I’m not mistaken my GC put down 3.83 as my IW GPA, and I’m hoping she rated me high as far as course rigor on the application, so maybe that might work my favor and outweigh the C. So far, no letter yet. Seems like last year everyone who was rejected got theirs towards the end of January, but maybe they went out earlier this year (sometime this week?). Can anyone recall if they are mailed at a first class rate or in bulk?
Yes, it’s fairly a sure thing. Remember, 15 out of 16 NMSF’s make it to NMF status. The reasons for those that don’t advance are usually because of a few C grades (or worse) on their transcript, disciplinary problems at school, or bad essays (containing inflammatory language, excessive negativity, hate, prejudice, etc.). Steer clear of those issues and you’re probably going to advance.
No posts yet on receiving rejection letters. I’m not sure I would post if we receive one, but we are really paying attention to the mail these days. Actually it is only me, no one else in the family even knows that rejection letters are sent out. I figure why worry them when all we can do is wait it out right now. S is a semi-finalist and our oldest, so this is the first time around for us.
