@BunnyBlue interesting. So I think I can get my hopes up that my daughter will a commended student with an idex score of 218 from PA. I do hope she makes nmsf, though. Another question - After a student makes it to nmsf, is it the application as a whole and not just the index score that determines who makes it to finalist status? Does the index score mean anything at that point in the process?
There are about 16,000 semifinalists. About 15,000 of those are selected as finalists. That is about 93.75%. So unless there is something wrong, like too many Cās, a disciplinary problem, an impolite essay, or not following all the directions (for example, not submitting SAT scores in time), your semifinalist will be a finalist. The point at which the quality of all aspects of the application really comes into play is the next phase, the selection of the scholarship winners.
I saw a previous thread in which $2500 winners were asked to post their stats, and it did seem as if the index score and SAT score played a significant role in selection, but it was a small sample, so one canāt be sure.
I can confirm that my childās one time $2500 National Merit Scholarship notification is on the portal today.
Yay! Congratulations! Thank you for reporting to us.
Congrats!
@paulcord where on the portal did you see it? Thereās not even a notice I made semi and then finalist. Thereās no status button.
@snicks1234 If it still says Main Menu with instructions 1) through 3) then there is no letter. (Though I suppose you could check again tomorrow just in case they all donāt appear at the same time.) According to posters in previous years, if there is something there it shows up immediately when you log in. The previous posters also said that very rarely a letter will be posted as late as May if someone doesnāt accept their scholarship and someone else is pulled off the wait list.
@BunnyBlue Thank you.
Has anyone else reported getting the scholarship?
Yeah, nothing new. Does this for sure mean I didnāt receive the scholarship?
Okay, just checked on NMSC official website. Scholarship winners are notified on a rolling basis beginning in March and ending in June.
So it could be tomorrow, next week, next month or never.Lol! Yoiks!
The corporate scholarships and college scholarships roll out over a wide time period. The $2500 scholarships not so much. In the last few postings, we were only discussing the $2500 award letters which were all mailed today, except for some rare exceptions.
My son got the $2500 award notification on his portal today.
My son received the Corporate Scholarship and College Scholarship last week.
The Corporate Scholarship was posted up on his portal and we received a letter stating this.
^ I donāt quite understand. National Merit only offers one type of scholarship to each winner: either a corporate one or a college one or a $2500 award. I guess you meant a college scholarship that was separate from NM. Congratulations to you and your son!!
@snicks1234 It said something like ācongrats youāve been awarded a $2500 scholarshipā right when I logged in. That page is gone now that weāve accepted the scholarship. I checked for the first time around 3pm today. Good luck!
Again congrats@paulcord. Iām only a little disappointed. I am very proud to have made it this far. Could have really used that money though.
My son got the 2,500 one time scholarship. He is going to Rice University. My son had a 1500 Sat 3.95 unweighted GPA. He didnāt send but also had a 36 ACT.
For future years, it would be nice if people could list a few simple stats like their PSAT SSI, highest single SAT score, and unweighted GPA.
Looks like my son didnāt get the one-time scholarship.
SSI: 224
SAT: 2280 (ACT was higher)
UW GPA: 3.95