***2018 National Merit Finalist Thread****

DD has not been receiving any college mail referencing NMSF. She also scored an 800 on math SAT and a 5 on AP BC Calc as a sophomore. Hope it doesnt mean she is lost in the system and gets overlooked.

I think you’re ok @dowzerw, we haven’t been getting much NMSF related mail either. There was a mailing from OU a week or two ago, but that’s all I can recall getting.

As I recall from my previous experience with S15, that kind of mail seems to come in waves here and there with no apparent pattern.

I’d think that if you email the NMF offices or points of contact at any schools you might be interested in to let them know you’re out there, you might see your mailbox filling up with more stuff.

^
Thanks for that. Just sent Baylor admissions a note letting them know my D is interested.

How many colleges are your kids applying to, out of curiosity? My kid is applying to 11. I feel like this is an absurd number, but there is good reason for it - they are almost all “lottery” schools that look like matches but are so selective that they aren’t. Some of the schools sent unsolicited fee waivers, which was nice.

@prodesse my ds is applying to only one.

Had a meeting with the CG this week, actually the meeting was with DS and GC I was only there because I needed to bring something to the meeting (but that’s another story) He asked GC to please write his rec for National Merit, McDermott and Apply Texas. She said something about tayloring her rec individually to other schools he’d be applying to. When he said he was only applying to UT Dallas her response was, “ok it’s early enough if you don’t get in you can apply to other schools” HELLO!!! my son is NMSF and is an Auto Admit at ANY Texas school includng UT Austin why in the world would she think he would get in to UTD???

She personally handed him his rank a few weeks ago she knows he’s in the top 2% If I hadn’t been standing there I would not have believe she actually said that and she clearly was not joking.

@3scoutsmom Lucky you, only one app!

That GC probably has a hundred seniors to keep track of, she probably forgot temporarily about your son’s credentials.

Texas really does well by NMFs. Virginia doesn’t!

Another UTD one-and-done here. My son has already accepted his offer of admission so he is basically zero stress this semester.

I got a 35 on the ACT does this qualify me for anything or is it only SAT?

@traveler98 Way to go! I didn’t even know it was possible to have a solid admission offer this early!

@classof18student - unfortunately your great ACT score doesn’t qualify you for NMF. You have to take the SAT.

@classof18student Even more specifically, you have to take the PSAT as a junior and meet or surpass the official cutoff for your state. After that, you have to take the SAT, and in between, there’s an application & recommendation process that involves you and your school.

Unfortunately, if you’re already a senior and either didn’t take the PSAT as a junior, or didn’t meet your state’s cutoff, you’re not eligible to compete for National Merit.

Congrats on your 35! That’s an excellent score and should serve you well.

I found out I was a NMSF because of an online article but my school never notified me(partly my fault for waiting too long to get on top of this whoops). Is there an online portal anywhere where I can start the NMF application, or do I have to get information from my school first? Moreover, when is the deadline for the essay/letter of rec?

@Fluflaydepas you need a letter that should have been delivered to your school. It has ID number and initial password you will need.

@Fluflaydepas you need to get this taken care of ASAP the application are DUE October 11th, there is an essay and short application for you to fill out but there is a part that MUST be completed by your school!

I would call NMSC on Monday (847) 866-5162 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Time and let them know you have not gotten the log in info from your school.

Are there any other NMSF at your school? If so have they been notified?

There are no other semifinalists, but it is weird because the Commended Students were already notified.

We visited ASU /Barrett yesterday - very impressed! We were apparently the first “National Scholar” family of the year to visit. Here’s how the day went:

We met with a Barrett rep who went over the scholarship & admission process with us. Next up was lunch in the Barrett dining hall with an absolutely charming Barrett student. The dining hall was great. Then we were golf-carted across campus to join the regular ASU info session & tour. When that ended, we were picked up in the golf-cart & returned to Barrett to meet with the Dean for a half hour (turned into a full hour), then got a personal tour of Barrett including their amazing dorms with single rooms and bathrooms (after Freshman year) & balconies overlooking the pool.

ASU is enormous & there’s a ton going on. Kids were zooming all over on skateboards & bikes. Everyone in shorts, flip flops & sunglasses. Stadiums etc right on campus, big beautiful theater facilities, impressive tech center.

I think D was most impressed by the encouragement the Dean gave her that she could fairly easily double major in two radically different areas if she wished, given how much credit they give for AP’s. D loves science and theater & doesn’t want to have to pick one at this point.

D gave ASU / Barrett a 9 out of 10, her highest ranking yet. Her only quibble is that the climate & environment reminded her so much of where we live, in inland San Diego. She’s got her heart set on going somewhere new and a bit exotic (to her at least). Otherwise, I think we’d have a done deal.

@GertrudeMcFuzz We are at a hotel across the street from ASU Barrett right now! I guess we will be the second National Scholar family of the year. B-) D is doing an overnight with a Barrett student tomorrow, then we get the full tour experience on Monday.

@ShrimpBurrito - enjoy!! Make sure to get some gelato in the Barrett dining hall!

Undecided until late March

@ShrimpBurrito, hope you’re enjoying your stay. Please let us know your thoughts about the campus & programs when you return.

@GertrudeMcFuzz - thanks for your thoughts on your ASU/Barrett tour. My D has a friend (that just started her junior year) as a sports journalism major & she painted just a crazy picture for us.

She’s not in the Barrett program - not in the Barrett dorms, so I don’t know what dorm she stayed-in. She said she had to move off-campus after her first year because as she put it, the dorms are a joke. She said there were just tons of immature jerks running around, partying, making noise, and just carrying-on like a bunch of unsupervised juveniles day and night.

She also said that she made sure to get to her classes early so that she could get a seat in the front to avoid being caught in the back of the class with all of the kids who are just goofing off like it’s high school, part 2 for them.

Needless to say, from the picture she paints, this is the last place my D wants to attend. I told her that the Barrett program has a very good reputation and that it’s probably a whole different world from what her friend reports & I was hoping she’d be willing to at least take a trip there to have a look.

It’s crazy how a single person’s experience can make or break a college for a kid!!

Did you guys get any of the flight cost reimbursed by the school? As I recall from S15’s time, they sent a golden ticket in the mail that was good for a free flight for him.

P.S. - everyone please understand I have no personal issues with ASU or the Barrett Program and I would actually like my D to visit & make a determination for herself. I’m just passing on what one kid reported about her experience. And I know that there’s not a college in the country that doesn’t have at least a few kids that hate the whole experience.