My daughter, class 2021, was notified by her CA high school this week that she is a National Merit semi finalist. I thought that wasn’t announced until September. Does the high school have access to this information now?
She had 1470 score; 218 selection index. Based on past CA selection index cutoffs, I thought her chances were slim. Appreciate any insights.
@podof5 - as I understand the timeline - May is when Commended get notified. A score of 218 in CA is expected to be commended - so that may be what it is. The semi-finalist projection by Art Sawyer over at the other website (not to be named) is 220 for CA.
Thanks @usma87 I thought that may be it but they had two lists commended and semi-finalist. I am doubtful at this point - guessing somehow they made a mistake. It sounds like the scale was harsh as she only missed 3 questions in ERW and had perfect math score.
@usma87 Art Sawyer has predicted the CA SI could range from 218-222. So, what the OP says about 218 may be correct but I’m skeptical that NMSC will not be announcing the semi finalists in this time of the year, usually it’s around last week of Aug to first week of September.
@podof5 can you please confirm if any one else in her high school also received any such announcements?
That’s the announced timeline, and how it has been run until now.
They announce the commended cutoff in May, and they announce the semifinalists in the first/second week of September, with the schools getting the info a week or two ahead of time, and all of the schools notifying the semifinalists at the same date ± (officially - some schools will tell their students ahead of time, even though they are not supposed to do so).
So I don’t see how the school or teacher have information that NMC most likely hasn’t released to schools yet. I am not actually certain that NMC has even decided on the cutoffs as of yet.
@podof5 If the school got the notice that your kid is actually a semifinalist, they will be able to give you the login information for the national merit portal. You should check back with the school to first, clarify if the information was for commended or for semifinalist; and, second, to make sure they convey the login information to your kid (if in fact the semifinalist information is correct). There will be an official letter from NMSC, if I recall correctly, too.
I haven’t heard anything about NMSC changing their timeline for this year. If that’s the case, I will want to check with my D21’s school to see if they received anything for her. So far, she has not heard anything, and her selection index is 226 for California.
Actually, now that I think about it – isn’t this around the time NMSC contacts the schools to confirm all information about high scoring students is correct? Do they only do this for semifinalists, or do they also do it for commended? Perhaps this is what the school was referencing for @podof5’s kid? That they got contacted to verify all information?
Only the OP can verify what kind of info she got from the high school. @podof5 can you pls mention what was written in that notification exactly? My second kid , a current high school junior has an SI of 221 CA. My older one, high school class of 2019, was an NMF, 224, received the NMSF notification around first week of September from her high school with a login info. But I’m curious if they changed anything this year with the covid condition. Also eagerly waiting for the cutoff for CA 
@Suave123 Et al
My daughter’s notification was just her name on a slide presentation during end of year award ceremony - no official letter.
I contacted my daughter’s HS counselor and she confirmed on email that my daughter was “nominated as a semi finalist” and the college board would send a letter “later”. So I guess there is hope that she made the CA cutoff - but I’m waiting for the official notification before I really believe it. Perhaps @amsunshine was right and the school was notified to confirm her information. I will update this thread if I get any official letter before September. Thanks!
@podof5, were there any other students’ names in that slide presentation who made it to semifinalist stage?
@Suave123
There were 2 students listed on semi finalist slide (including my daughter). The commended slide had several students listed.
@podof5
Thank you! I wish your daughter good luck and also pray this information is certainly true (until we hear from CB) as my son can become NMSF too wth his 221 SI, CA