<p>My son got a letter yesterday from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation notifying him that he did not advance to Finalist standing. Is there a way to appeal this decision? Or is it set in stone, and not worth trying to appeal?</p>
<p>photobug: yes you can, but your success will depend on why he was denied. If it was because of a disciplinary action, or because his SAT scores sent in to “verify” his PSAT results (usually if they’re under 1960 or so no matter what his PSAT score was) then the common wisdom is that he’s out of luck. If it’s because of GPA (i.e. too many C’s on a transcript, or D’s and F’s) and a counselor could help put that in perspective as to why it happened if there were extenuating circumstances, then maybe. </p>
<p>If you go over to the National Merit forum, there are a couple of threads in this vein, with some knowledgeable people who may be able to add more: [National</a> Merit Scholarships - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/]National”>National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums)</p>
<p>Thank you. He was denied due to some poor grades, but he can explain them due to some medical issues he was having. His SAT scores are great.</p>
<p>If you pop over to the National Merit thread I linked to, I’d bet you’d get some good practical advice from mom2college kids. I believe the process involves having your guidance counselor contact National Merit Corporation.</p>