<p>I got called into the counseling office and found out that I was in the running today. The date at the top of the letter was April 12. I think the assistant principle said the cutoff was a 202. You guys should all be getting your letters soon!</p>
<p>Gah, I’m really nervous! I’m going to go to the counseling office tomorrow to ask my counselor just to make sure that I’m going to get a letter…</p>
<p>YIKES has anyone with a 203 received a letter yet!? GeTtInG nErVoUs…</p>
<p>^ ditto, AHHH! I got a 203 as well!</p>
<p>My S got a 203 and received the letter from his GC 2 days ago! He eagerly entered his 2 schools online already!</p>
<p>Yeah, just got my letter yesterday 
did he submit to any ivies?</p>
<p>My suggestion is to avoid naming any ivies. Name schools that give good NM scholarships or those that might give tuition waiver (if that is important). Ivy’s do not give NM scholarships yet attract many NMF’s who get their scholarship from elsewhere. In other words, there are not even brownie points as far as Ivy’s are concerned. That said, there is no harm in putting ivies on you list, especially if you are not considering schools that give good National Merit Scholarships.</p>
<p>I haven’t got any notifications or letters and I got a 224 in NC</p>
<p>Received the letter today in my mail (not from my school). California, 237.</p>
<p>Got mine from my counselor. I got a 220 in California. Does any one have any good suggestions for the two colleges that you can send scores to? Is there any point in naming the UCs (Can you even pick them)?</p>
<p>My dd scored a 215 in Ohio and the guidance counselor has not called her into the office.<br>
I wonder if this means she won’t be named?</p>
<p>linnylu - the score needed to be commended (that’s the top 50,000 scorers in the country) is around 201-202. I’m sure your daughter has a letter waiting for her at school - the guidance office probably just hasn’t gotten it to her yet.</p>
<p>Your daughter has a good shot at being a semi-finalist as well, which would be announced in September. I think the cut off for Ohio last year was 214, and they don’t usually change a lot.</p>
<p>^Ohio cut off last year was 212.</p>
<p>^ even better!</p>
<p>linnylu - my daughter also in Ohio has a 218 and she also has not heard anything. I think for some reason the schools just don’t move as fast as we would like them to on things like this. My daughter’s school sat on the PSAT scores in December for several weeks before giving them to the students - we actually saw my daughter’s score online long before she got the report from her school. I am sure with a 215 your daughter will be recognized.</p>
<p>Got a 219 in NJ, 221 is cutoff. 
However I scored well on SATs so it’s all good.</p>
<p>I named Northwestern and Michigan for my two colleges especially since I am considering NU ED and Mich EA. Might change one of them. Hopefully this’ll help ^^</p>
<p>Any one meeting the 202 cut off (that is what is appears this year) will get commended. Certain rules apply. You must have mentioned that you are in the junior year when you took the exam. I have heard stories in the past of students not doing this. Even freshman can take the PSAT, for NMSC it only counts in the junior year.</p>
<p>Second, some schools apparently do not treat commended letters seriously. Again, in the big scheme of things, that letter does not really matter much, not to many schools put stock in naming them. Some do, most of the top schools don’t. Even if you don’t, schools aggressively pursue NM students will get the name from the college board and send you letters.</p>
<p>So my advice is
- Ask you school counselor or principal and if they have not received it
- Ask them to call NMSC and if they don’t you call up NMSC.
- When you call up NMSC make sure they have your status as junior, as that is most important and will determine if you make it to NMSF.</p>
<p>Do not panic if you do not fill up the choices as long as you know you are in list.</p>
<p>@maze, the rule is “3rd year” in high school NOT junior year. I took it my senior year and I’m a NMF …</p>
<p>My S “misplaced” his NM letter, basically before he even read it. He has not contacted his GC yet. What can he do to get another letter or can he just log on to NM and do whatever it is he needs to do? Aside from the fanfare, what does the letter say?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Just heard from S’s GC that they have the letters, but have been holding them until they can prepare a cover letter for parents. The concern is that, in the past, many mistakingly thought this meant their child was a Semi-Finalist. I am sure there is some confusion among parents.</p>