If you have Cs then definitely borderline for not making the finalist. Few Bs are ok. Again this is per my understanding and past experience.
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Iād love. to hear your thoughts on Tulsa when you return.
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For sure! Tulsa Timeās a two-day experience, so Iām sure Iāll have plenty to say afterward.
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Like Iāve said, Iāve read of people rejected for 3.7gpa, 3.8gpa. I canāt find it right this second but I remember reading a post on CC about a 3.5 maybe that had 10 AP classes and was rejected. My kid hasnāt had any Cs but heās a solid B+/A- student at a relatively demanding school. Iām so curious to see if we get a rejection letter in the next couple weeksā¦but the important thing is that he is not counting on it. He is thrilled with the two full rides NMSF has garnered him and it will be a tough choice between just those!
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I decided to go back through the last four years of National Merit megathreads on CC and find all the NMSF students who didnāt make it to NMF. There were four (unless I missed one):
- 3.4 GPA (doesnāt say if weighted), 10 AP-level classes, doesnāt say if they got any Cs
- āMy son kinda bombed his first two years (3.2-3.3) but was able to pull up his GPA junior year to a cumulative 3.7 at the time of his application (now 3.81) by acing four AP coursesā¦ā Post doesnāt say, but GPA must be weighted because otherwise mathematically thereās no way to get from a ~3.25 after two years to a 3.7 after the third. Doesnāt say if they got any Cs.
- mentioned āhad a couple Csā
- someoneās friend got the letter, āgrades mostly Bs and Csā
I also found a few students with one C who made it to finalist, and even someone who got three Cs freshman year and made it to finalist, which I admit surprised me ā and them! ā quite a bit.
My son has 17 AP and post-AP classes (college math/CS classes), a 4.2x weighted GPA, a 3.6x unweighted GPA (both would be higher if the college classes were part of the HS GPA)ā¦and one semester C. Without the semester C, Iād feel great about his chances. With itā¦weāll see, although I feel a tiny bit more confident after this exercise.
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A couple more who didnāt make finalist from Reddit last year:
-
3.9 unweighted GPA first two years, but āI had a really rough year last year, had to drop a non-essential classā
-
3.7 weighted GPA
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Thank you for doing all this! So we wait now until mid February?
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Officially, yes ā although if you DONāT receive a letter in the next week or two saying youāre NOT a Finalist, you should feel confident.
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Will that letter come to my home or go to the principal?
Letter if youāre not a finalist: goes to your home. Letter if you are a finalist: first letter goes to principal, second letter goes a week later to your home.
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My son got full tuition and housing for 4 years at Fordham. His heart has pulled him further South, so he has chosen to not accept the scholarship. My older son wouldāve jumped at the chance to go to school in NYC!
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Did he get the full ride this year? Or was it a previous year? Thatās amazing!!
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This year. He is going to Alabamaā¦only 4 hours from our home. He is not a fan of cold weather.
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Thanks. Our school never told us about NMSF so Iāll have to be aware and follow this page haha
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The MN instructions say this:
āHowever, if you are unsure, indicate āundecidedā on your application and report your first-choice
college to NMSC as soon as possible.ā
Does it matter to do that before March 1 (as in now), or not?
Also, since 3/1 will be before any regular decisions, whatās the strategy for first choice if you have multiple schools that may have awards? Do you put the reach that is the preferred choice or another school where acceptance and aid is more likely?
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What if you were already offered a scholarship because of your NMSF status? Can you pick a different first choice?
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Yes.
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Someone on Reddit received the NMF rejection letter today, so theyāre starting to hit. That student had an F freshman year, so not a surprise.
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So we got a rejection for finalist based on test scores but his comparisons add up to the 212 thatās seems to be needed. Is there an appeal process or a way to verify they have the right scores?
Also on Reddit - rejections based on a 3.4 GPA and a 3.3 GPA.
Unless the rules have changed, the required confirming score should be a 207 Index. What was the raw SAT score?
If the letter specifically said that was the reason, you should contact NMF.
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