<p>I know that bad grades can keep you from becoming a finalist, but I was wondering what exectly were the cut off points for grades? Is it GPA based, or what?</p>
<p>Re posting something I had posted before: This should hopefully answer your question.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1117933-help-nmf-next-year-highschool-class-2012-a.html?highlight=recommendation+letters+principal[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1117933-help-nmf-next-year-highschool-class-2012-a.html?highlight=recommendation+letters+principal</a></p>
<p>To get to Semi Finalist level, only two things matter: Your State and your PSAT score. Once you get to the Semi Finalist level, moving on to Finalist is fairly easy. Students do get rejected and here is a list of reasons why I have heard students get rejected and the order of importance (this is my opinion based on all I have heard and read, I have no personal knowledge of NMSC rules)
[ol]
[<em>] Not sending in your application (some actually forget to)
[</em>]Not responding to any queries from NMSC (applies only if they ask for any additional information, usually they do not).
[<em>] Not getting into trouble such as with the police or disciplinary action at school i.e. character (often related to point #6)
[</em>] Not having high SAT scores, (anecdotal cut off is around 1950)
[<em>] Not having a high GPA (anecdotal cut off is around 3.5)
[</em>] Not having a positive school Counselor or Principal recommendation (related to point #3, they would have to really justify their recommendation if they have for example taken serious action against a student. ) Most recommendations will be positive as NMF gives the school bragging rights.
[li] A really bad essay on the application and when I mean bad it would have to have a lot of profanity or be very insulting or bigoted. (I have heard of only one story where a student wrote a very insulting essay and did not make it to NMF, again this anecdotal). So this does not seem very important as long as the essay is half way decent.[/li][/ol]</p>
<p>In addition you have to be a citizen of the US. Green Card holders or people who have applied for Green Cards and are the at the final step have to go through a couple more hoops.</p>
<p>About 90% semi finalists make it to finalist. So not really a big hurdle. What I am trying to say here is that essays, extra curricular activities (or lack of it) do not really matter much to get to Finalist. They may matter in getting a scholarship. Schools generally will not give bad letters that result in a rejection unless the student has really done something wrong (as evidenced in point number 2). So really you need to concentrate on points 1-4 and write a decent essay.</p>
<p>You will be notified about your semi finalist status around end of August (check CC for cut off scores), you need to send the applications within 2-3 weeks and will know of your finalist status around end January 2012.</p>