<p>I've read in this forum that national merit semifinalists are inundanted with mail from colleges. We've not experienced this. We received about a dozen unsolicited invitations to apply before the NMSF announcements, but I attribute those to my son doing well on the ACT and SAT. I was hoping to receive solicitations from colleges that we hadn't considered. </p>
<p>What has been your experience?</p>
<p>When your son took the PSAT did he check the box that he wanted to receive mail? If he didn't then his name is likely not being released.</p>
<p>The press release was only on Wednesday, offers aren't going to start coming in immedietly. Give it some more time.</p>
<p>The offers are really only advertising by the colleges. They don't mean all that much. Even the Ivies send out offers, but it is an offer to apply, not to attend. As a NMSF lots of schools will be interested. If he makes NMF then it begins to open doors at top schools - plus money!</p>
<p>High scorers often get unsolicited full-ride offers from schools they otherwise might not consider.</p>
<p>There was so much unsolicited mail from the colleges (1 big box full) that it was hard to say what was generic (just graduating senior) or high scores (PSAT, SAT, ACT). The only one that was clearly for a high score in the PSAT was an offer to apply to a Summer program from the Telluride Association (it came in December right after he got the test score). S took the SAT in December of Jr. year and the ACT in May of Jr. year. In any case, it's up to you to sift thru the information NMSQT sends you to find out who gives what and how much. For the Ivies, a high score might help you get in, but you can forget about merit money because they don't give out any. The school he finally chose offered $10k/ year merit scholarship and $1k/year for NMF. If he had qualified for FA then it would have been $2k for NMF.</p>
<p>My daughter did not check the box to release scores or score range to colleges. Somehow or other, Grand Valley State in Michigan found her anyway. She got a 236. If your student can avoid the unsolicited mail and computer contact, you are lucky indeed.</p>
<p>You will get a ton of stuff from PSAT if he did well. It went on and on for about 1.5 years. Until this fall when D is in college.</p>