<p>I've read on here that there are several steps in moving from NMSF to NMF. Does your actual PSAT score make a difference? My DS had a score of 230, so we are pretty sure he will make the NMSF next fall and is not a borderline qualifier. He has an unweighted gpa of 3.8 (NO Cs, but he does have one B, a few B+s and the rest As and A-s). He already has a 2020 SAT, and is taking again. </p>
<p>He keeps telling me to stop worrying, but he is looking at colleges specifically because of their scholarships for NMFs and I'd hate for him to be wrong. There are quite a few forums that say, only 1000 don't make it, so don't worry. But there are also quite a few that tell story after story of kids that hit all qualifications and didn't make it. One also indicated that the criteria has tightened up this past year. Any thoughts on what the real story is?</p>
<p>I would also like to get a definitive answer on that. Our outside paid counselor suggested that my son may need to retake to boost his score of 2100 to be assured of NMF. I had read on this site that over 2000 was safe.</p>
<p>Don’t get any C’s, don’t get in trouble at school. Make sure the GC does their part in the fall, and son also needs to write an essay at that time. If you do that and all paperwork is submitted in time, you are fine. Your SAT is fine. </p>
<p>Sometimes GCs are not on top of things if they don’t know about the NMF process. That causes kids to not make NMF.</p>
<p>Also, make sure son makes NMSF in the first place, that he didn’t check some box on the pre-test questions that disqualifies him. Seems there are always a few kids who make a mistake there and have to go through trouble with NMSC people to straighten that out.</p>
<p>How do you confirm that they didn’t check a box taking them out the running? That would be my super smart, but super scattered son to make that kind of mistake We didn’t get the infamous April letter, but I read that went to the schools only.</p>
<p>Interesting post! Theoretically once one is designated a NMSF then score should no longer matter. But I wonder if the really higher scorers like 230-240 get cut a little extra slack when deciding NMF. It shouldn’t matter but isn’t it all really rather subjective?</p>
<p>bsmom123, check pg 4 of the student guide. This explains the sort of questions that kids sometimes answer incorrectly.</p>
<p>Check with the HS GC to be sure your son is on the list, since the letter was mailed to the school. If he is not on the list, or if the GC claims to not have received a letter, then you can contact NMSC to find out why, since the score is clearly high enough. The people there are very friendly and helpful. In general, just feel free to call them with any questions you have. </p>
<p>I think I saw somewhere people talking about how this early part of the process has been altered somewhat for the 2014 kids. I don’t know anything about it though.</p>
<p>BSMom123, sounds like your son has it all in hand. The first step is being named a “High Scorer,” which means all the boxes were checked and completed, and that the student’s score was above 203. The next time the score matters is in being named NMSF in late Aug/early Sept. Once a NMSF, the score for the NMQT/PSAT no longer comes into play.</p>
<p>When your son is named a NMSF, he will receive instructions about submission of his SAT scores, transcript, and rec letter. He will need to write an essay. His “confirming” SAT score is already over the number 1960, calculated the special way (CR + CM + (Writing Multiple Choice Correct x10)). Of course, it is possible the confirming score may be changed, but so far, no word on that, and it is unthinkable that it would change enough to overcome your son’s already-achieved score.</p>
<p>The substantive thing that has been much-discussed on CC involved the lack of tolerance for C’s on the transcript. One may be alright, two may be too much, three and you are definitely out. Or, at least, that is my understanding of what I’ve read. It is not so much that students have “hit all the qualifications,” but that they were unaware that Cs on the transcript would knock them out of the running for Finalist, regardless of GPA.</p>
<p>So in determining Finalists, does the NMSC distinguish between APs and nonAPs? Say this year I took AP Statistics instead of an easy math, and made a B, will that hurt me?</p>
<p>The final annoucement of NMF comes out after May 1. From my viewpoint the most important step is being named NMSF. My son made the initial cutoff by 1 point. He was named a NMSF and he received unsolicited letters from major universities offering him full ride scholarships, trips and laptop computers. Of course he wasnt interested in any of those schools. He has since committed to the University of Miami. He received a full tuition scholarship and has been named a Foote Fellow and a DaVinci Scholar. He is happy.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your help. Boy I’m glad to have found this forum. What I’m reading into what you are all saying is that GPA doesn’t matter (within reason…so a 3.8 would likely be ok), as long as you don’t get any Cs. </p>
<p>I’m amazed at how little our GCs know about all of this…and we have a school where we have about 8 kids that make it every year.</p>
<p>The official notification of NM Finalist came in February, not after May 1st. And many schools that offer very good scholarships for NMF offer much less if any for NMSF who don’t advance to Finalist. My daughter also received many offers in the Fall while she was NMS, but almost all were dependent on attaining Finalist status.</p>
<p>Yep STEM you are correct. I forgot about the letter in February. It was funny my son received a letter of congratulations and an a full tuition offer from University of Oklahoma before we got the official notification letter. I apologize for the incorrect info.
This has been a difficult and crazy year and I get to do it all over again because my D graduates HS in 2014.</p>
<p>@harvester - I would consider firing your outside paid consultant. The qualifying SAT score is based on an established formula (M + CR + [10 * multiple choice W]). This formula removes the subjectivity of essays from the equation. The cutoff SAT score using this formula is 1960. Your consultant should know this and not make statements about hedging bets.</p>
<p>I learned this tidbit, along with millions more, from CC. The information here is more accurate than most consultants - and it’s FREE!</p>
<p>*But there are also quite a few that tell story after story of kids that hit all qualifications and didn’t make it. *</p>
<p>Where are these stories? </p>
<p>A student doesn’t “hit all the qualifications” and then not make it. The stories may be told by people who don’t know what the req’ts are. There are int’ls in the US that won’t make it. There are kids who are discipline problems at school, and they won’t make it. </p>
<p>There are kids who report very high GPAs who don’t make it but it’s because of a couple of Cs on the report card. I know a family whose child got all As except for 2 C’s in some unnecessary class (first and second semester grades) and those 2 C’s kept the child from making NMF. The family, of course, was furious because that class was completely optional but proved to be more difficult than expected. If the student had taken the course senior year, NMF Corp wouldn’t have seen the 2 C’s. </p>
<p>I guess there could be kids whose schools have “dropped the ball,” but if you stay on top of that, then that can be avoided. And, if a school does miss a deadline, NMCorp is usually lenient about that.</p>
<p>Does anyone know what kind of essay question the NMSF will be asked to submit? My DD has a busy fall, so it may be best to start on it over the summer.</p>
<h1>17 STroxel: This is the essay topic: “To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. Explain why this is meaningful to you.”</h1>
<p>A short personal essay is all that is required. Many students are able to adapt one of their college essays to this topic.</p>
<p>Don’t stress about the essay - I have never heard of someone being rejected based on their essay. Just check all the boxes (qualifying SAT score; no C’s on transcript; all forms submitted on time) and you will be fine.</p>
<p>The NMSC doesn’t worry about pass/fail or audited courses, unless it shows a Fail, of course.</p>
We didn’t get the infamous April letter, but I read that went to the schools only.</p>