How does your HS honor NMSFs?

Paying for College National Merit Aid
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<p>Celebrating academics is one thing, but celebrating one test is entirely another. In my eyes, to recognize academic achievement is to look at the classes people have taken and the grades they earned in those classes. Equating a small test like the PSAT with academic achievement (which, remember, it is not even intended to measure!) is incorrect and downright fallacious, and so recognizing success on that test as academic achievement is also incorrect. Elevating high scorers on the PSAT above their peers is tantamount to championing single-game MVPs at the end of the season before the entire student body; it’s just not done. </p>

<p>I think it is entirely appropriate to recognize academic honors, as this is a measure of four years’ hard work. At my school, this consists of three different groups who win “academic letters”, which are kind of like the Dean’s List, for having a GPA (on the standard 4.0 scale) above 3.33, 3.67, and 4.0, I believe. Beyond that, the valedictorian and salutatorian speak at graduation ceremonies, which on its own is plenty of recognition for the pinnacle of academic achievement. I think it is wholly INappropriate to recognize people for achievement on a single, short test.</p>

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<p>I don’t remember getting much recognition back in 1980, but my nephew was recently at my high school and said there’s a big plaque with all of the NMSFs, including me! He thought that was cool, and so did I.</p>

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<p>At my school, they announced the three semifinalists in the fall over daily announcements. They were also mentioned at the senior awards. I don’t think that many people realize how big a deal it is, but it’s nice that they do recognize it. What was really surprising to me is that they also announced the juniors who got a letter this spring (the commendeds + semifinalists + National Achievements) at our awards. No plaque or anything, but not too bad!</p>

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<p>Fawkes you sound a little bitter. Did you have a bad experience with the PSAT? It should not be the only academic achievement recognized, and things like a very high GPA and being valedictorian are also a big deal. But the fact is that being an NMSF is a very big accomplishment. It is one test that covers multiple areas of academic knowledge. So to achieve NMSF status, you have to be somewhere around the top 1% (and in some states, closer to the .5%) in scorers in the country. NMSF’s have to score exceptionally high in all parts of the test. A perfect score in math will not get you NMSF unless you are also very strong in English and Writing. Being in the top .5% of millions of test takers is a very big deal. Having a 4.0 is also a big deal, but I can tell you from experience that GPA can be a very subjective and easy to manipulate number. How strong is the school? How tough are the courses? Valedictorian at school A might not even make the top 10% at school B. And to use your athletics comparison, there are plenty of events held at the national level where you get one shot a year at one very short race which can win you national honors and will be treated as an extremely big deal. Maybe if you ran the race 10 times, there would be other winners, but the person who wins the race that counts and scores an elite national time gets the glory.</p>

<p>Another very practical reason to recognize NMSF’s is to raise awareness among underclassmen of the test and to encourage them to prepare. There are plenty of kids for whom NMSF is absolutely attainable, and, whether you approve or not, the financial rewards are dramatic. The scholarship opportunities are life-changing for many families. </p>

<p>To act like it means nothing is just…fallacious! ;)</p>

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<p>Life-changing for this family, for real.</p>

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<p>NMSF is nice and all, I received it during high school; but saying things like “I received a 100K+ scholarship from a university for being a NMSF” is quite misleading.</p>

<p>Lets be honest; if your a NMSF, the scholarships that are offered from NMSF sponsored university are not on the tier of the universities that NMSF scholars would get into and attend anyway. Most finalists are capable of getting into top tier schools (HYPSM) or at the very least top in-state schools (Berkeley, LA). I’ve never seen kids pass up on higher ranked schools so they can attend a private university with a high sticker price just because they gave them a 100K+ scholarship. </p>

<p>Good job to you and your kiddos if they are NMSF, you did a great job raising your kid. But lets not overstate the financial impacts of being a NMSF here now.</p>

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<p>Whether you’ve seen it or not it happens all the time. Not everyone is obsessed with rankings.</p>

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<p>“I received a 100K+ scholarship from a university for being a NMSF” is absolutely NOT misleading. It happens all the time and is absolutely life-changing for many families. MANY NMSF’s take advantage of these. Have you seen the list of schools that offer these scholarships? Here in Texas it means a full-ride to Texas A & M. For many majors, like Engineering, that IS a flagship school, and I believe the total scholarship is well over $120K. That’s just one example. Sure, some kids choose other schools, but many don’t. And the reality is that being NMSF is certainly no guarantee of admission at HYPS, and even if you get in, those schools offer no money for it, so they are still WAY out of reach for many families.</p>

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<p>USC is ranked 23 and gives a half tuition scholarship (Presidential) to accepted NMF’s who designate USC as their choice. That’s currently worth ~ $21K/yr. They are then eligible to interview for full tuition merit scholarships (Trustee) or full tuition + $5k stipend (Mork).</p>

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<p>It is a very nice program for those who qualify and choose to take advantage of it.</p>

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<p>Did you really make NMSF?</p>

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<p>^i don’t think so…</p>

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<p>ApTester: I disagree. My DS just informed me today that he doesn’t want to go on college visits because if he really liked a school and it didn’t offer him a full ride he couldn’t, in his mind, attend. He has a 4.35 gpa, ranked 1 or 2 in his class, has 34 ACT, varsity letters in football, basketball and track, pres. of YAC, well liked by teachers and administration and a possible NMSF. To tell me that he would go to HYPSM and incur $100,000+ in debt rather than go for free to OU, Bama or U of Ky is the exact opposite of what he just said to me today.</p>

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<p>^^^EXACTLY the same here^^^</p>

<p>Additionally, for some, the attraction of a traditional, conservative, SEC campus trumps the “prestige” of an IVY hands-down.</p>

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<p>OK, so I didn’t win Powerball or MegaMillions, but S’s NM scholarship will have a huge impact on our family finances for the next 4 years. Yes, our kid did choose the full-ride at the lower-ranked school. Thousands of kids do this just for the $ every year.</p>

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<p>Just to add to the mix. How many of you in your everday work life encounter grads from the Ivies/Stanford, etc? Great schools, but there is only so much room and they are not for everyone. Just like not every officer went to an academy–just not enough space, wanted to go to ROTC at state school, etc. I can’t tell you how many senior managers/company owners I have met that graduated from what are considered by many as “safety schools” (not flagship state schools, “safety schools”). People attend different schools for different reasons and are fabulously successful or fail miserably for many different reasons.</p>

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<p>I, for one, will be taking my dd to a different group of schools to visit this fall if she is NMSF (she is right on the cusp). She has a NMF friend that will attend Bama in the fall on the NMF scholarship - in the honors program - and will no doubtly thrive and be successful in life.</p>

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<p>No, I’m not bitter about the score I got in the upper 220’s. Nice try, though.</p>

<p>My opinion in a nutshell is entirely normative; that is, I think that the summation of one’s entire academic career should factor into “academic” honors, and the results of one test should not. Further, I don’t think it’s appropriate to exclude people from honors because they didn’t take one test. If there were four, three, or even two test dates for the PSAT that would be taken into consideration for one’s status as a NMSF, I would feel much more comfortable about honoring those who attain it. Otherwise, I think we are just excluding people who didn’t hear about the test in time, had a bad day, had a calculator malfunction, or were disadvantaged in some other way that’s no fault of their own.</p>

<p>I object to your race analogy (oh, goodness, that came out wrong). To run at state, for example, one competes for an entire season, running race after race to elevate oneself over his or her teammates and athletes from other teams. Finally, many athletes compete in heat after heat (or game after game, if you don’t mind me moving to territory with which I’m more familiar) to eliminate competition and eventually move to THE final race. This accumulation of victories for which we honor our athletes is lacking in the NMSF process, so, ultimately, the fact remains that this specific “academic” honor (and, again, the PSAT and SAT measure aptitude, not achievement!) is analogous to few, if any, athletic ones with which this thread seems intent on comparing it. </p>

<p>A note, too: the PSAT measures aptitude, not achievement. This means that conflating it with achievement-based recognition is incorrect. Anecdotally, I’ve seen many people who are much more academically virile, hardworking, accomplished, and deserving do poorly on the PSAT compared to others, whose actual academic abilities are compromised by a slovenly disposition and academic apathy. This elevation of what amounts to mastery of basic arithmetic and grammar over real intellectual ability is just the capstone on a litany of reasons the PSAT ought not be used as a benchmark of recognition for some students over others.</p>

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<p>Fawkes…Congrats on an outstanding HS academic career!! I do disagree with you regarding NMF status as an academic honor though, and for a reason which you yourself pointed out. Achieving NMF status IS a reflection of 4 years of academic achievement and a well-rounded HS career. The PSAT is only one piece of the equation, although it is (unfortunately for some) a one-shot only piece. It’s not accurate to characterize NMF status as being based solely on one test because the student is required to have a solid GPA (though not 4.0 granted), a 2000+ SAT score to “confirm” the PSAT, and be recommended by their HS principal/counselors. While NMFs aren’t necessarily always the absolute top statistical performers in their HS, I would disagree with your implication that they aren’t worthy of academic honors for their achievement. There may indeed be a few students who have “a slovenly disposition and academic apathy” that happen to score well on the PSAT, but these students will not reach NMF status unless they fulfill all the other requirements. If you were trying to imply that NMFs in general fall into that category, I would say that’s a grossly unfair characterization.</p>

<p>If you don’t feel that your qualification for NMSF/NMF consideration is something you should be proud of, that’s fine. You’re welcome to your opinion, but that doesn’t diminish other students’ accomplishments. If the academic and financial opportunities offered through the NM program don’t suit your college plans so be it, but MANY students and their families find the NM scholarship money to be an absolute blessing and for some it may be the only way an education at a major university is possible. I hope you respect their accomplishments and/or financial situations well enough to recognize that fact.</p>

<p>Good Luck to you wherever your college endeavors take you.</p>

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<p>My school DOES make an annual effort (in an assembly) to honor high-achievers in sports, music, academics & others.</p>

<p>I had a whole rant typed out, that was deleted because my log in timed-out.</p>

<p>Suffice it to say: I wish our school explained the true possible monetary benefits to underclassmen to encourage them to study for a test that can have a huge impact. I live in Washington, a state that emphasizes the SAT more. Our admins encourage the students to take the PSAT as “practice,” briefly mentioning something about a scholarship but going into no details.</p>

<p>In fact, both my brothers were Commended Scholars and my parents and I still had no idea about the actual potential money until we realized I was above the cut-off for semi-finalist.</p>

<p>I completely agree with FawkesGoldman. Too much money/prestige is based off a one time <em>aptitude</em> test. My school has students making other academic achievements that I think are much more worthy of being recognized with plaques/breakfasts/whatever than NMF.</p>

<p>It is a very big deal for students/families that should be more advertised in school, so students will be more aware and attempt to study/practice for the PSAT. But I honestly don’t care about recognition, and don’t really think NMF deserves that much recognition to start with.</p>

<p>Before I took the test, recognition based off a single-test seemed silly. After I took it and learned about all the additional benefits based off a reasonable academic record and high test scoring, it seemed outright misguided.</p>

<p>[of course I, on my high horse, still won’t turn down any money they offer me]</p>

<p>On-topic: how my school celebrates it is with a short article in the school newsletter and on daily announcements one day. It might also be made in some sort of end-of-the-year recap.</p>