<p>during the last week of school during the morning announcements our vice principal said that i was a national merit semifinalist, along with another kid. i was confused about this. i thot we didnt find out about that until september. i never got a letter or anything saying i was a semifinalist. i got the letter about sending your scores to 2 colleges, but that was it.</p>
<p>so i dont kno what to do. idk if i am a semifinalist, or if i was told the wrong information. i never got a chance to ask our guidance counselor, but she is normally clueless anyway. if i am a semifinalist, id what im supposed to do next. my school doesnt help u out at all when it comes to colege stuff... please help me!!!</p>
<p>basically heres what i need to know...
1) when/how are semifinalists notified that they indeed are semifinalists?
2) what do u have to do to become a semifinalist?
3)if u are a semifinalist, what do you have to do from there?</p>
<p>OK, Semi finalists (SF) are only informed in the Sept/October time frame.<br>
You become a SF based on you PSAT score and your state. Every state had different cut off (for some states the cut off may 223 on the PSAT and 201 for another state).</p>
<p>However based on your PSAT scores and the state you live in, one can make informed guesses on if you will make to SF or remain commended. On CC, people collate the cut off scores by state (it varies by state) for the last several years. If you are at the cut off for your state or near the cut off, you may or may not make it as the cut offs sometimes change by a point or two. If you are far above the cut off you will make it based on the trend over the last so many years.</p>
<p>Semifinalist status is base on PSAT score only, while you need to have good GPA and the minimum SAT scores plus some other factors, e.g. school recommendation, etc., to get the Finalist status.</p>
<p>^^^^Yes, we didn’t even know D was commended and then counselor gave her NMS info in the fall. Just make sure you ask your counselor about it mid-September as the deadline for submission of supplementary materials in October. I think D had only 2 weeks to submit her packet.</p>
<p>If your PSAT is above a 223, then your principal knows that you made it.</p>
<p>GPA doesn’t matter to make NMSF. </p>
<p>NMSF Is score only by state, but no state is ever higher than 223. Lately, it’s been 221.</p>
<p>If you’re from a state with a lowish score…say 206, and you got a 215, then your principal knows. </p>
<p>What state are you in and why was your PSAT score.</p>
<p>If you truly are a NMSF, you’ll get your packet around mid-Sept or earlier.</p>
<p>To go from NMSF to NMF…</p>
<p>1) keep your nose clean at school - you need the rec</p>
<p>2) Take the SAT by Dec and have score sent to NMCorp - code 0085
(Typically a score over 2000 is considered good enough - altho some with scores of 1950 have reported making NMF.)</p>
<p>3) Receive the NMSF paperwork in September. Follow all the directions, write a nice essay, and return paperwork to school before the due date.</p>
<p>4) Check with school to make sure paperwork is submitted on time to NMCorp.</p>
<p>5) Keep your GPA strong at school; the school sends your transcript to NMCorp with your paperwork. </p>
<p>6) Don’t fret about picking #1 choice for college. That can be decided in late winter/early spring - depending on school’s deadline.</p>
<p>As soon as you get back to school, I would recommend contacting your guidance counselor to get started on the application packet. It does take a little work to fill it out. The deadline is usually around the 1st of October, but the GC will want it back before that time to complete the reference. I would recommend asking to see everything before the school submits it. That way you can assure yourself that all is in order.</p>