3.76 unweighted gpa and 4.29 weighted gpa but I have a c on my transcript due to a semester of honors pre calc as a sophomore and all of my Bs are focused in sophomore year could I still get national merit also sat score 2320 super score and 2270 in one sitting
what’s your state?
Worried because consistency of grades is a big focus for national merit finalist
Indiana
maybe…? it’s really hard to say… but Indiana is not as competitive as some other states, so you have a chance I think
The cutoff score in my state was 213 and definitely going to be anxious for February now
yeah… the cut off for California was 223 T-T
Wishing I was in Alabama their cutoff is at 209 and wow that’s high
yeah… I was so close to being semifinalist… pretty sure I would have been semifinalist in almost any other state haha…
I’m in the same boat here. Had one semester C in a class during my junior year
what was your PSAT score?
Same, I had one C (final year grade) in geometry freshman year, but I have a 3.83 UW and 4.40 W GPA, so I’m hoping that this is one of those years that NMSFs aren’t rejected from finalist standing with one C.
I’m on & off CC as my family is working through some health issues, but hopefully some of the students & parents worried about one C on their transcript will see my post - if I’m not back on CC for a while.
If you go back to the 2015 NMSF threads, you’ll see instances where one semester C made it through to NMF. My DS had one C in Soph Chem, which was an accelerated class - but not weighted. He made it to NMF. There were other similar instances of one C making it, too. I believe my DS had a 3.76UW, and a 4.25W. We are in KS, so I realize the state may also be a factor.
DS also had some Bs Soph year, but he did have a very challenging courseload throughout HS, plus sports, music, etc. So I guess this is to say that one C and some Bs will not necessarily be a deal-breaker, if other factors are positive. My personal opinion is that the UW GPA needs to be at-or-above a 3.75, with rigorous courses for the most part. We did see one C not make it last year, and the student got the C in something like PE or Health. The parent posted about it, and I still remember how much I appreciated that the parent took the time to share that information, because it was a learning for all of us on the thread. There may be more grace given if the C is in a challenging class.
Now, students in high-population states like CA may have a higher bar because NMSC has to cull some students in those states, apparently.
All you really can do is wait, which is not fun (I know). You can (and should) also have a Plan B if NMF does not work out, and if you are counting on NMF to pay for, or help pay for, college.
Rejection letters get sent out the first week in January, so if you don’t receive a rejection letter by about Jan 17th, the you should be good.