National Merit Class of 2019 - where are you considering/visiting?

Thank you. Fingers crossed. Amazing and exciting times for all seniors. Most of them turning 18, handling the college letters, emotionally managing the rejections, and waiting to hear on honors and awards. Best wishes to all.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/2121433-how-to-file-an-appeal-of-a-national-merit-finalist-rejection.html#latest

This has mention of the rejection letter.

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/2120941-national-merit-finalist-class-of-2019-rejection-acceptance-letter.html#latest

This is the thread regarding notification. One of the posts nicely lays out the timeline of notification based on last year’s thread.

I am only a tad obsessed…:wink:

Thanks @mountainmomof3 ! I will start obsessing with you to keep you company; I would hate for you to feel all alone!

Thanks! After such a long process it is funny how having to wait a little while longer is so hard! It seems for S19, all of his big admission/scholarship decisions are coming out over the next 4-5 weeks. This is one of the big ones. Best of luck to all of the kids!

@TXRunningMom , @mountainmomof3 I’ll keep you company! D19 has half of her apps at NM schools!!

@momcatof4 - Welcome! S19 has 3/7 at NMF schools.

Just a quick public service announcement.

I know a lot of us on this thread have kids interested in Alabama. If your son/daughter applied for the Randall Research Scholars Program, have them check their crimson.ua edu email account. I guess they’re ahead of the game on notifications this year–we weren’t expecting to hear anything until next week, but when DS checked his account this weekend he had an email from the 25th.

Good luck to all

@Colorado19and22 I had marked my calendar to have my S19 check his crimson email later this week, so we were happily surprised to see the RRSP email yesterday! Do you have any idea how many students they interview for the 40 slots?

@midwest mom9
I don’t remember where I heard/read this, so it might not be accurate–but it is my understanding that they invite about 60 kids out for the on-campus interviews.

I’ve not seen much chatter about Baylor’s change in their NMF scholarship. They changed the program this year where it is no longer automatic full tuition but is now competitive. What I find curious is that they do not notify you if you receive the full tuition scholarship until the first week of March. Well, if I’m not mistaken, March 1 is when most schools equire you to list them as the “first choice college” to be eligible for their NMF scholarship. It seems to me that this means if you want to go for the Baylor scholarship that you lose the option to accept any other offer if you have to declare first choice college before Baylor even tells you if you will be awarded their scholarship (called Regents’ Gold).

am I missing something?

@PsJ2023 deadline for accepting an offer (“College Commitment Day”) is May 1st, not March 1st
many schools give admissions up until April 1st, and some even later

thanks but i’m not talking about college commitment day which I agree us May 1! I’m referencing “first choice college” declaration to the National Merit folks. Most schools that offer automatic full tuition or full rides to NMF require declaration of first choice college by March 1 to be eligible for the scholarships. This is what is causing the concern about Baylor’s timing. Hope I’m wrong but don’t think so.

@PsJ2023 unfortunately you’re likely right
Some colleges wants to be annoying and ensure that they truly are your first choice

If things don’t work out with Baylor, there may be a few schools that don’t require NMF first choice by March 1st
(I believe the Florida publics fall into this category, but not sure)

@PsJ2023 and @garamxmasala …you can always change your first choice till end of April, I called NMF and enquired.

@sajju786 yeah, but it’s the question of whether or not the college will accept it
Some will (Florida publics), some won’t (USC)

@garamxmasala …so I called NMF and spoke in detail regarding the process…
She told me that they release your choice of first school that you choose 4 times starting March 1st till May 1st the final deadline to choose 1st choice of school.
She told me they will notify only the school that you selected as first choice the 4 times they send out til May 1st after that your choice is final and will be known to all.

Example:

School X and School Y requires you to make them first choice to get Scholarship by March 1st or any specific date.

School X wants you to make them first choice by March 1st, for some kinda a scholarship…then go ahead and choose that School X…On March 1st, NMF will ONLY send that School X that you have chosen them as first choice and School Y will not know that you have chosen School X as your first choice. After the fisrt round of notification done by NMF on March 1st…you can go back at NMF website and change to School Y as your first choice and ONLY School Y will be notified around March 15th that they are chosen as first choice by you.

NMF told me they understand and will never sabotage a student from getting scholarship or college admission.

For more info call NMF at (847)886-5161…they will explain you more if needed.

Also read “Requirements and instructions for Semifinalist” - has same details
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=401

@sajju786 Very helpful! Thanks for posting.

In the details is this:
Also, if NMSC receives notice of a change in college choice from a Finalist to whom a college-sponsored Merit Scholarship off er has already been mailed, the change in college choice will not be processed and the student cannot be offered another college-sponsored award—even if the new choice of college is one that also sponsors Merit Scholarship awards. (See page 3 of the Requirements and Instructions document which is posted online in the “Competition Instructions” section of the OSA or at nationalmerit.org/resources.)

Can’t have it both ways?