<p>I emailed the ND admissions officer to ask if there was any advantage to putting them since they don't give merit awards, and he said there was no advantage in letting them know they are your number one choice. If a school is your number one choice, they should be able to tell by your essay, and then they will still see you were national merit when u apply and tell them all your stats. Just go for the money</p>
<p>What's ND, hodgeman?</p>
<p>Notre Dame, I assume.</p>
<p>It doesn't really matter which schools you list for this. It is a "show of interest" - HYPS etc. couldn't care less if you are interested. Lower ranked schools might track your show of interest - but even then it means very little.<br>
and BTW - the NMS cutoffs are not announced until September. 218 may - or may not - make the cut next September. I know that Texas' score has moved around several points - going up. (groan. My son is one point down from the 2004 cutoff.)</p>
<p>This was helpful hodge and anxiousmom, thanks. I have a much better idea about the NMS Program in general after today.. :)</p>
<p>Is there somewhere we can view a list of past cut-off marks for Semi-Finalists from our state?</p>
<p>If you put down Rice they waive your application fee of $50 dollars, it's something to consider because most top schools don't care about it.</p>
<p>danielle, check this thread for previous year cut-off scores:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=177542%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=177542</a></p>
<p>Thanks Arkansas!!</p>
<p>My school has actually gave me slightly higher numbers, but who knows what those actually mean (GC: "We do not know the cut-off scores, they change every year, but all I can tell you is that the lowest score last year from our school that was rewarded NMSF status was ---"). Nevertheless.. Wow, I am surprised to see such big differences between states. </p>
<p>edit: Nevermind, I was thinking of 2006 figures, I believe. The 2005 ones are correct..</p>
<p>4-pt difference in one year. Rather significant. But moving on now :D</p>
<p>This thread's been dead for a couple of days, but I thought that I'd make available the results of my research thusfar.</p>
<p>Basically, I sent e-mails out to admissions at Harvard, Brown, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale telling them of my PSAT score and asking them if "it would be advantageous for me come fall if I report <em>insert name here</em> as my top choice for National Merit right now."</p>
<p>I'm still waiting on Brown, Princeton, and Stanford, but here are the results so far:</p>
<p>From: Harvard College Admissions </p>
<p>Greetings,</p>
<p>The admissions committee will consider all information submitted by/on
behalf of an applicant.</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>(Talk about a noncommital response)</p>
<p>--
From: Yale Regional Admissions Officer</p>
<p>Hi chillaxin,</p>
<p>Thank you for your e-mail and congratulations on your PSAT score! You do not need to send the score to Yale, it will not give you an "advantage" in the application process. We will look forward to receiving your application.</p>
<p>hm does anyone know about columbia? I guess they wouldn't care either since then don't give national merit.</p>
<p>I got a 207 (I live in NV and am dearly wishing the cutoff is lower this year) and I'm not really aiming for the top colleges.</p>
<p>My first choice is Oregon State University mainly because it's still in the west coast and it offers a direct-entry pharmacy program. I don't really know what school to put as my second choice. I'm not really into the idea of going to the east coast but if I were to go, my list of schools there are USIP, Northeastern, Univ of Rhode Island and MCPHS (in the order of my favor). Should I put USIP as my second choice or Northeastern (which, I hear, has a more competitive admissions process).</p>
<p>What about sending it to Cal Tech?
I know it's a top school, but I'm wondering if it would be helpful in admissions.</p>
<p>i lost my letter and so i cant find the website to go to to enter my 2 colleges....does anyone have it?</p>
<p>Ouch. The website's <a href="http://www.collegeplans.org%5B/url%5D">www.collegeplans.org</a>, but you'll need the CPRS ID and password to access anything. I'd recommend calling them and trying to figure it out somehow. Their address is:</p>
<p>College Plans Reporting Service
PO Box 881
Evaston, IL 60204-0881</p>
<p>The phone number & address for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation are as follows:
(847)866-5100
1560 Sherman Ave. Suite 200
Evaston, IL 60201-4897</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>
[quote]
What about sending it to Cal Tech?
I know it's a top school, but I'm wondering if it would be helpful in admissions.
[/quote]
It probably won't help, and it definitely won't get you any money - I'd send it somewhere else (though I actually did send it to Caltech myself, but whatever). Though, PM Ben Golub (an adcom) to make sure it doesn't matter.</p>
<p>If we are actually being asked what our college choice is, does that mean that were certainly in as semifinalists? I ask because my score is 212, and the cutoff last year was 216. It just seems like a whole waste of time if they're just going to give you a commended...</p>
<p>You still get the letters sent to the colleges, regardless of whether you're commended or a semifinalist.</p>
<p>wait...Northwestern gives national merit scholarships???? are you sure???</p>
<p>Yup, that's what it says right here:</p>
<p>You won't know if you're commeded or semi until September. </p>
<p>You can change your schools through next April.</p>
<p>Colleges never see your actual score unless you tell them or it's on your high school transcript. They'll only be notified that you scored within the range to be considered for commended or semi-finalist. </p>
<p>p.s. If your SAT/ACT/AP scores are on your transcript you should consider making your high school take them off. We've had personal experience with this and there have been stories here of messed up scores on transcripts. Colleges will want your official scores anyway, so there's no reason for them to be on your transcript.</p>