National Merit Essay

Paying for College
1

<p>I got my National Merit packet and filled it out except for the essay. I'm not sure what to write. The prompt is "To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. Explain why this is meaningful to you." </p>

<p>Is this essay just a formality, or does it have substantial weight in the scholarship decision? I was sort of under the impression NMSC was all about the test scores. </p>

<p>Also, I'm not sure if I should force a serious tone to my essay, or just go with the flow. My CommonApp essay could maybe mesh with the prompt but it might be too whimsical for this.</p>

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<p>You should definitely not treat it as a “mere formality.” Remember that less than half of the finalists will actually get a NM Scholarship. Since nearly all of them will have high test scores and GPAs (or they wouldn’t have gotten to the finalist stage in the first place), the essay is one way that you can distinguish yourself from the others. It doesn’t necessarily have to be “serious.”</p>