If I was not selected as a National Merit Finalist, will colleges count this against me? How important is it to be a National Merit Finalist? (I am asking this in terms of getting into Ivy League colleges - will they count me not being a NMF against me? Will it hurt my chances at getting in?)
Not at all.
No it will not hurt you.
Good luck!!
are you asking if you were named a NMSF and didn’t get finalist or if you didn’t get NMSF?
No, no one will look at your application and think “Shame, this applicant doesn’t have NMF”. NMF is a PLUS for an application, but not having it is hardly a minus.
Not getting NMSC semi-finalist.
If it comes down to two candidates who are exactly equal in every way, except one is a NMSF and the other is not, I think the NMSF will push the candidate over the other. That being said, I doubt it ever really comes down to that face off. If the rest of your application is strong, then it doesn’t hurt you. However, NMSF, NMF, NM Scholar are national awards and do add to the application.
I hope that makes sense.
“However, NMSF, NMF, NM Scholar are national awards.”
Is this true? We were told by our kid’s GC that we should list this as a state award since it is based on the cutoff score in our state (which is higher than some states and lower than others.)
It’s called National Merit not State Merit. Maybe there is something on the college board that clarifies this, but if you are a National Merit Finalist or Scholar you are picked from a pool of national applicants. Maybe the NMSF is considered a state award, but I doubt it.
Ours said it’s a national award which varies by state, if that helps!
OP - it won’t matter.
My kids also listed National Merit as a state award on the Common App. I don’t think National Merit has any impact on admissions for an Ivy.
It’s a state level award and should be listed as such.
I agree that it’s a state level award.