recently found out I am a semi finalist. Assuming I become a finalist, (over 90% chance) what is the steps to get further money? If I recall, only 7500 get $2500. Is this competitive? Does being from a traditionally small state help? And can I still be eligible for corporate and college sponsored scholarships if I am not part of the 7500?
Are the 7500 formally known as NM Scholars? Is there a difference between NMF and NM Scholars? I understand some schools like NEU and USC (CA) offer scholarships for NMF. Is this NMFs or NM scholars? And is it automatic, if I get into either of these schools will I automatically earn that scholarship?
Is there a database or website which has all information for every other corporate based scholarship? Are there other, non NMS affiliated scholarships which are given to finalists/scholars?
There is information below with respect to the different types of scholarships available. Some come from the NMSC (those are one time awards that are not renewable for multiple years). Some from corporations (some of these are renewable for 4 years and others are one time awards. Others from colleges (some of these are 4 year renewable and others are one time awards. Some cover portion of tuition, full tuition, in-state tuition, partial room and board, full room and board. You need to check with the given corporate and college based awards.
You are named a NMScholar if you receive ANY NMF award, which includes the 2500 or a corporate award or a college award. All recipients are named Scholars. All of them.
You can really only get a corporate one if your parents work at a place that awards them.
Any NMF can get a college sponsored one if they apply/attend a college that awards them to every NMF. For instance, UA awards their college sponsored NMF award to every NMF…and all become NMScholars.
The one time 2500 award is highly competitive since there will be 15000 NMFs, but only 2500 getting that ONE TIME 2500 award.
As for 90% going from NMSF to NMF…it’s not random. The ones who do NOT make finalist typically have caused the problem by having C’s on their transcripts, not doing the NMSF forms, or being a discipline problem at school.
The C on my son’s transcript is really bugging me. It was sophomore year in an AP class (and he got a 5 on the AP exam). Hasn’t had any other Cs and goes to a top 5 school in our state (rigorous, private, well known). Is this C going to ruin his chances at NMF? He is otherwise a good student and has excellent ECs and other test scores.
<<<
The C on my son’s transcript is really bugging me. It was sophomore year in an AP class (and he got a 5 on the AP exam). Hasn’t had any other Cs and goes to a top 5 school in our state (rigorous, private, well known). Is this C going to ruin his chances at NMF? He is otherwise a good student and has excellent ECs and other test scores.
[QUOTE=""]
[/QUOTE]
It might not hurt him.
Tell us more. Was it a quarter grade, semester grade, or year end grade
What is on the actual transcript…some schools only put a year end grade
@mom2collegekids It was a semester grade of 78. His school puts semester grades on the transcript. Spring semester went up to an 80, which at his school is a B. But transcript has 78 for fall/80 for spring. They don’t do year averages, but I guess if they did, it would be a 79, still a C. His GC will write a very strong support letter, despite this.
My guess for the poor grade was that he was in his second year at this very exclusive and tight knit school and FINALLY found his way and made friends. Eventually he righted course, but that C looms.
I don’t expect him to get the $2500 scholarship, but I’d like him to be NMF b/c there are 1-2 schools he’s interested in that have NMF scholarships (funded by the school).
Transcript will show the numbers 78 and 80. So now I’m worried about that 80, too, b/c it’s only modestly better. Technically it was a B, but obviously a low B. S was a sophomore and this was his first AP class. He did brilliantly on the exam, but the teacher was really, really tough.
@mom2collegekids Ok, I’ll ask GC first b/c I have a friendly relationship with him. I am sure that they don’t generally do this, but it can’t hurt to ask. My guess is that if they do it for my kid, they will have to do it for others, and that will be the sticking point for them. Sigh. Thanks for the advice!
Really, it can become their policy; some other schools have this policy. It usually doesn’t mean that very many students would be affected since probably 90%+ of their 5’s have at least a B+ in the class.
@contdes If you look at prior threads, there’s a student with three semester Cs who became a finalist, and a number of others with one or two Cs who did as well. I don’t think anyone can truly predict how National Merit will evaluate applications, other than to look at a student’s record as a whole. I understand it can make for some anxious waiting, but I wouldn’t worry overly much about the C. At my D’s school last year, a girl with two C’s became a finalist, but within the context of an extremely rigorous IB diploma curriculum.
When people report that they have Cs on their report card we don’t know if they mean quarter grades, semester grades, or year end grades.
There maybe students reporting that they got two semesters C grades in two different classes but their year-end grade was a B and if their school only reports year end grades that’s the only thing national merit sees
People often do not know what school report on the transcripts