<p>Our D's HS didn't bother to notify her of semi-finalist status until the day before the application was due--she did make finalist, so I guess the essay can't count too much against you--she wrote hers in about an hour.</p>
<p>Continuing in this stunning vein, at the NHS induction ceremony a couple days later, the principal proudly announced the students who'd made commended, but left out D, the only semi-finalist. It appeared to the audience that she had not made the commended cut. When I confronted him (nicely) after the ceremony, he replied that "if" she had done what I said, he'd apologize to her later. </p>
<p>Apparently the letter was sitting on his desk, and he hadn't got around to reading it.</p>