<p>does being national merit semifinalist improve one's chances of getting into a college or is it just strictly a scholarship/money thing?</p>
<p>It does help, like all merit awards do.</p>
<p>It will help.</p>
<p>how much does it help??</p>
<p>Really, it's just something to list as an academic award/distinction, but being a National Merit semifinalist indicates high PSAT scores, so likely good SAT scores as well. That in turn can say something about your test-taking skills, study habits, reasoning ability, and knowledge of English and general math. I may be stretching it a little there, but it's just a good thing to jazz up your application. (It doesn't "guarantee" you admission to an Ivy or anything, but it will definitely help.)</p>
<p>there are 16,000 of them, so i don't think it would help your application to top schools/Ivies that much... it's good for getting merit scholarships</p>
<p>hmm how about schools like USC?</p>
<p>USC offers half tuition merit scholarships to NMSF's so it must mean something to them (approx. $80,000 over 4 years). That said, they DO reject some NMSF's, so it is not a guaranteed admission hook or anything. I HOPE it means something as my son is applying there! They didn't stress it at all during the Meet USC information session we attended and they have not marketed it as aggressively as other schools who have been sending stuff to my son.</p>
<p>It seems safe to say that any college that offers a substantial National Merit scholarship also values NMSF status in admission.</p>
<p>ahh okay cuz i was kind of hoping the national merit semifinalist status would fill in my weak GPA just a little bit.</p>