<p>Still confused, on the paper it says this student may qualify for nms, neighbors son says he does not on his results.</p>
<p>q's mom, what state are you from? It does make a difference.</p>
<p>The letter my kids received (and the reason why I started this thread) reads: "You selection index score on the PSAT places you among the highest-scoring 50,000 students of some 1.3 million who entered... We are now offering you, and all others in this group, the opportunity to be referred to two colleges or universities of your choice by the College Plans ReportingService (CPRS). This service is offered to encourage college officials to communicate directly with you about educational opportunities that may be available, and we hope it will help you to plan for college." </p>
<p>To me, 50,000 sounds like Commended plus Semifinalists, since Semifinalists usually number around 16,000. My kids scored 226 and 236, which I believe will make them Semifinalists in any state.</p>
<p>Cathymee, that was interesting what you wrote about leaving the college selection blank until next year. Might I ask what college/university offered your daughter a full scholarship as a result of her finalist standing? </p>
<p>Yet, contrary to what Cathymee advises, frazzled1 suggests that kids filli out their true first choices now as an indication to those schools that they are truly interested in them, then change them next year to be only those schools that do give generous shcolarships to NMS finalists. </p>
<p>Which is the correct advice??? </p>
<p>We are going to check with the GC this week, but I doubt that she knows.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for your input. I don't mean to beat a horse to death, but we really don't want to blow this....</p>
<p>anyone else think its unfair that you need something like a 221 in NJ and only like a 205 in some other state (north dakota, idk)?</p>
<p>Is it the general consensus that at this point we should just list our top two choices to show interest?</p>
<p>MotherLove,
I strongly advise listing only the favorite <em>NM</em>-partner colleges on that list. We assumed that the "separate Nat'l Merit Corporation" award (for qualifying finalists) would apply even if the college eventually chosen was not a NM partner. Originally, we were told by the NM office itself that the separate $2,000-ish award would/could be granted even if the student chose to attend a college which was not linked up with NM to provide add'l scholarship money. They were very explicit that this was a <em>separate</em> award, even if no NM sponsored colleges were indicated on her form.</p>
<p>About 2 weeks ago we learned otherwise. Thinking we were supposed to hear in March (my D's a finalist), I called the NM office. They informed us that since my D didn't name a NM sponsor among her favorite colleges, the Corporation would <em>also</em> not grant her a separate award from their corp.</p>
<p>Naturally this doesn't mean that the student's "true" first choice college would not or will not grant equal or better money, etc., based on their own available funds & the student's merit to the college. It just means -- as I understand it now, unless I have it all wrong -- that any student who does not list as favorites <em>NM</em> sponsoring colleges is out of the running for (obviously) the money at those colleges AND the money from the Corporation.</p>
<p>If money were a big deal to me, I would confine my list on those forms to NM colleges only. My D listed her true favorites (non-NM colleges) & her non- favorites (NM colleges). The mix didn't seem to hurt her when it came to final acceptances from her true favorites (i.e, relative to showing "interest"), only when it came to the NM money from the NM Corporation.</p>
<p>Where can I find a list of NM colleges?</p>
<p>I think there are two separate "listings" going on here. The letter that the students just received asking that they name two schools is essentially notification that the student will AT LEAST be commended; in late summer, these students will be told if they are commended or semi-finalists.</p>
<p>The selection of two schools now has no lasting impact - the two schools will just be notified of the student's high score and the fact that the student is interested in them. Last summer my son received letters from each of the two schools he listed acknowledging that he had listed them. This can only be helpful but probably doesn't have much of an impact.</p>
<p>I think Frazzled's advice is correct. My advice would also be to list two favorite schools that track demonstrated interest, and not bother to let the HYP's of the world know that you are interested. </p>
<p>Later in the process, semifinalists will be asked to list their first choice school; there is plenty of opportunity to change this listing too. My son won a national merit corporate special scholarship; in the award notification letter he received in late March, he was given the opportunity to name or change his first choice school AGAIN. </p>
<p>I will say that this whole National Merit process seems needlessly confusing!</p>
<p>Needlessly confusing is right! You need a PhD to decipher it all, and even then it does not make sense.</p>
<p>Do any of these schools track interest?: Stanford, Rice, Emory, Notre Dame, Wash-U, Michigan, Duke.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Don't know for sure, but I picked Rice as one of my two schools, and got a nice form letter back - but I'm at Rice now, so I guess it didn't hurt!</p>
<p>Emory and Wash U both track interest.</p>
<p>So, sorry, but just to clarify--Those who received a high score past the cutoff for their state should have already received a letter? I live in California and got a 222, but I didn't receive a letter. Is this type of score normally not above the cutoff?</p>
<p>you should be above the cutoff. new jersey has the highest cutoff and last year it was 221.</p>
<p>The letter that just came deals with the NATIONAL cutoff for commended and above status. It's possible that you will be notified through your school rather than getting a letter directly, so that could account for a delay in your receiving this letter; I think my son got this letter in late April/early May last year. If you got a 222, for sure you are at least commended; I don't know what the cutoff was for California last year but 222 is a very high score and I would guess you are above the cut-off.</p>
<p>After you make it this far, then you are subject to your STATE's cut-off for semi-finalist status. You won't know until the end of the summer if you have passed this test. But again, 222 is a very highs core and you should be OK.</p>
<p>emswim,
Someone on a diff. thread -- I think on the Parents Forum -- regarding waitlisting (relative to college admin. honesty/dishonesty), also pasted in his or her posted reply a quote from Stanford admissions regarding their policy about "demonstrated interest." It essentially stated that applicant interest is not tracked & scored, but you can find that thread & read the quote.</p>
<p>I think I am going to pick Rice and Emory. Does anyone think that is a good- or bad- idea?</p>
<p>My D hasn't gotten anything from her school as of yet, but they are notoriously slow about everything. However, she has gotten 2 letters this weekend from colleges that start with "Congrats on being named on of the high scoring students on the 2005 Perliminary SAT/National merit Scolarship Qualifying Test".
She is assuming based upon that and her 210 selection index that the letter will show up eventually.
He GC is terrible, so she doesn't even want to ask her. She figures if she doesn't hear within the week she will check with the college office in her school to see if they have any info.</p>
<p>Yes, 210 should certainly be enough. (It was 201 last year and 200 the year before).</p>
<p>I also received a letter from my school on Friday. Does anyone know the link, title or website of schools that track interest? Any help would be great. thanks</p>