<p>I want to know what my chances of becoming a nm finalist. I'm class of 2014, so I won't be receiving semi finalist notification for a while, but my score was a 228, so I'm definitely safe in Texas. My only problem is that I have 4-5 c's in high school. I'm what you would call a lazy yet gifted student. My weighted gpa is a 3.8, but my unweighted is a 2.7. I took 2 AP's last year (Spanish and world history) and both were 5's. I'm taking 4 AP tests this year, and 7 AP's as a senior. I'm involved in my community, and have many long term volunteer commitments. Is it even possible for me to be a finalist? I really want to go to Baylor, but tuition is too high to be able to manage without a finalist scholarship.</p>
<p>yeah dude, no problems</p>
<p>Living: were those semester C’s or marking period C’s? How does your school report things on the transcript? i.e. do they show marking period grades or just semester grades?</p>
<p>Your UW GPA is a problem.</p>
<p>It sounds like those Cs were semester grades which is why your UW GPA is so low. It also sounds like you have more than 4-5 Cs…unless you have very few (or no) As.</p>
<p>If the Cs are on your transcript your probably screwed.</p>
<p>Can someone please explain to me the process of being a finalist? I got a 222 in NC, so I should be fine as a semifinalist, but how does a semifinalist become a finalist? What are my chances of being a finalist compared to someone getting a 230? Thanks</p>
<p>Once you become a semi-finalist your PSAT score doesn’t matter anymore. What matters then are your grades, confirming SAT score (again, just need to pass a threshold, higher doesn’t compensate for problems in other areas), you essay and lack of disciplinary issues in HS.</p>
<p>Your PSAT score doesn’t matter once you’ve been named a NMSF.</p>
<p>Go back to the thread listings and click on the FAQ about the process.</p>
<p>There was a kid who made it with 4 Cs last year. Let us know how it turns out.</p>
<p>A 2.7 is appx an 82 average. Majority of grades are b’s.</p>
<p>Rob. They are on my transcript.</p>
<p>Living: OK. They’re on your transcript. Does it show all 4 marking periods or just 2 semesters? Were the C’s in academic classes or things like gym, art, etc. ?</p>
<p>Full disclosure: D1 had 2 C’s on her transcript; they were semester C’s. Freshman year was a little wobbly, but she had an upward trend. We (I) sweated NMF till February of her senior year, when she made the cut. </p>
<p>AP scores don’t mean anything in this process as far as we know. NMF is not a transparent process. If I were you, I’d do I all could this year to show an upward trend. There’s nothing you can do about what already has happened and will be reported. You can affect your performance going forward. It may (or may not) help for NMF, but it certainly will help for college applications in general. </p>
<p>I wish we could tell you for sure whether you were golden or not, but I certainly wish you the best going forward!</p>
<p>You need to have consistently excellent grades from freshman year on.
With 4 C’s and mostly B’s and a 2.7 unweighted average, you can be fairly certain that you will not make finalist.
AP scores and EC’s won’t help.
I hope that semifinalist status will benefit you in some way, though.</p>
<p>From other threads with acceptances/rejections, I’ve gotten the feeling with more than 2-3 C’s you’re out. Sorry living0a0lie.</p>
<p>blulub, don’t worry for awhile. In August/September next year you’ll get a letter in the mail and your school should also talk to you. You will fill out an application, write an essay, and get two teacher recs. Your school’s guidance counselor will fill out another part of the online application. Whenever you take the SAT, have your score report sent to the NMSC. I believe you’re safe if above a 2000. The same application you submit to gain Finalist standing will be used for scholarship consideration.</p>
<p>Since 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists make it to Finalist, it isn’t a highly competitive process. As long as you have good grades (above 3.5uw, I believe), high enough SAT, no disciplinary problems, nice teacher recs, and a reasonably nice essay, you’re fine.</p>
<p>Don’t listen to the doomsday soothsayers. As LonelyHapax already posted, 15,000 out of 16,000 make it through. That means only 1000 don’t. Among those 1000 and kids who don’t complete the application (or whose schools drop the ball), kids with disciplinary records, and kids who don’t score high enough on the SAT. The process is meant to verify that you score was not a fluke. We don’t know if you got Cs at a school that deflates grades, or you’re just a lousy student, but there have been some who have qualified with Cs in the past. I wouldn’t worry too much, because the only thing you can do is try to improve this year - which you should be doing anyway to prepare for college applications.</p>
<p>His uw average is 2.7–well below 3.5. It is not just having a few C’s–it is the overall low-gpa (lack of A’s) that will keep him from qualifying for finalist.
He needs to be realistic and do what he can with his semi-finalist status.</p>
<p>CTS…</p>
<p>Yes, there have been some kids who make it with a couple of Cs…but their overall GPA was over 3.0…more likely over 3.5.</p>
<p>This is a student whose GPA is a 2.7. That suggests few As and mostly Bs and Cs. That’s not likely going to qualify for NMF. </p>
<p>We’ve been following this for a few years now. I’ve been following it since 2005. The kids who’ve posted with a few semester Cs (not just one or two) and who’ve had overall GPA issues have not make NMF.</p>
<p>We’re not doomsday soothsayers…we’re realists.</p>