Boy glad my kid isn’t on the bubble. Cause deadly silence rules here. I would be going nuts if his score was lower.
@clemsongrad - I agree; it isn’t that difficult to understand. Tell the kid and their family and tell them to keep it under wraps until September 13.
So… what would happen if you posted it sooner? They revoke it? My friend who is a teacher at a big school (well, big for me - we have 75 graduating seniors) said no one keeps it a secret. The kids get notified and by the end of the week pretty much everyone on campus who would care knows.
Only thing scheduled today at S18’s HS is a morning Mass, then early dismissal. Was hoping GC would send the NMSFs home for the weekend with the good news by calling them to the office today, but with this abbreviated schedule there will likely be no time for that. YAY for the long holiday weekend wait!
Just for context, the language on the letter to NMSF students this year is exactly the same as last year’s. So nothing’s changed there.
Art has commented on the issue of schools not notifying student’s till mid-month. Like you all, he believes it’s either a misinterpretation of the directive or they just don’t want the kids posting this information on social media so keep it under wraps till the press release date. Another possibility is just scheduling - they do all the NMSF stuff at the same time, inlcluding printing out materials, informing families, and posting a news release.
However, that’s not what NMSC is directing them to do. Therefore, everyone with a question about this should make an appointment with their principal, GC or relevant administrator and get the scoop. Be nice - they need to write a recommendation about your kid, remember!
If your school is just being stubborn, keep in mind that the application is very easy to complete and that the essay question is the same as last year’s, based on another poster upthread. I’ll dig out from our files and re-post shortly.
Essay prompt from last year:
“To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. Explain why this is meaningful to you. Use your own words and limit your response to the space below.”
Two pieces of advice:
-
The above prompt is shared based on the information that this year’s essay prompt is the same as last years. Obviously I have no way of confirming that and am relying on another CC post which said they are the same.
-
Mind the limited amount of space! It’s very easy to cut off the last part of your essay if too long. Make sure to do a preview before you submit anything and double check to make sure the essay reads properly in entirety.
and @GoAskDad
If you add the full xxxxxx/#respond URL as a bookmark, you can jump right to the end.
Since we are talking about 15k students, if they were all at individual schools, shipping FedEx/UPS 1 envelope per person, it would cost 150k, and everyone would know on the same day. It is insane to dribble out information, especially when there are conflicting indications. Just put all the packets in FedEx/UPS and post the SI by state to the web.
S had the 217 in MI, 99th percentile on all scores, and was told no letter at school. It works out to about 21k a year difference in the price of the school he wanted to go to, so we’re back to looking for cheaper schools, as EFC is 40% of what we make, so too poor to pay for college, too rich to get anything but merit aid.
@notinmi I feel for you. it really stinks to have no information. And maybe to miss by one point. I wish they would go to one NMSF number the way they have one commended number. It would be so much easier.
Also wish they would get rid of commended. No point for it, nothing gained from it, and kid get reminded one more time they missed the cut, having looked at 99th percentile all summer, only to miss as not in the top 1%.
@notinmi - you mean not in the top .5% or the top .2%, right? Quite possible to be in the top 1% and miss NM. That’s why (among other reasons) there is commended.
1,500,000 take the test, 15,000 semi-finalists. That’s 1%. Granted I didn’t pay close attention, but the way it was explained, semi-finalists represented the top 1% of the test takers. Clearly it isn’t, or the percentiles are wrong.
@notinmi I think the percentiles are garbage. According to what I have seen online. One percentile is based on how they think that test taker did if 100% of the graduating seniors (I guess it would be juniors at the time of test) took it. The other percentile is compared to last years test takers. So neither percentile compares these test takers to each other. Plus 98.51% to 99.49% would all be 99 percentile. Plus the you have to take into account some state like NJ would need to be 99.5% while Wyoming may be 98%
@notinmi, Commended + NMSF represent the top 2.5% of the PSAT takers. Roughly the top 1% (roughly because of the state quota), make it to NMSF, the remaining 1.5% remain commended. Commended scholars do get a letter of commendation and they should be in a position to highlight this achievement in the common app (Honors section). According to NMSC, “although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.” - I would add YMMV. In addition, there is a program geared towards hispanic/latino (NHRP) where commended scholars who don’t quite make the cut for NMSF can still make the cut. You have to be at least one quarter hispanic/latino ethnicity (note, not race, but ethnicity).
“1,500,000 take the test, 15,000 semi-finalists. That’s 1%. Granted I didn’t pay close attention, but the way it was explained, semi-finalists represented the top 1% of the test takers. Clearly it isn’t, or the percentiles are wrong.”
Well, the lowest cut-off states are NOT in the top 1%. As some of them are at the commended or slightly higher, it’s around top 2.5 - 3%. It’s true that about 1% get NMSF but a kid in NJ with a 221 is going to be in the top 1% of scores nationally and still may not get SF simply because his/her state cuts off at the top .5%. Does that make sense?
NMSC doesn’t award SF status based on national percentiles. They allocate 16,000 slots by state according to that state’s % of graduating seniors, starting with the highest scorers and stopping at the SI that gives them the number that matches best “allocated number” they had in mind.
Minor correction - Commended+NMSF represent roughly the top 3% (50,000 out of 1.6 Million), which makes NMSF the top 1% and Commended, the next 2%.
Knowing what I have read now, sure, it makes sense. It just wasn’t explained that way when the Junior parents met at the school, it was described as top 1% of test takers. Had I known then what I know now, wouldn’t have let the kid look at a lot of schools. Anyway, it is what it is, moving on, and resetting the schools in consideration.
Son got the letter today from his guidance counselor naming him a semi-finalist in Oklahoma. Phew, officially official, and I can unclench now.
Glad to hear it, @HeliMom74!
Is your son considering OU? I was really sad to see all the NMF Scholarship changes at OU. Totally takes it out of consideration for us, but we are OOS. I think IN-STATE still gets free tuition, correct? We toured OU for our older NMF DS and he liked it a lot, but just did not want to go that far away from home. We met so many outstanding Merit Scholars from all over the US at the NMF weekend. I wonder how much that will change now, since OOS NMF pay in-state tuition? Our HS used to send at least one NMF to OU each year.
Anyway, congrats to your DS and I feel you on the whole “unclench” thing.
Thank you, @GoAskDad ! Yes, he is still considering OU. It will most likely be his choice; he is adamant about wanting zero debt as an undergrad. His 2015 sister is there, and thriving. I gotta admit, it would be nice to have both “babies” together on the same campus, and his sister can help and advise him there in ways I could not.
Those OOS cuts will really hurt their recruitment. In-state still receives full tuition, but the first-year housing $$ was cut altogether. Do not like.
That is a good question. I honestly do not know. This is my first year tracking this. When i wrote the note to NMSF the response has been very gracious. I suspect they understand the nature of social networking when handling these esp teenagers.