<p>OP - I do not know the details - but I believe ivyalum is correct and there is another way to qualify for National Merit in addition to the junior year PSAT score. Do you have a copy of the PSAT Bulletin - look in there.</p>
<p>I agree with whomever said that if your D had the PSAT score to qualify for National Merit, she should have the SAT scores to qualify for generous merit aid at the many schools that give merit aid based on scores and grades. Check the merit aid and scholarship sections of websites of schools your D is considering, and also check the merit aid threads on CC including on this board.</p>
<p>Here’s the alternate method:</p>
<p>“If you missed taking the PSAT/NMSQT in your junior year, you may still be able to enter programs conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation if you meet other requirements to enter the NMSC competitions (published in the Official Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT and on NMSC’s website ). To request information about alternate testing after the October PSAT/NMSQT administration, write to NMSC as soon as possible but no later than March 1 following the PSAT/NMSQT administration that was missed. Your letter must be postmarked on or before March 1 for your request to be considered.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately - you are well past this deadline as well.</p>
<p>Since your D is considering LACs and lives in NYS, here are some links to LACs merit aid she might qualify for:</p>
<p>[Elmira</a> College : Admissions : Financial Aid : Scholarships & Awards](<a href=“http://www.elmira.edu/admissions/financial_aid/scholarships]Elmira”>http://www.elmira.edu/admissions/financial_aid/scholarships)</p>
<p>[Financial</a> Aid | Bard](<a href=“http://www.bard.edu/admission/finances/]Financial”>http://www.bard.edu/admission/finances/)</p>
<p>[Skidmore</a> College: Merit Awards](<a href=“http://cms.skidmore.edu/financialaid/merit.cfm]Skidmore”>http://cms.skidmore.edu/financialaid/merit.cfm)</p>
<p>"Union College Scholarships</p>
<p>Including all of the College’s endowed and annual scholarships, this is by far the largest single source of assistance available to our students. Most of the scholarship money offered is based on need as determined by the FAFSA and PROFILE forms. Union does offer some merit awards ranging from $5000 to $10,000 per year. It is not necessary to complete a separate application to qualify for a merit scholarship."
[Scholarships</a> & Grants](<a href=“http://www.union.edu/Admissions/Financial_Aid/aid_programs/scholarships_grants.php]Scholarships”>http://www.union.edu/Admissions/Financial_Aid/aid_programs/scholarships_grants.php)</p>
<p>Russell Sage:
[Russell</a> Sage College Scholarships - MeritAid.com](<a href=“Find Scholarships for College Students: Scholarship Database | Cappex”>Find Scholarships for College Students: Scholarship Database | Cappex)</p>
<p>Hobart William Smith College
[HWS:</a> Merit-Based Scholarships](<a href=“http://www.hws.edu/admissions/merit_based.aspx]HWS:”>http://www.hws.edu/admissions/merit_based.aspx)</p>
<p>Take a breath. No one died here. Darling D sounds like a smart kid – she had one important door slam shut and that should motivate D and parent to get their act together on the rest of the college process. </p>
<p>Details matter. Deadlines matter. Agonize with the chocolate of your choice over this missed opportunity and then move on. It’s too bad that GC wasn’t better informed but this is also a huge wake up call – no one else EVER looks after you like you do. Doctors miss stuff. Teachers miss stuff. Parents and partners miss stuff. </p>
<p>I think it would be very wrong to beat up on the GC when clearly the parent and the student didn’t bother to read the National Merit material carefully. Learn and move on.</p>
<p>“What your daughter lost depends on what schools on what schools she was interested in. A few schools offer automatic or near-automatic full rides to NMF (Oklahoma, Arizona State e.g.). They are rare. Nothing or very little is far more common. For us it could have been $7500/year at St. Olaf, but DD1 chose a school that doesn’t give merit aid.”</p>
<p>That’s the case with us. Most of the schools that give partial scholarships will offer merit scholarships based on other criteria. Our GC was great. One reason is that he had a NMF son looking for schools 2 years earlier who also chose a “need only” school</p>
<p>The GC only screwed up in failing to make sure we understood the need to take the PSAT again, which was probably our responsibility more than hers. She is totally aware of the rules, just remiss in thinking that everyone else knew them too. I really thought “how cool to get the PSAT behind her as a sophomore.” Lesson learned. I’m an obessive admissions research geek now.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the encouragement…the spilt milk thing is good advice. And after all, we’re only missing out on $80,000 tops, lol.</p>
<p>JC40. For whatever reason, we dropped the ball. I guess the PSAT is not a requirement at my school. But I blame myself anyway.</p>
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<p>Agree completely. Everything you needed to know was sent to your child in the packet along with the scores. And I’d be willing to bet a fair amount that your child’s school did send out or announce reminders to the juniors to be sure to register for the PSAT. I wouldn’t expect my child’s GC to track down each and every individual that fails to register.</p>
<p>Your child can still inform colleges and universities of the PSAT score; just make sure it’s explained as a sophomore score. Many of the “Best Value” colleges that appear on Princeton Review’s list will like the score, especially when coupled with equivalent SAT scores, and will offer merit aid.</p>
<p>You are not alone. There are kids who are ill on the one and only day that “counts” for NMS. There are children who never hear their alarm clock. There are proctors who screwup the test by not giving enough time. In the end, your child will qualify for similar scholarships thru other test scores and grades. There are even national merit scholarships given by corporations that are not test score determined. Good luck!</p>
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<p>Oh, goodness, I wasn’t offended, just emphasizing the point that there really is a lot of money out there through National Merit. I wouldn’t want someone to go away thinking National Merit’s no big deal. For my family, it has made a huge difference.</p>
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<p>That’s usually true, but National Merit is a godsend for people like my son (and me, years ago) who have great test scores but so-so grades. For this category of kids who have a lot of potential that they haven’t learned to apply yet, National Merit offers more scholarship money than any other source by far. For kids who tend to do well on standardized tests and are not from well-off families, the NMSQT is a must.</p>
<p>Let it go and move on. It does no good at this time to keep thinking about it, does it? Just keep looking ahead. We were never promised that our life on this earth would be trouble-free.</p>
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<p>Well, it’s only “a must” if you think your child’s grades are high enough to attain a corporate scholarship or a scholarship from the National Merit Foundation. Mantori, I think your son and my son have somewhat similar profiles. Since no one in our family works for a “sponsoring corporation,” our son was not eligible for a corporate scholarship. To be eligible for a scholarship from the NM Foundation, he would have had to be one of the top 2% of students in his high school (that’s the way the scholarship has been awarded for the past six years at the school).</p>
<p>My son’s PSAT score in California gave him “commended scholar” status, and the only benefit we saw from that was a flood of mail from colleges and universities. Actual merit offers seemed to be linked more to SAT scores and grades, or a combination of the two.</p>
<p>"That’s usually true, but National Merit is a godsend for people like my son (and me, years ago) who have great test scores but so-so grades. "</p>
<p>Unless you’re talking about CC’s view of “so-so grades,” doing well on National Merit won’t be helpful to a student with so-so grades. I think one needs a 3.5 or higher combined with an excellent PSAT score to make National Merit Finalist.</p>
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<p>There is a category of schools that give merit awards based on Commended, Semi-Finalist and Finalist status. Keilexandra has generously given of her time to keep the list updated, <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-22.html?highlight=psat+merit+aid[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-22.html?highlight=psat+merit+aid</a></p>
<p>While my son was offered merit aid based on his overall record, the most generous awards were based on his status as a National Merit Finalist. The college he has decided to attend awarded him a National Merit Finalist merit scholarship worth 144K. </p>
<p>I’m not sharing this to make the OP feel worse but rather to clarify that the PSAT can be valuable on its own in terms of merit aid.</p>
<p>send a letter to the school board and copy the school principal. It is not vengeful to bring to the attention of the “powers that be” that there is some incompetance in their midst. That’s how things improve even if they never thank you for it. having e a lawyer send that same letter wouldn’t be vengeful either.</p>
<p>As others have noted, the level of National Merit aid varies widely by school. DS is a National Merit scholar, but he chose a LAC that does not participate in the program, and he did not receive any money from the NM corporation. Thus, our financial impact has been zero.</p>
<p>As a side note, he took the PSAT as a junior, but for some reason, accidentally identified himself on the exam as a sophomore. Fortunately, his guidance counselor picked up on the error and worked diligently to straighten out the mess. You have to wonder how a kid who’s bright enough to become a NMS could have difficulty remembering what grade he’s in…</p>
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<p>There is no fixed cutoff. My son’s high school GPA was 3.3, including a D and three C’s, and he was still named a Finalist.</p>
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<p>My son’s near-full-ride offers to Ole Miss and Alabama were automatic and based solely on NMF status without regard to grades, recommendations, EC’s, or anything else. Keilexandra’s exhaustive list, which pugmadkate linked to above, has many examples of like scholarships.</p>
<p>National Merit is not just a nice accolade. It’s money in the bank, lots of it, and that’s why it’s irresponsible for a GC not to understand how it works.</p>
<p>First, I am very sorry you are finding yourself in this very frustrating situation. Many people have bumps and bruises along the way of college admissions, including merit/FA, that have far reaching consequences.
With awards for schools who give a ‘free ride’ to NMF, I believe that many require you to select their school as your top choice for admission to be given the award. You have to make sure you select a school you can also get into. It can be a delicate balance.
That said, I do think the high marks are an indicator that your student will do very well on the SAT if they have not taken it already. There are schools that offer generous awards based on SAT scores and GPA alone. Depending on the school, the GPA does not have to be sky-high. I understand you feel you have lost the golden ticket, and that is understandable. I would look at your students current scores and GPA and start shopping Merit Aid/FA this way. I would keep the relationship with the GC as friendly as possible. Nothing is going to change what they did or didn’t do. You DO need the GC recommendation for college apps. They are professionals that are to be impartial, however they are human. Best not to be on bad terms when there is nothing to be gained.</p>
<p>OP, before you write that scathing letter to the principal/school board give thought as to whether this person will be writing your dd’s letter of recommendation for college.</p>
<p>At this point, I’d try to alternative score option someone suggested and then go to the counselor with heart and hand and explain how you were totally unaware of the process. With any luck, the GC will feel totally guilty and help you in any way possible from here on out.</p>