Not being a NMSF

Applying to College
1

<p>How much does not being a NMSF (or even being commended) hurt your chances at top 20 schools if everything else about your application is fine?</p>

2

<p>NFM, semi and commended - are for a scholarship program. Some schools also grant specific scholarships for NMF’s. That’s it. It’s a nice line for your resume. NMF opens the door to some merit scholarships. The other two are nice lines for your resume. That’s it. It’s one test your junior year.</p>

3

<p>Commended is practically irrelevant because the score threshold is pretty low (for top 20 school standards). NMF is helpful, but still not a big deal. Not being a NMSF does not hurt you at all. Your SAT/ACT score is much more important than your PSAT score.</p>

4

<p>What are the top 20 schools? And what makes them so special?</p>

5

<p>Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and Duke.</p>

<p>Great locations and engineering programs.</p>

6

<p>Duke? Great location? C’mon now</p>

7

<p>I think @Madaboutx was asking a rhetorical question… That being said, it’s no big deal if you aren’t, it’s a slight plus if you are. The rest of your app is 100x more important!</p>

8

<p>A little deal but not a big deal. The thing most don’t consider is that being a NMSF likely shows consistency year over year for the SAT. I think when dealing with uncertainty Adcom just might appreciate a little consistency. GL</p>