<p>^ if it happens, it'll be this year, since the type of questions changed quite a bit.</p>
<p>However, before this year, I don't thing anything more than a 2 point change has ever occured.</p>
<p>courtette44, from what my guidance counselor said, 15000 of 16000 semifinalists make finalists, and she also said that it mostly comes down to who turns their stuff in first...don't know much after that</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org%5B/url%5D">www.nationalmerit.org</a></p>
<p>It's all on the web people...except for the cutoffs, unfortunately. Other than that, the entire process is in black and white.</p>
<p>Anybody who got a 212 this year, did your score report say you were 99th percentile? This would go a long way in determining what the cutoffs are going to be this year. Also, could somebody post some of the cutoff indices for other states? I have Illinois' right here:</p>
<p>2003: 214
2004: 214
2005: 216
2006:?</p>
<p>(Should revert back to 214)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>i didn't make finalist. **** life. </p>
<p>i just got the letter, and it wasn't even nice! it was like, you have to have an outstanding blah blah blah, and, well, you DIDN'T. i was sad. </p>
<p>anybody else?</p>
<p>Could anyone tell me where you find this information? Is is on collegeboard?</p>
<p>courtette44, what was your gpa? Sorry to hear you didn't get it. NMSF is good too.</p>
<p>courtette44, You received the FINALIST letter? I heard that they are sent out in February...</p>
<p>i didnt get any letter yet, courtette, where are you from?</p>
<p>how much does being commended actually help</p>
<p>I am anticipating the NMF letter too courette. Where are you from?</p>
<p>The most CA's cutoff can go up is to 218 correct? Have there been instances where the average rose by more than 2 points?</p>
<p>got a 211, commended</p>
<p>231, semifinalist.</p>
<p>Wait, you've heard about finalist already? I don't remember my score, but I'm in NY and was a semifinalist. I also thought we weren't supposed to hear until february, but I guess I'll be watching the mail.</p>
<p>Courtette44 - Did you really get such a letter?</p>
<p>I got a 203 and was just commended i think.</p>
<p>sorry. yes. i live in colorado and got it a couple of days ago, i must've sucked enough butt that they thought i deserved to know ahead of time.
no, other people from my school got theirs. my gpa unweighted was only a 3.2 - this one time i got a D. i know that's why. but my index was a 219 and everything else was good..... sigh.
and i quote: "to advance to finalist standing, a semifinalist must have a record of academic performance that is consistently very high in all of grades 9 through 12, and in any college course work taken. after a careful evaluation of your corse work and grades, we have concluded that your academic record does not fulfill this finalist requirement. therefore, we are truly sorry to inform you that your application is being withdrawn from further consideration in the merit scholarship competition."
maybe i'm special? i hope you get your letters soon, and that they say you're cooler than me!
it just upset me, bc i'm applying to hard core schools and it was like a slap in the face. i wish i'd applied to more good fit schools, i have reaches and safeties. and i don't really want to go to uc-boulder. or colorado college, like a block from my house.</p>
<p>courtette44. good luck to you.</p>
<p>Anyone else?</p>