Question about NMSF designation and the Common App

<p>We're expecting notification to schools re: NMSF status around the 23rd - 26th or so of August, correct? From reading past threads I have seen that there is some sort of official press release date for the <em>publication</em> of those who make it. Does that limitation exist for individual students as well? </p>

<p>My ds will not be submitting his Common Application until the NMSF status is "official," but my understanding is that there is a bit of a lag time between when students individually know and when that information can be publicly disseminated. Must he wait until the press release date to indicate his status on his Common App?</p>

<p>Is this a dumb question? I just want to follow all the rules. I'm a stickler that way!</p>

<p>I just called NMSC (National Merit Scholarship Corporation,
Main Telephone: (847) 866-5100)) and was told the letter will send to student’s high school on Sep. 11th this year and the high school will notify students who’ve made NMSF.</p>

<p>The practice up through last year has been that NMSC sends notices of NMSF qualifiers to high schools around the week of Aug. 24 with instruction that the information should not be made public until a “press release” date in the middle of September. This has never meant that high schools could not tell qualifiers and their families about their status before the press release date but some administrators have interpreted it this way while others have felt free to contact their qualifiers even before school has started for the year. If what jlin3513 is true then this is a new practice and we will see widespread later notifications this year. However if Sept. 11 is just the “press release” (or “embargo”) date then information will trickle in here in the form of posts as it always has.</p>

<p>With respect to the Common App I don’t see that putting NMSF status on the form is a problem once private notification has been made. The application itself is private and I don’t see that this violates the spirit of not going public before the press release date. Moreover the colleges get mailing lists of NMSF’s well before the public notice date so they can start recruiting mailings so it is unlikely a CA marked NMSF is releasing any new information to anyone. Still I suggest (1) not claiming a status before private notification and (2) if you do need to submit an application prior to notification indicate the NMSF status is “anticipated” and be prepared to notify schools that it did not happen should it not occur.</p>

<p>^Thank you for both of the replies. </p>

<p>I do hope private notification is earlier rather than later!</p>

<p>Schools are odd about this… (high schools, I mean). Some notify kids almost as soon as they know, some lag for various reasons. I would say once your kid has been told by his school you are okay if that comes earlier than the official letter.</p>

<p>Also, I am not sure I would hold any applications for this. Your kid can always email the admissions office to notify them that they have been named an NMSF once he gets the news, they will just add it into his file. My kid did this when she found out she made finalist last year, since apps were already in.</p>

<p>The PSAT Dates and Deadlines page lists “late August” as the time frame that principals are notified about semifinalists and “early September” and the time frame that the NMSF booklet is released, so I don’t think the process has changed this year - still expect the letters to go out on/about next Tuesday.</p>

<p>The Corp’s Public Information Office told me today that the letters will be sent August 27. The Press Release Date is Sept 11.</p>

<p>I’m posting in the several places I’m seeing it discussed. Good luck everyone!</p>