<p>OKay, so I just graduated this year from high school and am attending community college next semester. However, what if my stats qualify for a national merit scholarship? It's too late to apply for one since I already graduated.. isn't it? Everywhere I've read says you have to be a senior in high school, but I guess I'm just hoping/praying it isn't ya know?</p>
<p>[National</a> Merit Scholarship Corporation - NMSP](<a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php]National”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php)</p>
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<p>Were you named a National Merit Finalist?</p>
<p>If so, and you’ve decided to go to a community college first, then you can’t get a big NMF scholarship from a college. If you want one, then you have to go to such a college this fall.</p>
<p>However, you would have been eligible for the one time NMF scholarship, but it sounds like you weren’t awarded one.</p>
<p>Why are you going to a CC, if you’re a NMF? you could have gotten a free ride to a university? (you might even be able to still get one.)</p>
<p>I think she’s considering retaking her SATs to achieve a better score in order to apply to 4-year schools. While that’s a decent plan if you haven’t started college yet and are taking a gap year/semester, it won’t qualify you for a NMF scholarship. If you’re going to be full time at a CC, it may not help at all. Once a student has accumulated 30 credits/sophomore standing, most colleges will look at your post-HS grades for transfer admissions and are less likely to consider any HS gpa/SAT info.</p>
<p>If your current SAT scores did not make you competitive for admissions this year, your best bet is probably to focus and get very good grades at the CC and then apply to 4 year schools. If you can identify a few colleges you’d really like to attend, you might want to research their course articulation with your CC to make sure you take classes that the transfer school will accept credits for. Good luck!</p>
<p>NM status is based on your PSAT score, not your SAT score.</p>
<p>If you’re going to take your SATs again and hope to get a academic scholarship, then you need to take a gap year…otherwise you won’t be an incoming freshmen and you won’t qualify. Keep in mind that you also have to have a strong GPA.</p>
<p>So, take your SATs again, spend the next year working, apply in fall.</p>
<p>What is your major? You mentioned that it’s not at any state schools.</p>
<p>You can look up your major in the Academic Common Market
[Southern</a> Regional Education Board](<a href=“http://home.sreb.org/acm/choosestate.aspx]Southern”>Southern Regional Education Board)</p>
<p>Put in your state, then put in your desired major. It will come up with schools in the ACM that have that major. Keep in mind that you pay that school’s instate rate, not your own state’s instate rate. </p>
<p>However, if your major is at any public in your state (even a small low ranked one), you won’t qualify.</p>
<p>I am still undecided about my major, however the major I was considering they didn’t reinstate at UA about 2 years ago or so. Anyway, so I’m thinking psychology now…very common so I don’t qualify for the ACM. Also, I emailed UA about scholarships and they said I can apply for them once I am a student. </p>
<p>Is a gap year the only way to receive some sort of academic scholarship?
As you know, mom2collegekids, I am very keen on the spring semester. I am willing to study for days on end, all summer, what ever it takes to ace my SATs ACTs this fall so I can be admitted to in the spring…</p>
<p>To sk8mom, I plan on taking only 12 credits hours next semester at a CC. However, I’d like to attend a university in the spring so that’s why I’m retaking my tests. If you don’t have at least 30 credit hours, then universities look at your HS transcripts, sat, etc. </p>
<p>You probably know that already.</p>
<p>I don’t understand how you can be qualified for a National Merit Scholar and not be notified. If your PSAT test scores were at a certain cut off, you are a semi finalist. You then take the SAT and that will indicate whether you are a finalist or not. If your SAT scores are within that threshhold, NM will contact your school with an application that requires additional info for you and your school to complete. It is an automatic notification. Didn’t your school or you get such a notification? I believe that if you did not make the cut with the SAT scores, which does happen, you are not going to requalify the following year by continuing to take the SATs.</p>