Can the essay disqualify you from becoming a finalist? I know for certain that I have good enough grades and SAT score, but I was suuuper dumb and didn’t realize there was a word limit on the essay and it got cut off mid sentence 
It was fine when I typed in the submission box though. Didn’t realize until I received the pdf after submitting lol.
Another way to think about it is if there are 1000 folks who do not move on from NMSF to NMF, that’s an average of 20 per state. In a big state like Florida, New York, California, Texas, the odds are very low you’ll be one of those. I know - and read above - that they maybe don’t do rejects pro rata by state like they do NMSFs. Nevertheless, the odds are really in your favor.
NMF is not a state quota so it wouldn’t be 20 per state, it would be proportional based on statistical probability.
It is a state quota. If you read the NMS annual report, they break out winners by state and they are looking for proportional winners based on the number of seniors in each state.
Do you have a link? NMSF is by state but everything I’ve read on CC is NMF is by grades and qualifying score. If NMF was by state as well, then students would have more to worry about even if no C’s.
@Sportman88
NM has a target number per state, they first use to PSAT cut off to get close to the target number and then whittle it down by grades. This is why some state are ok with some C’s and others states will knock you out with only one C - it’s all about reaching their target number. Now that the PSAT scores are more compressed grades will likely be more important.
@suzyQ7 I haven’t seen any wording on choosing finalists by state or even as you are saying, “looking for proportional winners by state.”. Does the annual report really say that? Totally agree that they would like state representation for the scholarships - that’s why they allocate the semifinalists the way they do. Are they strictly proportional at the finalist level as well because their criteria don’t specify that.
@3scoutsmom as well. Where do they claim anything that suggest a “target #” at the finalist level?
@actuallysad I have never heard of anyone getting knocked out due to essay. The essay seems to come into play during the actual decision on giving out scholarships.
@JBStillFlying there is past reporting of students writing very disrespectful essays and those criticizing the NM processes being eliminated.
Also, another point about keeping the proportion for the finalist level etc. MN actually came in about 23 FEWER than historical (277 vs. 300). Not sure it’s the case that the state is depopulating - more likely the cut-off came the closest even though it was nowhere near the 300 number they’ve hit in prior years - simply due to the clumpy scores. Does that mean NONE of our SF’s will get the boot? What if one of them truly has a pretty crappy academic record or didn’t submit an SAT?
@3scoutsmom re #148: ok - well, barring THAT your essay shouldn’t eliminate you, correct? Let’s hope, at any rate. This is more of a technicality i.e. did the poster complete the essay requirement if a part of it was chopped off due to space limitations.
Good rule for going forward: ALWAYS generate the PDF and look it over before you hit SEND.
Anyone who writes a disrespectful essay or one that is critical of the process was using it as an opportunity to express their view point and could not have intended to legitimately be considered. Quite different than having your last sentence chopped off by word limitation.
@suzyQ7 Can you note the page the annual report breaks out winners by state? I just scrolled through twice and missed it. I only see the semifinalists/ commended broken down by state. I’m just curious because breaking it down by state is not indicative of selecting by state.
@actuallysad The exact same thing happened to me. I even made a thread about it: http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1950130-national-merit-application-essay-consideration.html#latest
As far as I know, the essay doesn’t play a huge role in NMF consideration.
@JBStillFlying humm. I see that you are right. The state breakdown on the report is for SF.
There were kids from different states in prior year threads that had similar apps but some of the kids with 2 Cs in one state made it, but 1 C in another did not and some folks concluded that some states may have less finalists than expected so were less stringent. Of course, that anecdotal evidence as it could have been something else in the app.
Anecdotal discussion focused only on Cs doesn’t say whether the person with the 2 Cs had all As for their other classes and the 1 C had As and B+s. There are many factors, I am sure, but there is no actual evidence of their being state quotas.
^^ Something else in the app, or something I was mentioning upthread which is that a couple of C’s in a non-honors or gym/health isn’t the same thing as a couple of C’s in an honors/AP course. Or, If you are on quarter system and you have two C’s then 2 A’s, your year-end is a B average (compared to someone on the semester system with 2 C’s resulting in the year-end being a C average). There are a whole lot of differences in official grading periods and what courses the student is taking which could easily account for discrepancies between the number of C’s and whether the student advances on to finalist.
Texas mom checking in here. As of yesterday no letter in the mail. 
@Tgirlfriend same.
No mail today either…hanging in there by a thread.
No letter today. I’m becoming increasingly paranoid that the mail went to the wrong address because I have never heard of someone getting finalist with 3 C+'s and many many B’s. I’ll have to hold on and worry until the counselor receives notice in February.