<p>I understand that when National Merit notifies students in April that they will be National Merit Commended or Semi-Finalist (come August), the students are given the ability to send their PSAT scores to two schools... is there a strategy as to what schools you send them to? A reach and a safety? Two reaches? What's the best way to handle this?</p>
<p>I thought it was one, but I don't remember. In any case, to the one or ones you really want to go to. Why play games.</p>
<p>Every spring there is a lot of discussion about this. I am sure there will be folks who disagree with me, but I don't think that it matters all that much. Which ever schools you pick, make sure they participate in the NM program. None of the Ivys do, so don't waste time putting them down. If you are interested in schools that are very interested in NM finalists (i.e. they give big scholarships to students who are finalists) then letting these schools know you are interested is probably worth while. </p>
<p>However, don't really agonize over this. You will have lots of opportunities to let schools know you are interested in them and if you checked the box saying you wanted info, the schools will know that you are high scorer whether or not you choose them or not.</p>
<p>Hikids - choosing one school is done AFTER you have been selected as a semi-finalist. In spring of junior year, all students who are at least commended have the opportunity to choose 2 schools to let them know they are interested in them.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, you need to select the two schools before many kids have narrowed their first choices down to two.</p>
<p>I agree that it probably does not matter much. Select your top-choice school out of those who participate in NM, and maybe your favorite safety?</p>
<p>It doesn't really matter. The schools most of your NMSF kids are day-dreaming about don't care (since many many of their applicants are semi-finalists) and the ones that want your kid because of that one test score will buy the list from the company. This is a practice from way back that isn't applicable any more.<br>
By the time my last one was a junior she had seen it all and I don't think even sent in the card.</p>
<p>That said, there is probably a need to start a new thread on CC of updated info on schools with big NM scholarships. Many have cut back in recent years so the old lists are pretty useless.</p>
<p>My D is a NMF and has received a scholarship ($2500) to be used anywhere. She has until the end of this month to indicate which school she will be attending. She has narrowed her list down to four, two of which offer NMF scholarships ($1000/yr) and two Ivies.</p>
<p>The school you indicate now (spring of junior year) can be changed through April of the senior year. i.e., it really doesn't matter at this time.</p>
<p>It does matter. Some schools like Wash U and Tufts track interest as part of admissions, so sending the fact that you're among the nation's top 50,000 scorers (what you learn now if you're going to be a NM semifinalist or NM Commended) can help you. May even help you get flown in for a visit or get merit aid at colleges offering merit aid. It also may help you at places like your state's flagship, which presumably wants to keep scholars/commended students in state.</p>
<p>Some schools could care less. That includes Harvard, which has no problems attracting students including attracting so many NM scholars and commended students that being in those categories does not help one stand out.</p>
<p>Overall, it's a waste of time to send scores to places like HPY, though probably those are the schools that get the most notifications of students who scored high on the PSAT.</p>
<p>Also check the archive because this subject comes up yearly.</p>
<p>I'd pick two schools that either award NM scholarships or are known for tracking interest. My kids both got letters in response from the two schools that they named - one school had an alum send several follow up postcards which was a nice gesture. It probably doesn't matter all that much, but might help a little.</p>
<p>I remember it as being one school too. My son and I discussed it. We looked at which of his schools awarded NM scholarships and then he picked the one that he wanted to show extra interest to. That's also the school he chose to attend. I wondered afterwards if he already knew, on some level, that this would be his first choice.</p>
<p>I agreee that it really doesn't matter too much at this point, but what you need to be aware of is the cut-off date NEXT Spring for particular schools when it comes to naming them as first choice. For instance, even though you may have until the end of May to send in your two choices to the National Merit Corp., some schools will want you to name them as a first choice by March 1st in order to be eligible for large merit scholarships, so you need to do some homework as to what each school requires and what they will offer a NMF. Also, you can always change your first choice designation throughout the coming year, so it's almost easier to just put undecided for now.</p>
<p>rcefn - good post and other helpful posts here as well. we found it helpful that as d received mailings to go ahead and contact them and ask what possible scholarship opportunities they had for nmsf and nmf's. we provided PSAT score, gpa and class rank. we contacted the schools either through admissions or their honors departments. we noticed that the nmf mailings were heavier in the summer and fall and decreased in the spring (which is actually when nmf's are announced)......... so as has been said here in the posts, it's helpful to get a handle on what the offers are early rather than later in the process. keep in mind that some of the schools have EA with deadlines in November, etc. and so prioritizing research on those schools is a help as well. tracking the application deadlines for the nmsf and nmf related schools of interest can be a big help. Some schools may offer scholarships (not necessarily nmf related awards) that may require separate applications and these may have earlier deadlines too. Here on cc you can find threads with state cutoffs for nmf's so you'll be able to get a good idea whether or not the student's score in their state will likely qualify them for recognition as an nmf.</p>
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Some schools like Wash U and Tufts track interest as part of admissions
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<p>How does one find out whether a specific school tracks interest?</p>
<p>I believe that info about interest is included in the extensive info that is on the for pay part of the US News premium college website, which provides extensive info for most U.S. colleges. For $14.99, you get access to it until Aug. It's well worth the price.</p>
<p>You also can search CC's archives and in colleges' common data sets, which you often can find on their websites.</p>
<p>I agree, too, with the person who posted to send info to colleges that give NM scholarships. Check out those colleges, and see which ones your student may wish to attend.</p>
<p>Curiousgeorge58- If it makes the process any clearer, what will happen is that in Sept. you will receive a packet from the high school that must be filled out and sent back in by mid-October. This will allow you to go from semi-finalist to finalist standing ( which 15,000 out of 16,000 students become). In that packet, there will be a postcard in which you will name your ONE first college choice. This card must be sent in by the end of the following May, but, as I said before, some schools want to be named first choice by March 1, which is when the National Merit Corp. sends out their first mailing to the various schoools. THAT is the school that you will need to think about.</p>
<p>d's gc suggested that ALL applications be completed by mid to late november of senior year so gathering the info. relating to nmsf and nmf scholarships (merit aid) from now through early fall is an excellent idea.</p>
<p>NSM has it right, use those tips of the hat on schools that want the student to show interest. Add Emory to the list of schools where showing interest is important.</p>
<p>thanks for all of your guidance...it's getting a little clearer now.</p>
<p>My top choices are Penn, Yale, UChicago, and WUSTL. I know Yale doesn't track interest, but does Penn? Should I just send to UChicago and WUSTL even though Penn and Yale are my top choices?</p>