Why don’t they just post all the Finalists online at a certain time so everyone can find out at once? Some schools aren’t releasing the information to their students, so we just have to wait. Seems like an archaic system.
^^ I totally agree. Why waste postage when you can email everyone instantly?
Thanks for the follow-up questions @GoAskDad. I wanted to post our story because I’ve read everything on CC about National Merit with a less-than-stellar transcript. DS attends a small, highly rigorous private school in the SF Bay Area (11 NMSF’s in a class of under 70). They don’t have “year” grades, only semester grades, even in yearlong classes. DS got one semester C+ each year in freshman, sophomore and junior years, all in academic solids and none in honors classes. Freshman and sophomore year were in the fall. Junior year was in the spring. I think he may have gotten through because of a combination of any or all of the following: he has taken honors classes, done well, and gotten 5’s on the corresponding AP’s, scored a 223 in a state with a high cutoff of 221, very strong follow-up SAT, excellent essay, school recommendation which incorporated positive teacher comments partially mitigating the C+'s (which were in foreign language and math). Or just luck! Wishing the best to everyone still waiting.
My D found out this evening when the GC posted the names of all NMF for our public school district on the EEE Facebook page!!! We are in Missouri.
Congats, @CoMoMom!
NYC here. Nothing in mail, nothing from school. Though I remind myself that son’s high school didn’t notify the semifinalists until the first week of October. So, I’m glad that the Finalist notification letters are being sent directly to the students directly.
@soccermom12 - my DS is planning to attend Baylor in Fall 2015. He loves the campus, the Christian environment and the amazing access to professors. We have been there on six different occasions, and every time, we’ve been impressed by everyone we come into contact with. It’s a 13+ hour drive for us, but at least close enough.
@soccermom12 DS is at Baylor. It is a pretty campus. He has been pleased with the religion department professors.
Thank you!
I have 8 Bs in my transcript and go to a public school in Texas… Hopefully they’ll have and release the scores tomorrow! Anxiety is in overdrive rn. Btw what does D and DS stand for? E.g: ‘My D is excited’
D= daughter, DS= dear son (could be dang or similar depending on context) dd= dear daughter (again depends on context) H= husband, dh= dear husband…
It’s so great to read announcements by all of these happy posters! Congrats to all the recent additions to the list! I had a thought as I woke up this morning…I wonder if the letters were alphabetically ordered as they were placed in the mail, according to principals name, or school district name, or student name…that might be helpful for future years families to know. I guess I was curious if those homeschoolers, had last names that start in the front parts of the alphabet? or if the regular school kids have principals or school districts with the same, if you care to share your place in the alphabet that would be interesting!
Any Floridian know if the FLDOE posts the list of the Finalists online? I know they do that for SF. My school didn’t even tell me I was a SF…if it wasn’t for that list I wouldn’t have even known I was one. Hopefully my school doesn’t “lose the mail” again.
I don’t think it’s alphabetical. We are near the beginning of the alphabet and still waiting.
Nope, not alphabetical unless it’s by school. My name is in the middle of the alphabet and my principal’s name is at at the end and I was one of the first here to get news. My school’s name starts with a B but that doesn’t make sense with the random scattering of homeschoolers getting letters sporadically.
Thanks @3scoutsmom for the clarification…I was thinking DS stood for distinguished scholar (lol)! The stress of waiting must be finally getting to me!
Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri, posted the names of their 10 NMF on their EEE Facebook page yesterday evening (Feb. 10). Haven’t seen the list for Hickman High yet, where my DS is a semifinalist. I don’t know about Battle High here or the private schools and homeschoolers. Fingers crossed!
ok thanks @luvmygirls. Maybe not by alphabet…I am just using up my nervous energy as I wait for news about DD,and I have a new theory…zip codes??I looked these up at US postal website. IF you just take the homeschoolers, who would have received letters without any delay, and put them in order they were received, here is how it looks.
ZIP CODES IN THE FRONT OF THE LISTING
HOMESCHOOLERS WHO HAVE REPORTED IN, AND THEIR STATES’S ZIP CODE NUMBERS
80000s New Mexico - Sat 2/7 -
70000s Texas - Mon 2/9 -
80000s Nevada - Mon 2/9
30000s Florida - Tues 2/10 -
30000s Georgia - Tues 2/10 –
40000s Indiana - Tues 2/10 -
60000s Missouri – Tues 2/10 -
70000s Louisiana – Tues 2/10 –
80000s Colorado - Tues 2/10 -
So, to summarize…(hope I haven’t made any errors)
2/7 80000
2/9 70000, and 80000s
2/10 3000s, 40000s, 60000, 70000, 80000
But also would have to take into account mailing distance from NM office (Is it Illinois?) So for example if your zip code is in the 70000s and you haven’t heard yet, it doesn’t mean you aren’t a NMF of course…but your mail is slower than Louisiana, or Texas…or it has nothing at all to do with zip codes…
So unfortunately, not a super clear pattern, and very small sample size too, out of 15000 NMFs…well it was just an idea…guess not super helpful but I am gonna post it anyway.
I could look at the same trend for schools as well… Maybe another post for that
Makes sense. We are 55xxx and still no word in MN
My son’s school principal held on to the certificate for a few days and then handed it to a guidance counselor for delivery. The school only had 2 NMF’s. The school is in Omaha, Nebraska.