thanks Showingupforlife! I wasn’t sure about some of the reach schools and the UC schools because they basically tell you not to contact them or update them unless it is something pivotal. Since they know he was NMSF, I wasn’t sure about this. Appreciate your advice…
Yep, I got the letter at my house - didn’t hear anything from my school.
@Rdtsmith May 1st is the deadline by which you have to have Alabama listed as First Choice (actually, to be safe, you should do it by COB on April 30th at the very latest). However, I think Alabama asks for a copy of Finalist verification now so they can go ahead and mail offers of their NMF package because they do not get any other verification from NMSC of finalist standing until a student’s name is sent to them because that student has listed them as First Choice. This does not constitute an official offer from NMSC. Those letters are mailed from NMSC beginning May 1st.
One more piece of evidence the colleges do not get updated as to Finalist standing except through the First Choice selection came in a letter we, as DS’ parents, received today from Oklahoma. Parenthetical comments are mine. Otherwise this is a direct quote from the OU letter:
The letter also reiterated that the scholarship package is guaranteed for all Finalists who have OU listed as First Choice by April 30th. Nice to have that in writing.
@PAMom21 Denial? Hold my hand and repeat with me: We are NOT in denial.
@Stemfamily, “We want you to have as much information as your son or daughter. (Haha! As if DS had a clue in this process)” >this made me LOL.
When can the finalists be announced to the press?
@Community2605 I don’t think there is a formal “release” date set by NMSC for finalists. Our school put a photo of the finalists on their website on Feb 13th before we had the letter at home. But neither the district as a whole nor our local press ever makes a more general announcement like they do with the semi-finalists.
Anybody here know by when we have to submit the scholarship acceptance letter for UCF? The one they sent by mail?
Still waiting for Common App decisions on April 1st, so I don’t want to accept the scholarship in case it’s binding or something.
Son just got a college letter saying congrats for progressing to finalist. He had applied prior to becoming a finalist, and had not updated the school nor named the school as his first choice. So what does that mean? Did they KNOW or just assume?
@thanksagain, just looked at my son’s UCF forms. The acceptance must be sent by the date in the letter. I can’t find a date in the letter other than the date by which to submit the FAFSA. Hmmm…
@Barfly maybe colleges can call NMSC and ask specifically about their semifinalist applicants? Or maybe they can call high school counselors. Was that a college with a large number of National Merit kids? In that case, calling probably wouldn’t be feasible.
It does seem strange to send a congratulatory letter based on an assumption. The Oklahoma letter was dated way back on Feb 5th but it did not actually say congratulations for anything.
@STEMFamily, yet, big school with lots of NMSFs. I just found it curious. Had we not already known he was a finalist, I would have been reading WAY too much into that letter!
So I think everyone has heard that they are NMF?
No, @albert69, I believe we are still awaiting reports from Wyoming and Alaska. Actually, I think Alaska reported-in before I did…so maybe all we have left is WY.
In other news, I’ve finally realized why DS’s NMF letter to our home was so delayed. Jimmie the Intern had actually attempted to expedite DS’s letter (because I brokered a deal with Taylor Swift’s agent allowing Jimmie in the studio during Taylor’s recording of my Country Song). Unfortunately, Jimmie should have stuck with a carrier pigeon for DS’s letter, as hawks are clearly not adept at mail delivery:
@GoAskDad Hahaha! I don’t think we had anyone on here from WY or Alaska…
Great story. I’ve had sparrows in my house but never a hawk…
My finalist letter was mailed to my house, but I haven’t received anything from my school yet…does every finalist get a certificate?
Most schools save the certificate for their school assembly and awards ceremony in the Spring.
@ProjectGenesis6, Same here, and yes, we all get certificates (albeit “dinky” as others have reported but I still take it as a great honor indeed). I hope across the country that schools present these in assemblies/ awards ceremonies because they are hard-earned and special just like high school sports awards.
I got a certificate for reaching semifinalist status, and my school had us attend a board meeting to be recognized, so are the finalist certificates from NMSC directly?