@cttwenty15 The portals are supposed to be updated today…
@albert69, But has anyone actually personally seen an update (mine isn’t either)?
@cttwenty15 Well no, not yet.
@albert69, So then I think it is best that we both remain cautiously optimistic 
This might be a stupid question but if you are awarded the $2500 from NM can you turn it down in order to take a better offer from a college?
@Wolverine86, Thanks for your very helpful response. If DS is offered the $2,500 NMSC award I will definitely contact the school.
@cttwenty15 Just saw a post on another forum from a parent that their son’s portal was updated with a $2500 award.
@albert69, I think I’m just going to give it some more time and hold out for the postal mail.
Yes, my S was awarded the $2500. The portal must have changed recently because he checked earlier in the morning and there was nothing.
double post
Portal just changed! Son got the $2500 award. Woo Hoo! At the bottom of the page, it says you have a scholarship offer, and you click the link for the award.
My son’s portal was also updated to notify him of the $2500 award.
I just called. All awards have been posted. D did not get one. She has a 4.0 UW, 2330 SAT (1590 M+CR). Ugh. Wondering if the fact that she did not list a first choice college yet hurt her? She is not going to any of the big NM scholarship schools, and was waiting until she has all her decisions to list the school.
Son had same stats. He didn’t list a first choice school until just a couple of days ago. He had a lot of EC, leadership and is 1/402, so maybe it is all of those put together??
@Angeline13, you will only get 1 offer of an “official” NM scholarship. Don’t turn it down because there won’t be another.
But don’t confuse the “official” $2500 one time NM scholarship with the nice packages colleges offer to National Merit Finalists. You can get that package plus one of these 3 “official” NM scholarships: the “official” $2500 scholarship from NMSC, or a corporate scholarship, or the “official” part of the package from the college.
Every year this confuses people. But it’s pretty simple really. There are about 15,000 NM finalists. About 50% of them will ultimately get an official NM scholarship from either NMSC, a corporation, or a sponsoring university. When the student gets that, they become a NM Scholar. If the college you chose as your #1 choice also offers a nice scholarship package to NMFs, then that will be in addition to your one “official” scholarship.
Of the other 50% of NMFs who do not become NM Scholars, that was by their own design. They did not get the “official” NMSC or a corporate scholarship. AND they did not choose a university that is a sponsor. In other words, any NMF can be a NM Scholar if they choose a college that is a NM sponsoring university.
@Barfly But isn’t it possible for a NMF to get a college’s unofficial NMF money, but not the official NMSC scholarship through that college? I mean, OU offers some official awards (not the big scholarship) through NMSC. Do they offer 750+ of those awards or just in the neighborhood of 5-10?
Didn’t get one either. Similar stats as those above, 225 PSAT, 2240 SAT, decent ECs.
Accepted at Carleton a few days ago, the letter read like this:
Congratulations are also in order on your much-deserved recognition in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Carleton is a college sponsor of National Merit Scholarships. We can consider, for our renewable $2,000 scholarship, Finalists who have notified the Corporation that Carleton is their college choice, and have not already been selected for another National Merit Scholarship. We very much hope that we can consider you for a Carleton National Merit.
So this an official scholarship offer? Still have undecided as college of choice. Would NMSC know this was going to be offered?
My D did not get one. 231 PSAT, 2260 SAT, ECs fine, nothing spectacular, UW GPA 3.9.
@Joe2015 I think that is telling you that you should list Carleton as your first choice if you want to be considered for their NM scholarship.
Can I ask you folks if you are seeing these offers on the OSA page or am i looking in the wrong place ?