<p>i think i've gotten 7 merit acceptances based on NMSF already. they send you this nice certificate, promise immediate merit aid with more merit aid pending more information, and offer to fly you over for a special weekend campus experience for free. they've all been honors programs at public schools and very unknown schools. i think the best one i've gotten was UT-Austin honors, which actually is a very nice school. </p>
<p>oh, and the number of VIP applications that NMSF kids get is very ridiculous. it averages around 5 a week, although it has been dropping off lately. they send multiple ones too, including some addressed to my parents begging them to have me apply, just to get me to fill out my name and mail it off. </p>
<p>it definitely happens, and i think it's a bit silly, but i guess it works because UT-Austin has a ton of NMSF students, more than most Ivies actually.</p>
<p>My son is NMSF and I haven't seen any acceptances...I have seen numerous offers of scholarships if he is accepted, numerous offers of scholarships if named first choice, etc...maybe I just haven't been reading them correctly...I don't know...but I'm wondering why some have apparently received these offers and others have not...kind of disheartening..maybe something to do with College Board scores being above a certain level? Son got 1360 his first try and is retaking in Dec.</p>
<p>it might be correlated with SATs also. the UT-Austin letter mentioned SAT scores and academic things. it might also be that my index was 235. i'm not sure. they're usually big packets with the seal and "acceptance letter" and everything. it's also possible that you've gotten them and haven't realized it...there's a tendency to immediately throw it away after the umpteenth letter.</p>
<p>Yup - we have thrown somethings away when he knew it was someplace he wouldn't consider...I hate to think we threw away anything free, though! but it may well have to do with SAT's - DS's index was also 235 but his SAT's were a bit low in comparison...Congrats to you Justice!</p>
<p>When you think about it, I guess it just proves that colleges care mostly about the quantitative aspects -- no matter how much they claim that they care about qualitative. My Mom says that the offers are also about the fact that colleges are such a big business now, and as a business, college admissions is a "seller's market," with the colleges able to pick & choose from such a hugely qualified group of students. The books & the visiting reps all admit that easily 85% of the applicants are qualified -- including Ivy applicants. But they can form the class they want, & make up for gaps in certain areas, by these private offers. Too bad the Ivies don't do that -- or at least, not that I know of.</p>