<p>i'm curious to know what extra steps you have to take in the final round of the NMS competition. i know people wrote essays, got a counselor rec, sent SAT scores, and filled out an activity profile when trying to progress to the finalist stage (from semifinalist) but what now?</p>
<p>There is nothing more to be done except to pick a school that has admitted you. Perhaps you will be fortunate enough to be able to pick a school that recognizes NMF’s by giving aid. You can decide if such aid, if any, should be a factor in your final decision. Usually it is required that you indicate to the NMSC that the school is your “first choice” and to do so by May 1.</p>
<p>My S2 received his Finalist certificate yesterday at school. Does he need to notify the admissions offices at the schools he’s applied to? In other words, will it be a plus in the admission decisions? Or will his candidate schools already know, somehow, he made finalist standing?</p>
<p>9help9 – not sure how big a plus it is in admissions decisions since somewhere like 94.75% of semifinalists advance to finalist.</p>
<p>9help9</p>
<p>If you’re talking about top schools that have a ton of NMFs applying, then it may not make a difference. </p>
<p>And, as already said, since most NMSFs make NMF, your child’s schools are probably assuming that he’s a likely NMF anyway.</p>
<p>JohnDoe…</p>
<p>Congrats! </p>
<p>nothing more to do now, unless you still want to apply to a school that will still give you a big NMF scholarship. Otherwise, you’ll pick from your acceptances. </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>What should I do for Bama? I was notified today. Is there anything I need to do?</p>
<p>Some schools target NMSF and if you’re looking for those scholarships they usually find you (as they did my son.) There is also scholarship money from corporations so get on the NMSF website and look them up.
My son’s school knew when he made finalist standing–we did not need to inform them.</p>
<p>Tommy,</p>
<p>have you already named Bama as your number one choice? If not, do so.</p>
<p>If you want, you can send <a href=“mailto:scholarships@ua.edu”>scholarships@ua.edu</a> an email noting your new finalist standing…include your CWID #</p>
<p>Congrats! What a relief! :)</p>
<p>To me, the whole process has been weird. </p>
<p>It was over a year ago when my wife and I first really took note of the process. We were notified of our d’s PSAT score, and was told it was good enough to likely make NMSF. We had heard of National Merit Scholars, through previous press releases of prior classes from her school, but we didn’t really understand that there could be significant scholarship money involved. So it was a very happy day when we realized the potential of this process.</p>
<p>Then came the long wait for the state cutoff scores to be announced. That dragged out forever. I don’t know why that has to drag out so long, but it did. Then when the time came, there seemed to be a lot of confusion over what can be released and when. I know I was able to get the state cutoff score here on CC several days before the folks at my d’s school would provide the info.</p>
<p>Now we are encountering more confusion on this final stage. They send the rejection letters out first, so if you don’t get one, then you should be encouraged. But you don’t really know for sure. Then, for those who make it, why do they send out the letters to the school first, then send a delayed letter to the students home? Evidently, the principal at my D’s school said there was some deadline date involved, and although he confirmed he knew the answer, he could not tell my d whether she made finalist or not until the deadline date was met. We still, as of today, cannot say for sure my d will be a finalist.</p>
<p>But I have to say that although its a crazy process, I am glad for it.</p>
<p>Thanks!! I did name Bama as my #1 choice when I filled out my NMF app. Is that what you’re referring to?</p>
<p>Dramadad–Congrats to your D!
So much of the process depends on the school. The semi-finalist to finalist stage depends on essays being turned in, grades etc. SAT scores. Unfortunately some candidates lose out each year because their school doesn’t realize the importance (usually from ignorance) and never even notify their students!.
Finalist is a bit different. Most colleges will receive notification (but double-check) that your D is a finalist. Colleges have varying awards from a low scholarship (say $5000 over 4 years) to full tuition depending on their needs. Corporations have another set of criteria to award NMSF. Depending on your college choice and whom you work for the NMSF awards go from nothing to full tuition. Pretty wide range!
No matter what, a NMSF standing will usually get as a minimum entrance to honor’s college at most universities. Which is great even if the money doesn’t appear.</p>
<p>DramaDad…</p>
<p>Yes, there certainly could be less drama surrounding the whole thing. Everything is so secretive.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, most of us on CC didn’t even know that there were rejection letters sent out in early January until a student at my son’s school received one a few years ago and I posted about it…which gave a “heads up” to the others who were waiting to find out. Since then, I’ve posted the “heads up” during the first week on January so people could watch out for them, and soon determine whether they had made it or not.</p>
<p>Dramadad…If your D doesn’t have any of the typical rejection-issues, then you can be 99.9% certain by now that she’s made it. </p>
<p>I think the reason why the NMSF announcements are when they are is so that gives NMF colleges time to get their letters in order (they learn much earlier) and that the process (naming NMSFs and doing the paperwork) is all done early senior year.</p>
<p>Thanks GOUF. We are very happy for our D. She has really earned it on her own. We have good schools in our town, but they are public schools (and large ones at that) She didn’t get a whole lot of counseling from school. </p>
<p>About the only advice we ever gave her was to keep on taking all the pre-AP classes she could. She was worried that it might be too hard, but we told her she was doing great and to just keep on going. If it got ever got too hard for her, she could stop when that happened. But she did great.</p>
<p>And to M2CK, what a great asset you are to this board! You really keep the info flowing, having gone through it yourself. God only knows what I would thought about the process if I had not found this board and you are the major go-to source when questions come up. Thank you so much!</p>
<p>D just recd Finalist letter. She has already accepted offer from her EA college which does not offer any merit aid.
- Should she bother applying for Scholar? That would mean listing this college as her first choice…
If so, why do this?
Are there any outside scholarships that she might receive or be able to apply for? (H’s company does NOT award NMS- we have checked.)</p>
<ol>
<li>Generally, in case of deferred start/GAP year - what happens to these scholarships???</li>
</ol>
<p>D just recd Finalist letter. She has already accepted offer from her EA college which does not offer any merit aid.
- Should she bother applying for Scholar? That would mean listing this college as her first choice…
If so, why do this? </p>
<p>*** Not sure what you mean by asking if she should apply for Scholar. There isn’t an app process for that. Since the school doesn’t offer a NMF scholarship, then the only way your D could become a Scholar is if she’s selected for a one-time NMCorp scholarship or she gets a corporate one from her parents’ work.</p>
<hr>
<p>Are there any outside scholarships that she might receive or be able to apply for? (H’s company does NOT award NMS- we have checked.)</p>
<p>** Check with GC about any private scholarships, but they wont be NMF scholarships.</p>
<hr>
<ol>
<li>Generally, in case of deferred start/GAP year - what happens to these scholarships???</li>
</ol>
<p>Are you talking about NMF scholarships? I don’t think you can get them with a Gap Year. If I remember correctly, some paperwork states that the student must begin college the next Fall.
*</p>
<p>Along the line of performersmom’s question, what are the chances of a finalist receiving any money if he or she is not the child of an employee of one of the corporate sponsors, and if his or her school is also not a sponsor college?</p>
<p>To put it in more concrete terms, Umich is my first-choice school, and I’ve already been accepted there. I’m in-state, but costs might still be a bit out of our range (we haven’t yet received a specific fin-aid package). </p>
<p>Since Umich itself offers nothing for NMSF finalists, should I put another school (in my case, Case Western, to which I’ve been admitted, and which is more likely to offer something for finalist standing) as my first choice, just in case the cost of Umich seems too high?</p>
<p>Along the line of performersmom’s question, what are the chances of a finalist receiving any money if he or she is not the child of an employee of one of the corporate sponsors, and if his or her school is also not a sponsor college?</p>
<p>Very few corporate sponsors give anything to students who aren’t employees’ children. the few that do give them to unusual majors.</p>
<p>*To put it in more concrete terms, Umich is my first-choice school, and I’ve already been accepted there. I’m in-state, but costs might still be a bit out of our range (we haven’t yet received a specific fin-aid package). </p>
<p>Since Umich itself offers nothing for NMSF finalists, should I put another school (in my case, Case Western, to which I’ve been admitted, and which is more likely to offer something for finalist standing) as my first choice, just in case the cost of Umich seems too high? </p>
<p>*</p>
<p>UMich promises to meet need for instate students, right? So, if you can’t afford UMich, then that means your EFC is unaffordable. If that’s the case then it’s unlikely Case would be affordable…besides, I don’t think Case meets need…and the scholarship money would go towards “need”…NOT towards EFC.</p>
<p>If you’re worried that you might not have an affordable school, then I suggest that you quickly apply to a school that will still award very large merit for NMF status. Remaining costs will be low…probably far lower than your FAFSA EFC.</p>
<p>have you figured out what your FAFSA EFC might be? (and does UMich use CSS as well)?</p>
<p>I’m a finalist this year. I’ve already been rejected by my first-choice school, but I haven’t heard back from any of my other schools. USC and Rice, both of which I’ve applied to give college-sponsored awards. Should I change my first-choice school to USC or Rice? I, however, don’t think I’ll end up going to either, so would choosing one of them as my first-choice school decrease my chances of getting the National Merit $2500 award or a corporate-sponsored award?</p>
<p>What should you do after being notified you made finalist? Update your resume. You get to keep that award on your resume for a long, long time if you want to. Congrats!</p>
<p>The corporate and NMC awards are not tied to school choice, karaoke machine. If you get one, you have to tell NMC where to send the check.</p>
<p>Is it worth updating colleges (Ivies, top LACs, etc) about Finalist status?</p>