<p>South Dakota?</p>
<p>Fairtest also is getting hold of a list somehow. They’ve posted all the scores a couple of days before official release date the past 2 years, and then taken it down soon after.You could keep an eye on their site. We’ll all know in several days with or without the book, but having had a bubble kid 2 years ago, I know how long that wait seems.</p>
<p>Maybe Carleton gets the book. </p>
<p>@NJMom97 I hate to guess at this point, but since MA went down to 223, I would guess that NJ will too. The fact that the student said that DC said 224 and MA said 223 is why I know it isn’t a past year. Every year that I’ve seen charted going back 7 or 8 years has MA and DC having the exact same cut off scores. Except now maybe this year. 
Good luck with your daughter - I really hope Nj goes down for you!</p>
<p>To be clear, it was two years ago (2013 graduates) for which there was irrefutable evidence of a book. From what isaelijohjoc posted, NMSC clearly knows who are homeschool “principals” and maybe they don’t send the book to them for some reason. Who knows why NMSC does things the way it does in this whole process? I would have thought that they would have done away with it after what happened 2 years ago, but apparently not. There is of course, some possibility the student read incorrectly, but I don’t doubt that there is a such a book.</p>
<p>D has received nothing from Carleton–ever. </p>
<p>@STEMfamily Thanks for the clarification. Since the student saw a 224, the only state it could likely be for at this point is DC - but I did consider the misread thought for a second too! I thought that the principal got log in information to then get the information and letters for their students - I guess the packets must be larger than that. 16,000 names takes up a few pages! </p>
<p>My issue with the secret book is that even now has anyone seen a book from last year? Or the year before? If there was actually a book wouldn’t at LEAST ONE be circulating from last year at some point, or the year before that, or before that? </p>
<p>NMSC never lists the cutoff scores–at least from what I have seen. If I am wrong somebody please correct me. The scores I have seen have been compilations from other people or groups.</p>
<p>Did the 2013 book have the list of student’s names or did it have the cut off score? I thought the person was looking up names to see if someone was listed. I don’t remember them giving out cut off scores. If the cut offs were in the book they wouldn’t have been looking up individually</p>
<p>IF that is the case then they got the press release early. NMSC said there would be an announcement with the names of all of the sf. But people were saying that the student knew the cutoff scores before everyone else.</p>
<p>By the way, if the HS Principals all do get the list, that’s hardly a small thin envelope that’s going to get lost in someone’s inbox. It’s crazy that some schools are still pretending that no one knows yet - my son’s school included!</p>
<p>I’d put money on them NOT getting a list. They get a list of their students. The other option is just silly.</p>
<p>@greatfallsmom I don’t understand though how the student saying that the MA cutoff is 223 makes their info credible. For all we know, they could have looked on this very thread and seen that someone had reported the MA cutoff as likely being 223. </p>
<p>Also, we can always call NMSF tomorrow and ask them if they do release a booklet containing the cutoff score because there has been rumors of such. </p>
<p>The person I spoke to at the NMSC said that the HS principals get both a letter with the names of their Semifinalists and a separate booklet that lists the names of all the Semifinalists nationwide.</p>
<p>@greatfallsmom, I’ve been away tonight for a while and came back to this! Please do not give up hope! I’m suspicious about such a book at this stage. We are all here with you to support you. Have you tried DCUM?Granted, that’s a mixed bag but it’s worth a shot until 9/10. Let me also check the student thread. Hang on.</p>
<p>Interesting. And odd that a principal would give it to a student and the student would be able to know the scores from the names. either way it doesn’t add up. Hang in there people on the bubble in DC and MA.</p>
<p>Deleted</p>
<p>I remember the thread about the NMSF list for 2013 grads. The person that had the list posted that he would tell you if your name was or was not on the list if you PM’d him. I saw his post right after it went up on the forum, contacted him immediately and had an answer within minutes telling me that DS had made it. Subsequently, the poster was buried in requests for information. He didn’t have the state cutoff scores…just names.</p>
<p>I went back through my PMs and found the original thread. Post #444 on Sept. 2, 2012, announced that he had a list of names. The board went wild after that. Read for yourself at: <a href=“Official National Merit Semifinalist Qualifying Score Thread for the Class of 2013 - #436 by TXArchitect - National Merit Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1379508-official-national-merit-semifinalist-qualifying-score-thread-for-the-class-of-2013-p30.html</a></p>
<p>@greatfallsmom, fwiw I started a new thread on DCUM in the College Discussion section, because the other NMSF thread was buried IMO. Granted, it’s all just hearsay, but maybe we can get some info to help tide us over until 9/10. I will also post in the student thread. Please don’t lose hope. It may still work out!</p>
<p>@chucktaylor1 You are amazing that you found that thread. I went through it and you are right that the student said they had a list of all the names but didn’t mention scores. @onlythebest13 I guess I just can’t imagine why a student who already knows they made it monitoring a site with anxious parents kvetching and decide to announce they have a booklet with all the scores and just make up one for DC and message me with it. But @GoAskDad @isaelijojac and everyone else who has tried to cheer me up, you are the best! I didn’t get a lot of sleep and woke up feeling depressed I’ll be honest that I think I am more devastated that I told my son that I was sure he made it and let him be secretly excited for a day or two, then had to watch the fall. In life there will be times for all of us, no matter how much we try or how smart we are (or think we are!) that we will not get something we try for - disappointment is unfortunately a big part of the growing up process. What has absolutely gutted me is that I spent so much time following the numbers and trends and really felt confident making a prediction with way more confidence than I guess I had the right to. My husband told him any other state, and all the other years except for last year’s crazy jump to 224, with DC the only state to stay there, he would have had it. I made him guilt pancakes before school today :)</p>
<p>IFFF this ends up being a disappointment year, and I’m not sold quite yet, you probably already know this will get better in time. I have several children, and they all have had some pretty upsetting rejections/etc. The first 48 hours or so are the worst. In time, they seem so much less devastating, and some have even become shoulder shrugging who cares. Granted, this is a biggie. I get that! But regardless, the first days will be the worst.</p>
<p>I’m still holding out hope for some misunderstanding here. I’m new enough to the process to be confused by this mystery book. However, I do have a student who has certain school perks, and he has spent enough time in the guidance office over the years for me to realize that it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for him to access private information, although I’m still a bit leery of the principal giving this away, if it truly exists. I’ll try to work in a principal probe at the first available opportunity.</p>
<p>This has been a wild ride!</p>
<p>And P.S., yes @chucktaylor1, that was an amazing find!!!</p>