For everyone’s information: my D received her letter from NMC today. We are in Texas. No word yet from school principal or guidance office.
Got NMS Finalist notification on Saturday! No official word from school though.
Congrats, @liar78! You can join the majority of us celebrating and the few still waiting on the Unofficial Class of 2015 National Merit Finalist thread http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1723116-unofficial-class-of-2015-national-merit-finalist-thread-p64.html if you’d like, that’s where most are posting now. Where are you thinking to go to college?
As far as schools coveting NMSF, @SoCoDAD, (I’m not a parent, but a NMF on the Class of 2015), University of Oklahoma and University of Alabama are two schools that actively recruit NMFs and offer very large scholarships. Some schools offer money for NMSF, but most of it is for NMF. I am going to WSU (Wichita State University), which is not a top-ranked school overall or a big NMF school, but it offers a full ride for 4 years.
As for NMSF/NMF/NMS making a difference at selective schools - if you are talking Ivy/Top 20, the answer is no for the most part. My sister was a NM Scholar and was rejected by both Harvard and Yale. There are so many students with that calibre of scores and such applying (and really, the qualifications for NMF are not that high score-wise), that NMSF/NMF/NMS make no difference. It can’t hurt, of course,
@SoCoDAD…Depending upon the type of school that your D or S is interested in, NM status could have a significant impact on college plans. Here is a link to the most up to date list of scholarship opportunities for NMFs.
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
If your child would be interested in larger public stage flagship level universities like UKentucky, Bama, Oklahoma then there are fantastic opportunities available for them. You can scan through the schools on that site to see if any are on your radar.
If you child is hoping for more elite or selective schools, then NM status really won’t do them much good. It’s a nice bullet to put on their application, but it won’t impact their admissions decision or scholarship opportunities all that much. For those types of schools, the rest of their resume (GPA, test scores, ECs, etc.) will have a much larger influence.
Bottom line…for many families who find themselves in the donut hole between “make too much for any need-based FA” and “can’t afford full-freight”, NM status can provide an avenue for an outstanding low/no debt undergraduate education.
@wolverine86 Great Post!!! This is so very true!
Yes, great post @wolverine86 ! We are in this exact position. It is also very nice when schools show the love!
Another school with a financially good NMF packet that is less well known is UT-Dallas. Not quite a full ride but pretty close. tuition plus $8000K/sem stipend. If you are a STEM student it can be a good choice.
NMF made a huge difference for my D, who is currently weighing a half tuition NMF offer from USC and a full tuition from Fordham.
Parent of a 2016 kid here…just reading through your thread so I can have an idea of what might happen in the first part of September. I am not sure if any of you check this thread since it has been inactive for a few months…but if so, please share any insight, words of wisdom, etc. for the next years group of worried parents. Also…I have to say, @GoAskDad …your humor that was ever-present in the ongoing stress of it all, your story about Jimmy the intern, and the song lyrics…it is like the Visa commercials, PRICELESS! And to the rest of you who had your own twist, humor, shared angst, etc. (and more than your share of virtual girl scout cookies) - thanks to everyone!
So, I realize all of you must be crazy-busy getting your kids packed/moved/settled into their new environment at college (kudos to ALL of you for surviving the ride!) …but if any of you have a spare moment in the next week or two and can impart some advice, humor, etc. into what we 2016 parents are about to go through…please do, either here or in the “Class of 2016 NMSFQualifying Scores” thread. Thank you!
We were nothing if not obsessive! And I remember spending a lot of time on the previous year’s board, and tried to make my own (then) current comments very date oriented, etc. It’s an exciting time, though surely a very emotional time for those that just miss. My heart goes out in anticipation to those folks. Please know a just missed score is darn good!!! You/your child should be very proud.
For those that do make the cut, it’s quite exciting. Mailings only go to school principals, which includes by default the homeschooling families. My son was in public school, but I had a PA homeschooling pal early on whose child scored one point lower. So I knew if she got the letter, we were good to go, and she got hers a day or two before my principal contacted me personally (benefits of having so few NMS over the years!)
Someone will be first. Who, remains to be seen. Last year I believe it was Indiana? Not sure anymore. The letters went out s-l-o-w-l-y, hence the carrier pigeon references. And they went out in geographical waves, or at least travelled that way. It took a good week or more to hit every area. Then yes, some schools do sit on the mailings for a bit, which is unfortunate, because you have limited time to respond. Please know though that your response is very reasonable. There is an essay, but it’s limited in length. The rest can easily be completed in one sitting. The school has a part, and depending where you attend, you may have to nudge them along a bit.
Deep breaths! It seems so far away at the moment, but the reality is it’s very close, maybe even this coming weekend! I believe our first response came on a Saturday. It’s helpful even to see a few states come in. If several states come in as predicted, or even a nudge lower…this is hopeful news. Best wishes to all!!! Hugs to those that don’t quite make it.
@PAMom21 Thanks for your reply! It has some great information in it…so I wonder if you would take the time to also post it in the “class of 2016 NMSF qualifying scores” thread as well. That way many more of the folks will be able to read it (not sure if anyone else except me is checking this thread).
@4kids2graduate, I’m back on CC after a hiatus dealing w/some serious family health issues, but I’m on the 2016 NMSF thread now, & I will stay with everyone until all cut-offs are known. (I also brought Candy Corn.) Good luck to your DC!