Does NMSF matter for the top-tiers?

[Bartleby007]

<p>

As I said upthread, there’s much more to it than just test scores and you do a disservice to all those kids by insinuating that they’re one-dimensional.

I did nothing of the sort.
To clarify…
The awardees are not one-dimensional.
The criterium used for first-pass NMS selection is rather one-dimensional.

Very few merit scholarships of any sort are strictly merit based. Check nearly any university website where they describe the requirements for their merit scholarships and you’ll find GPA/Test Scores are only part of the equation…usually the entering argument.

I absolutely agree that very few merit scholarships are strictly merit-based. I suppose that’s why I find the name of the scholarship in question (“National Merit Scholarship”) so amusing.

Whether you choose to acknowledge or appreciate your own NMF status is your choice, but I congratulate you on achieving it nonetheless. You obviously worked hard and excelled in ALL facets of your HS studies, and you EARNED the recognition.

I took a test and did well on it. For this, I’m congratulated? Thank you…I think. </p>

<p>In case the OP is still monitoring the thread, let me reiterate the following:
Top-tier colleges really don’t care about NMS designation. It means very little.</p>