How important is National Merit?

AC1123
Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:32:23 +0000

Hey, I was just wondering how important honors like National Merits are. I missed the cutoff by just a few points but I received a 31 on the ACTs. I have a 4.0 GPA (unweighted) and I’m taking the most rigorous classes that my school offers. My transcript is also loaded with extracurricular activities. How good of a chance do I have if I don’t have honors like National Merit, Presidential scholor, etc?