<p>I recently received my National Merit Scholarship Finalist status and am curious as to how helpful it is on college applications. Does MIT have so many NMSC Finalists that it’s nothing special? Would it have much of an impact or just be seen as a very small piece to the total package? I’m just wondering as to how important this is in the extremely competitive MIT applicant pool.</p>
<p>Matt just talked about this in one of today’s blog entries, I think.</p>
<p>Well gee LSA way to provide the link! 
I’m just saying 'cause your always posting links up here. and they are usually interesting. So…care to provide a link for those of us who are too lazy to look it up on our own?</p>
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<p><a href=“http://blogs.mit.edu/madmatt/posts/6701.aspx[/url]”>http://blogs.mit.edu/madmatt/posts/6701.aspx</a></p>
<p>Oh ok, thanks a ton. Not the answer I wanted even though it was the one I expected.</p>
<p>what’s nmsc?</p>
<p>National Merit Scholarship Corporation.</p>
<p>They do the National Merit Scholarship competition/program which is done in partnership with collegeboard and the PSAT.</p>
<p>It’s a pretty big deal in the US, meder. If you score well on the PSAT (in the top 1% of all high school juniors who take the exam), you have guaranteed full ride scholarships to many state schools all over the US. So if you don’t get into your prestigious top choice schools, you’ve got great options.</p>
<p>How many state schools offer full ride scholarships for NMS?</p>
<p>Ours offer a little under full tuition (which is less than half of total cost for in state people).</p>
<p>[Full</a> Rides for NMS Finalists](<a href=“http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html]Full”>http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html)</p>
<p>Full tuition isn’t the same thing as a full ride.</p>