It’s not 5 yet in Texas
S received his rejection email just after 5:00.
@Traveler98 so sorry to read this, I was rooting for your ds!
D received the rejection email today as well.
Sorry your D didn’t make it @LMHS73. She’ll still have the NMF package though, so hopefully she’s not too upset about missing out on McDermott.
Thanks @3scoutsmom, I appreciate the sympathy. I’m definitely rooting for your S to get the scholarship!
Again, best of luck to all the finalists for this wonderful program!
Thanks @traveler98; she took the rejection in stride & understands the odds of nabbing a spot at a reach school or a major scholarship competition. UTD is moving-up on her list!!
I got an email telling me I’m a finalist on Monday and RSVP’d, but I haven’t gotten a reply about logistics and making arrangements yet. Has anyone gotten one?
@goompy I just got 2 logistics emails today
Any other mails from Mcdermott after the logistics emails? waiting for the flight details.
Yeah after filling out the survey, someone contacted me saying that they put some flights on hold for me, and I came back confirming that they should be booked.
McDermott Finalist Weekend 2018 Report from a parent
First let me say I don’t think I’ve ever met so many AMAZING high school students (and parents!) The current McDermott Scholars and Alumni weren’t too shabby either! The program paid for the student and one parent to fly to Dallas if they weren’t local, we were on the edge of being “local” about a 4 hour drive from UTD but a 45 minute drive to the closest airport. With the hassle of parking, air port security we declined their offer of air fare and opted to drive instead. The program provided a nice hotel room for the parent(s) and the finalists shared a room with another finalist. Every minute was planned with talks, tours, interviews, receptions… It was very tiring, check-in by 4:00pm on Friday with non-stop activities until 11:00am on Sunday including nights for the kids until midnight and then up again the next morning to be ready to start at 6:15 am, but it was well worth the trip.
Even though we had been to UTD for the National Merit Preview Day just a few weeks earlier, I still learned more about the school and was even more impressed! The McDermott campus tour was very different and included different stops. Unlike the National Merit tour they had golf carts to move people to different areas of campus. I think this is one reason we were able to see so much more of campus including student apartments and actual dorm rooms - not just a staged room.
Another thing I found really helpful was a booklet with pictures of the finalists and alumni and where they were from. I knew many would be from TX but I had no idea how many would be from 30 miles from UTD!
I really enjoyed speaking to the other parents and was pleasantly surprised that in small group conversation they were very candid about the other schools their kids were considering, now I know why UTD was trying hard to sell their program! All these kids already have acceptances or stand a real chance at dream schools, heck one already has an appointment to a service academy - I know how long that application process is and just can’t image walking away from that! Many are in line for other competitive merit scholarships. My kid was one of the few that plans to go to UTD with or without McDermott (he has NM which is a full ride at UTD). McDermott offers a lot of extras and personal attention, generous monthly stipend, double the NM study abroad funds, summer school tuition, McDermott students are really treated like rocks stars but at the same time they have a much high level of accountability, including living on campus **year round/b and as we heard from the alumni, accepting the McDermott scholarship is a lifetime commitment including but not limited to expected financial support to the alumni association. It is really a big commitment and something not agreed upon lightly.
I would love to hear others thoughts on the weekend.
Did they announce the 2018 class?
No official announcement yet, I don’t think that will come out until May. DS is on some sort of finalist group chat and says 4 OS students self reported that they had “got the email” I know of two other OS kids that were also offered the scholarship. I suspect that the students that did get the notification were told not to publicly announce it. I haven’t heard of anyone instate being offered McDermott yet.
I have no idea if those that were offered the scholarship will accept it. I spoke to several parents during the finalists weekend that had kids waiting to hear from other schools/scholarships before making a decision. DS hasn’t heard anything more from McDermott so he’s assuming he didn’t get it and is moving on.
They’re giving out offers on a rolling basis/ in batches. So it’s definitely possible for offers to come later. I don’t know how many have been given out. Everyone will eventually get a yes or no decision by email.
@bigreddawgie that is the way they had done things in the past but at the parent session they specifically said that they were not doing that this year. The person in charge is new this year and she said everyone would get their offer at the same time and that there would NOT be an alternate list that would be offered later. Many of the parents questioned this since students legally have until May 1st to pick thier school and they really want a target number with a specific make up. At this point they urged students that were not seriously ready to commit to UTD to withdraw from consideration. At least one parent stood up right then and asked how to withdraw. Not an issue for my DS because he had already made up his mind he’s going to UTD and has National Merit so already has a full ride, McDermott would have been the icing on the cake.
So much for doing things differently this year, I just heard one of the instate kids was offered the McDermott scholarship last weekend. Uncertain if they will accept, they are waiting to hear from other schools. This brings the total that I know of up to 7 and I know at least two of those are still undecided and one is fairly certain they will accept. So far the ones I know of, and I sure there are more, are 4 girls 3 boys.
If you are a McDermott finalist and want to be included in my anonymous list please PM me I’ll add you to the list I won’t give out any personal info.
@bigreddawgie I think you are right and they are doing things the same as you discribed and not as we were told.
DS got the “not accepted” email today, not unexpected and frankly I’m relieved, he’s a little let down but says he’s ok with it. In the end I just don’t think this was the program for him. I know he will take full advantage of the National Merit prorgram, the CV honors program and Computing scholars program, UTD has a lot to offer him and he’s still happy with his decision to attend.
could you please elaborate on some main reasons why your daughter made it to the mc dermott scholars program. my DD is currently a senior and is working on her college apps. any light on this topic is much appreciated
@rice 2019 could you please elaborate on some main reasons why your daughter made it to the mc dermott scholars program. my DD is currently a senior and is working on her college apps. any light on this topic is much appreciated