So…if my child definitely made commended, maybe has a shot at NMSF with a 216 in Iowa, and attends a school with few and sporadic previous semifinalists, is there any reason to try to get in touch with the counseling office at this point? I thought I read early on about some schools not being on top of the paperwork, but I haven’t previously had much success actually speaking to the counselor or getting a return call. Is there a deadline for them to verify name, etc. for commended students?
What will a 220 in IL get me?
@IABooks There isn’t a deadline listed on the letter. This is the exact wording from my homeschool principal letter:
"Please review the list of names on the next page and notify National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) immediately (that word is underlined) if any of these students:
–require a correction to the spelling of his or her name
–have moved or transferred to another school; or
–should not receive National Merit Program recognition
This is the last opportunity for you to review the list of names for accuracy before mailings, publications, and public announcements are finalized this summer. Please notify NMSC of any updates and corrections by mail" blah blah blah
So the school only needs to notify them if something is incorrect.
Huh. So what if the person isn’t a US citizen/permanent resident and the principal isn’t aware of that fact? This competition relies to a large extent on self-reported information. Wondering if any of it is verified at some point. Perhaps when they advance to finalist standing?
@Mamelot Sheeze! Let’s hope so.One can understand the different awards being given to minorities in order to gain diversity and so on,but lets at least keep it as an award for citizens.I would like to think that there would have to be some kind of actual verification eventually.
@snicks1234 I checked the current guide quickly and it says that in order to advance to finalist status you you have to submit documentation if you are in process of becoming a citizen or permanent resident. So I think there is some sort of verification process that occurs. Plus the list of SF’s are published of course - it’s not exactly a secret competition. I do think that NMSC needs to rely on local administrators for a good amount of the information verification, however, such as whether the high school junior was in their third year of school (as opposed to repeating a year). We do know someone who was advised by their GC not to worry about that extra year(!) so no doubt some cheatin’ does go on at the local level (the student in question chose to self-report correctly). We’d be foolish to expect everyone to decline an opportunity to play fast and loose with the rules - especially with the potential for significant merit money. So yeah, I do hope some independent verification does go on - or at least significant penalties for infractions.
Regarding NHRP the only verification for Hispanic status is the GC stating that the student is indeed Hispanic. And for self nominating - the parent signs stating the student is Hispanic. I would have thought some kind of documentation would be needed but I guess not.
Thanks, @WhereIsMyKindle . That was very helpful. We’ll continue to wait semi patiently …
@Dolemite well,that just adds another layer to the larger problem.Politics.lol!In-state tuition to children of illegal immigrants etc.There should be some substantive proof needed,but if there’s not,like everything else,we have very little say-so. So back to the original topic of the thread.Does anyone think the mid states will rise or drop more than a couple of points?I do realize it depends on how well the children in a particular state at the top end.It figures,if I’m following correctly that the test has been restructured to allow for higher scores at the upper tail for whatever reason,but,doesn’t past tests at least give us something to venture a reasonable guess?It seems by listening to testmasters and Art at compassprep that they feel their ranges are correct,even if at the higher end.Is that correct?
So a 210 in TN is out of the running for SF?
@mkumar17 According to all projections I have seen, it is projected a little higher than 210. Don’t lose hope though, you never know until sept.
I had posted up thread that my son attends a school that produces 50-55 NMSF. My son scored 217 and there were 53 who scored higher than he did.
@Proudpatriot What state and how many students equaled your son’s SI?
Idk the distribution. Florida
@Proudpatriot great name by the way. If I may ask, private or public school? I too am in Florida, but son has been homeschooled so we don’t get to hear about other kids scores as much. Primarily just wondering how the public schools here in florida are doing. Usually private schools have a good amount of nmsf in florida.
@snicks1234 Are you assuming those that qualify for NHRP are all illegal immigrants who are seeking free in-state tuition? For those that receive the invitation code, there is a document that the GC signs confirming whether they qualify (hispanic and meets minimum GPA requirement). This is a recognition program. It is not a scholarship program like NMSF. You get a certificate.
@paveyourpath Lol! Of course not. My reference is simply to the politics of the day. Both candidates promising in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants,while children of American citizens must pay out of state. I believe the post I was responding to was one asking if there was any form of documentation in the confirming process of whether children who qualify score wise also are qualified as far as being citizens of this country. There was also a remark about,not from me, about the new test creating more diversity. My point was that whether they check or not, we have very little to say about it. No where was I denigrating anyone.And I made a point about getting back on topic. Also, since they already have two awards for hispanics and african americans,does there really need to be a concious effort to further diversify the regular Psat nmsqt. If you were offended, it was definitely not my intention.
@paveyourpath I think just like everyone else here I’m hoping the best for my son and everyone else.lol!
@paveyourpath Btw,good luck in your efforts.
@snicks1234 Thank you for the good wishes. I was not offended I am just always cognizant of the fact there are lots of kids intermingled among us parents and don’t want any child to feel their hard work and recognition is diminished. I totally agree with you that we all want what is best for our kids and all of these kids.