@itsgettingreal17 …Do tell about OK State scholarships. I tried to look on their website and not much information that I can tell. I may not be looking in all the right places.
@Tgirlfriend I’m not sure what google string you are using as you search for out-of-state merit scholarship information, but I find it helpful NOT to go to the university’s website to start my search. Instead, I do a google search with something like this “oklahoma state university out of state merit scholarships”. This search brought me to this list of results
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=oklahoma%20state%20university%20out%20of%20state%20merit%20scholarships
If you click on the second result - you are taken to a pdf file for the 2016-2017 scholarships for out of state students
https://financialaid.okstate.edu/sites/default/files/PDF/Out-of-State%20Scholarships16-17.pdf
You might try altering your search efforts in favor of a direct query of google rather than a search thru the multitude of pages on a particular university’s website.
People called for the Commended number which NMSC cheerfully shared. Why not call about your state’s cut-off?
Edit to add: Or call right after 8/23 (when the list of NMSF’s is mailed out and all i’s gotten and t’s crossed for NMSC).
Mamelot wrote “wasn’t a major that was eligible for the Honors College [at UCF].” Do you have a link that explains further. We haven’t researched UCF yet, but had a vague idea of looking into it as a possible safety, because I think it has film production and DD will definitely be NMSF (and presumably NMF). DD is interested in film production, but UCF would be a no-go if she’s somehow not eligible for honors college. Thanks!
@Lea111 D2 was interested in animation so while we were there we learned about film production as well (because we toured that building). UCF has a direct admit to film but it’s very competitive. Most are admitted to the major after freshman year.
Here’s a link to SVAD’s film page: https://svad.cah.ucf.edu/programinfo.php?id=32
Your DD should be able to apply as soon as UCF’s application is up - but if she needs to submit a portfolio there might be different deadlines and notifications than for other programs. Good luck to her!
Edit to add: The course catalog should let you know about whether the film major is eligible for honors.
@2muchquan i have moved on and figure they will be at the high end of the range.
I thought all NMF were automatically accepted into the honors college at UCF, but since there are course requirements, I guess there would have to be comparable offerings for your major. Here’s a link that talks about the UCF honors program. http://honors.ucf.edu/
@lea111 film school? top kek!! you should watch this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYK6ILzk95s
@Lea111, @Mamelot, @PAMom21 S has UCF on the top of his list for Engineering School (Virginia Tech and Texas A&M are his other top choices). S attended UCF’s inaugural CyberCamp this July and had a great time. He will likely miss NMSF (SI 218, Virginia probably will be 219-221) but we hope he might still be offered a tuition reduction since we’re OOS. Even without a scholarship, UCF is a great value – its Engineering School’s costs is about the same as the University of Virginia’s! (S thought U.Va. was OK but not among his top choices – I tried not to have my feelings hurt, since I’m a twice-graduated U.Va. alum). 
:-w One more month :-w :-?
The curiosity is starting to get to me now and I’m not even concerned about the scholarships :-??
D has a 220 in Utah, so not super concerned about her making SF, but I am concerned about the jump from SF to Finalist. She has great grades (only a couple of A-) with a rigorous schedule thus far, but her 12th grade sched just has 2 AP and then some required classes for state graduation. She also has home release (to do an online class) and work release. Since her schedule doesn’t look “full”, will NM look down on that? She is looking at a couple of schools that have scholarships specifically for NMF, so it is kind of critical for us. Is it worth it to call them and ask ahead of time? Especially while we have time to change her schedule? (School starts in 2 weeks). I don’t want to look like that mom…
About 15k of the 16K who make SF make finalist status. So the vast majority of semi-finalists become finalists. Every SF at our school in the past several years has become a finalist. No one really knows what happens to that small group of kids who do not become finalists. Some kids may not get a confirming score on the SAT. Some kids may not bother to fill out the paperwork. Some kids’ schools may not do what they need to do. Good thing is most schools want to see their kids get finalist status so they will help the kids do what needs to be done. A school that has never had a SF or rarely has one may be another story. I think your daughter will be fine.
@slaudsmom she will make finalist as long as she has a decent confirming SAT score (1960 under the old scale, unknown under the new scale - but assuming 1400 will do it), no Cs, no bad record at school. Her GPA sounds like its 3.8 or higher - she’s good to go! You will need recommendations from the school.
I believe over 90% of semi-finalists make finalist.
@slaudsmom she should be fine. She’s 7 class periods including home/work release? a lot of kids have 6 periods (they call them “hours” these days).
@slaudsmom edit to add: My kid also has “state required classes” which drives me nuts. And her school front loaded them so two required classes this fall (one of them gym).
Not sure if your D is taking seminary but I’d classify that as theology 
That’s where it gets tricky…she technically has the option to do 8 classes a quarter, but only does 7 because she is given release time for 1 hour for seminary. But first quarter she is only signed up for 5 because of a work release and home release she also signed up for. But she is taking 2 online classes (PE and intro to comp science…both required for graduation), so would that take her back up to the 7 that most kids take? p.s. I don’t know how we would survive this whole college app process without CC. This board and the info from all you helpful folks is going to save her a ton…hopefully no loans, either! (esp since I am paying for my own student loans…sigh)
@slaudsmom, the following assumes that NMSC will need to see grades through 1st sem. of senior year and/or will need to see a description of what she is taking during the upcoming year.
I would definitely count the seminary as theology/religious training. The grade (however it is marked) won’t show up on her transcript, however, if she’s at a public school. You might speak to her seminary or church leaders and find out how high achieving kids get that activity on “record” for non LDS schools and scholarship organizations. It’s more than an EC. Perhaps her seminary GPA can be sent as well. Your principal will also have good advice on this, esp. if there have been NM’s from your school before. NMSC should be used to this as well. You can actually call NMSC, too, and see how they would count her seminary class.
Kids in Catholic and other religiously based schools have their theology/religious instruction grades as part of the transcript. Mormon kids should be able to have that opportunity as well.
If the PE and CS produce grades that are part of her official HS transcript then they should count as real classes so no worries there. Just make sure that she completes those courses in a timely fashion so the grades can be generated and added to the transcript.
She should definitely touch on all her after-school actives (including part-time work) in her essay if the prompt allows that. Not sure what opportunities there are to list those for the NM finalist but it would seem to me that the kids who pull off outstanding grades with a full load of other responsibilities should get some brownie points with NMSC. IMHO.
This advice applies to the college admissions process too.
Congrats to her on the 220 - you are probably one proud mom!
Also from Utah, (where other 1000 nmsf go), been following link as nmsf/ finalist was going to be helpful for admission. (D has 212 very iffy and has not taken sat yet, 34 act) D has accepted support for soccer… top 10 University…will not be pursing honor nor $. Too many other responsibilities and life opportunities.
My S’s schedule was just posted online today. Not for sure if I like it or not. We are from a very small school and they just don’t have a lot of AP classes. They do however offer Dual credit college classes. So far we have:
Band IV
UIL Instmth
APCalculus
Forensic Science
Office Aid to principal
Dual credit English
Dual credit Gov
Early release
He is currently #1 in his class and carries a weighted 5.618.
He wanted to take Spanish 5 however I guess they couldn’t find a teacher to teach it. I know he will be disappointed however not much choice.
What do you all think? Will this hurt his chances of NMF if he makes the state cutoff?
@Tgirlfriend your son has a 93% chance of making finalist (if not higher). There are approximately 16,000 SF, and 15,000 finalists (those 1000 students that don’t make it include ones that never filled out the app because they were ED to specific school that doesn’t offer merit, not going to college, etc…). According to previous years, the key is, no Cs,1960 SAT, doing the required essay, and getting a counselor rec.
The schedule doesn’t matter.