<p>Is getting into the nmsqt program going to make a huge impact for college applications?</p>
<p>Depends on what colleges. Becoming a National Merit Semi-Finalist can open up some fantastic opportunites at smaller state schools hoping to attract top-ranked students. However, if you are applying to highly selective schools, no, being a NMSF is not going to matter one whit (except if your SAT scores belie the fact that you didn’t receive it).</p>
<p>Agree with Purpleacorn - it really depends on the college. Oklahoma and Alabama love NMSF, along with many others. HYPSM, etc. get lots of them in their respective applicant pools, so an applicant needs something else to stand out.</p>
<p>Many top universities looking to boost the quality of their ranking and push into the top-tier offer partial to full scholarships, though some are limited to only a few applicants. For example, I received a full scholarship to attend Fordham, and chose it over higher-ranked institutions.</p>