I’m a Sophomore and this is my first time applying as well!
china summer semi finalist!! congrats everyone else
if any Korean semis wants to be added to the Kakaotalk group chat just send me a message with your ID and I’ll add you into it 
I just wanted to say congrats to all of the semi-finalists! I’m a 2017 China summer alum, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Congrats again and best of luck moving forward!
I’m a semifinalist!! I have a question though if i’m a semifinalist is that for my first choice (Russia Summer)? In other words do I know that it won’t be Russian year (my second choice); has that already been established.
Semifinalist for korean summer! Congrats to everyone and to those who are still waiting for results!
Semi-finalist for China summer! Congrats to all who made it, sorry to those who didn’t. I’m getting so excited but I know it’s a long journey ahead. Good luck everyone!
first time applying junior for korea summer
@socal19 You are a semifinalist for the NSLI-Y scholarship in general. When the finalist notifications are released later in late February/March, that is when you will find out which specific language and program (summer or year) you have been chosen for.
Congrats to all who are semifinalist and good luck continuing with the process.
For those who did not make it to the next round and qualify to apply next year, there are many stories of those who were successful their 2nd or 3rd time applying.
Also – I’m a junior from Missouri and it’s my first time applying.
@socal19 If I remember correctly, when you become a semi-finalist, you are a semi-finalist for a NSLI-Y scholarship more generally, not for one of your specific preferences. While it is rare for people to be chosen for their second preference, it is still possible, just not likely.
Okay thanks for answering my question @ThinkOn and @saxophonewizard
People keep saying semifinalist for “Summer”. Just a bit confusing for me. I’d like to believe that I got summer as well but its technically not confirmed then.
@butterh Thanks and I definitely learned my lesson on procrastination. Better luck next year!
Re: However, I guess that is assuming someone applied to two programs. Sorry if it seemed like a dumb question. I just needed time to think about why someone would say that and if if so then why.
Does anyone know how many semifinalists are chosen? I know that there were 600 scholarships out of 3500 applicants last year, but how much has it been narrowed down in the semifinals?
@socal19 Not a dumb question at all! Most people will say that they are a semi-finalist for their first preference because that’s what usually happens, but it’s not formal and there is always the possibility that they could be chosen for their second preference instead if they become a finalist.
about a third of applicants make it to semis. I’m a 2017 arabic summer alum, so if anyone has any questions, let me know! I’m happy to help
Yes, that sounds about right. In past years, roughly 1200 we chosen as semifinalist, and 600 as finalist. I anticipate the numbers to rise a tiny bit to reflect the addition of a new language this year.
Hey guys! Got my semi notification at 3:30 CST today!!
Semi-finalist for korean ya and summer… might have to change my preference to summer first though since many of the colleges I applied to do not normally offer deferment.