<p>psych is only 2 hours. I knew I remembered something with a bigger variation, I wasn’t trying to quibble about a difference in 5-15 mins</p>
<p>ontheedge: Thanks for the info. That seems like eons away for our family; we seem to do everything at the last minute (though I really, really hope we don’t do that for the college apps).</p>
<p>ontheedge: I thought it was earlier than May 26 - maybe like May 21??? </p>
<p>Anyone have a link to look this up??</p>
<p>FYI on times for AP testing: They frequently do not start actually testing on time. So do not expect them to be done at 8am plus advertised length.</p>
<p>OOPS! My bad…here’s copy from National Merit site …</p>
<p>" May 31, 2009: Deadline date for NMSC to receive reports of a sponsor college as first choice. Because it
is necessary to end the competition in a timely manner, only college choice reports that NMSC receives by
May 31 will be used to identify the final group of candidates to a college or university that sponsors awards."</p>
<p>QM: I think your daughter has a healthy attitude about the AP tests. </p>
<p>The standardized testing here in California actually helped my daughter, because the homework load went down.</p>
<p>I know you have talked about kids picking two colleges to be notified about national merit status. I tried to look at old threads, but am still confused and my D is asking for my advice. Who should she pick out of the list below? Of these, she really likes Chicago, Swarthmore, Rochester, Reed, and Whitman. She still has some research to do on the others. Swarthmore offers no merit aid, but might appreciate the demonstrated interest? Rochester and Whitman are good candidates for merit money I think.</p>
<p>Swarthmore College
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Chicago
Northwestern University
Haverford College
Wesleyan University
Vassar College
Carleton College
Tufts University
Oberlin College
Reed College
Macalester College
University of Rochester
University of Maryland
Smith College
Whitman College
Bryn Mawr College</p>
<p>What Bubbe posted in for this year’s seniors I believe. For our juniors, the deadline is May 26, per the letter that’s been hanging on my fridge for weeks. You can use the form or log on to the website, which will be taken down after May 26.</p>
<p>Astromom, I can understand your confusion. When my D got the award last year, Wash U. said it will give her $2,500.00 every year. Stanford OTOH said it will be a one shot deal.
FWIW, I remember some schools still offering D full scholarship after the January first applications deadline.</p>
<p>astromom - Rochester has the reputation for caring about demonstrated interest so I’d do that one for sure - I don’t know about the rest.</p>
<p>Great, thanks for that list astromom. I see two colleges (Mac and Oberlin) that my D is interested in and would like to demonstrate interest to. Or maybe she’ll go with Rice.</p>
<p>Ds will go with Rice, too. The second one is the question mark …</p>
<p>D never even gave me her letter! Better get that from her so we can have that discussion and she can submit her choices. No clue what they’ll be!</p>
<p>Astromom:</p>
<p>If you look at the common data set, there is a question in section C7 which is degree of interest shown by the applicant. Seems to me that you should check to see which schools on your kids list are “high” in this category.</p>
<p>Thanks for that suggestion, scualum. I’m going to check on that tonight.</p>
<p>I hope everyone is having a good week.</p>
<p>It seems many after school activities are cancelled due to APs, and there is almost no homework, so S actually has more time than usual. He is not stressed about the tests, cause if you’re not ready by now you’ll never be, right? So life is good. 
:)</p>
<p>Thanks everybody. I’ll look at the common data sets. It’s my understanding that she can change her #1 choice later on in order to get an actual NMF school-based scholarship, right?</p>
<p>vicarious–not sure if I was clear about what that list is. That is my D’s still-evolving list minus a couple of tippy-top schools, so I’m not sure all of the schools on that list care about demonstrated interest. I promise to report back after I check the common data sets though.</p>
<p>LIMOM - While there is a link on CC for some of the CDS, I find that a simple google search on a term like “Stanford Common Data Set” usually works fine.</p>
<p>wait a minute…I think you can just say “undecided” for now and then designate a college later…no? I too have not yet seen the paperwork. Its probably somewhere in D’s backpack…I dare not ask until after APs.</p>
<p>VP and others: Here is a recent thread about the National Merit “choice” available to 50 thousand high-scoring juniors (includes possible commended, and possible semi finalists)—</p>
<p>—as opposed to the more crucial “first choice” that needs to be made by Finalists (who are already seniors). </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696107-how-use-national-merit-corp-college-plans-reporting-service.html?highlight=reporting+service[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/696107-how-use-national-merit-corp-college-plans-reporting-service.html?highlight=reporting+service</a></p>