So now the next question is…how long do we wait for guidance to communicate the next required steps and to make sure a deadline is not missed? Am sure that info will emerge on CC once the dust settles.
Update 8/29 11:40PM EDT
** Correction The highest cutoff nationally has been confirmed via a principal at NO MORE THAN 223. I misstated it earlier this evening as equal to 223. It’s still possible that it will be lower. No students at the school with 221/222, so we can’t use it to establish the cutoff. I should know better.
For those wondering about next steps in the NM process, a couple of years ago my D15 was told by her GC at school sometime in early or mid September. Then she had to write an essay (which was due sometime in Oct? I think?). As I remember, the essay is important and shouldn’t be underestimated. Then there was a long wait until about Feb or March. Congrats to those in the running for this and good luck to all!
Yay to get some confirmation on NMSF. My D was going to the school tomorrow to meet with her Advisory teacher to look over essays and I told her to go by the GC and ask about NMSF but all good now.
Wow, @longwood --the essay was due as early as October? For some reason, I thought material would not be due until after college apps were in! Sure would be nice to get notice now and let kids get started before senior year intensity has really built up. We already have the SAT to deal with in the next month or two…
Congrats to all the NMSF and good luck to those still waiting. S17 is on the bubble, but I think he is going to miss it. Regarding the essay for National Merit purposes, my S15 was able to use the essay he wrote for the Common Application, so the process was not time consuming at all.
@shuttlebus Can you explain exactly how the process works for homeschoolers? Do we give her transcript and essay to her recommender to upload and we are dependent upon them for everything getting filed correctly? I didn’t quite understand the directions in the letter.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek I was really confused last year until I realized that we don’t send in our transcript.
You and your D will each be assigned a separate login. Your job as the guidance counselor will be to “build” the transcript within the NM software program. What you build will be the transcript that they evaluate. There are a bunch of questions that you will also need to answer regarding the highest level of each subject offered at your school. My guess is that this is how the NM folks determine if a student had a rigorous high school program, so if calc or phyics is not offered at a school, for example, that student will not be penalized.
Your D will have her part of the application to complete as well. She will login using her own login info. She will upload her essay herself.
I can’t remember now whether your D or you “invite” the homeschool evaluator (can’t remember if that is the term used or not). Once invited, that person will receive login info directly from NM. They will also be given a deadline on when their part of the application needs to be submitted. Speaking from experience, don’t stress if the evaluator does not submit his required “stuff” (no idea what that is since I didn’t have access to that part of the app) by the deadline despite numerous “friendly reminders.” The NM folk are very understanding!
Hoping for good news for others still on the bubble! And, for other doors to open for those who just miss the cutoff.
DS is also NMSF <:-P based on one report from California and Compass Prep’s report that the highest cutoff is not higher than 223. I’ve decided not to mention to him that scores are coming out. (Though he probably already knows that through online conversations with his summer program friends.) But, I think it would be more fun for him to learn for sure by being called to the office with hopefully some friends. Don’t know how long that will take; could be a couple weeks at our HS.
school started 2 weeks back and already loaded with home work/projects and IB EE deadlines. So as expected slow progress on essays. Hoping that DS will finish two essays he is working in parallel over long weekend. He needs to write 10+ essays for colleges in his list which is still evolving!
