<p>I wish they didn’t have to go to the high school. My D’s school is TERRIBLE about notifying them. As for the commended notice until AFTER it was already available online. What’s the purpose in making them wait? Power trip? I don’t get get it. It only makes them worry more. </p>
<p>For THIS (semi-finalist) step, we’re not stressed as we already know she’s made that cut, BUT it’s still crucial to get the packet in a timely manner as the kids have to get the completed paperwork back to the school in a very short time. So hopefully every school will be quick. Good luck to everyone on here!</p>
<p>I’m sort of expecting to, if I do make semi, receive the packet myself. I received the commended notification myself, and my counselor made a comment that had me thinking they had the option to let that kind of thing happen. I totally understand what you mean though. Just have your daughter badger the counselor right away about it.</p>
<p>that some kind soul who receives the packet right away will POST the essay prompt and any other such info on this forum. That way the people who don’t get their packet until the last moment can at least be working on the assignments. Thank you in advance to that kind soul!</p>
<p>Writing prompt will be a GREAT help because of the paperwork turnaround time - Back to principal by Sep 12th!!!</p>
<p>Though, not having gone through this before, I don’t KNOW that the essay has to be turned back in with the paperwork to the principal, perhaps it’s sent directly to NM later. </p>
<p>But I also have a curiosity about how Score Choice will affect sending in “comparable” SAT scores, so I’m hoping that is addressed in the packet.</p>
<p>Since we already knew my D was a semi finalist, I thought I’d get that step off her list. So I started to send it in for her but realized you now have the Score Choice option and wondered what to do? Send in only the SAT (and not SAT IIs?). </p>
<p>For some people, they will have more than one SAT already. I’m sure they want to select only their best. So do they allow score choice? Or does it matter, do they only look at the top score? My D’s score was EXACTLY the same as her PSAT (well, you know, plus a zero), even on EACH section. So odd. So we have no real problem with the SAT score, but she does have SAT II that I guess I’d rather not send, if it’s going to hurt her in some way.</p>
<p>I just double checked and DD had her commended letter mailed directly to our home (I have no idea why, as we have never home schooled and she took her PSATs at school with the rest of the juniors.) I hope she’ll get it at home and cut out any administration time.</p>
<p>The schools get a big package with all the letters enclosed and envelopes. S2’s school mails them out from the school (once they are found and given to the appropriate person), but in the NMC envelope. Was told by a NMC staffer last year that only homeschoolers are mailed directly from NMC to home adddresses.</p>
<p>Yeah, posting the writing prompt here would be awesome; I don’t have high hopes for our school getting us the paperwork quickly. I mean, they didn’t tell us about being commended until an awards ceremony in mid-June, much too late to notify any colleges…</p>
<p>how long should i have to wait until i start bugging my guidance counselor about whether she received anything?? i’m in FL, so i’m thinking three or four days, maybe?</p>
<p>Praying FL stays the same or drops a point or two. please pray for me. i want this so bad!! :)</p>
<p>I’m planning to check with the guidance counselor on Friday, hoping to avoid waiting through the weekend. This means a guaranteed scholarship to ASU and means a lot. I guess it’s possible it won’t arrive here in Arizona by Friday, but hopefully…</p>
<p>I was talking to the counselor yesterday about D2 (hs freshman) and mentioned the semi-finalist stuff for S. She said there are 6 pages, 3 for her to do and 3 for him. I jokingly asked her to send me an email so I know she gave him his portion. She said she was sure he would be fine.</p>
<p>Somehow the strain of our relationship doesn’t come through in writing it out. :D</p>
<p>ONE BIG THING THOUGH: When he registered for the October 10 SAT, he did not indicate the special program code for the scores to be sent to!!! I guess I need to call and have that added? Or can he do that on the day of the exam?</p>
<p>I guess I am confused. Doesn’t the college board administer both the PSAT and the SAT? Woudn’t that make you think that for kiddos making the cutoff, they would KNOW what the SAT scores were? Do they really have to contact College Board to send the SAT scores to College Board?</p>
<p>The official SAT score needs to be sent directly to National Merit not College Board. The NM code is on their web sight. You would enter it on the SAT just as you would a college code that you want your scores sent to.</p>
<p>Sending the scores to NM will work for those that take the SAT this fall, but my kiddo took it in spring and would not have known the cutoff scores at that time. There must be a way to send the scores to NM after the SAT was taken.</p>
<p>kathleentexas: Yes, you do it the same way you would send the score to a college. National Merit Corporation has a “school code” just like universities do.</p>
<p>The semi-finalist packet will list that 4-digit school code.</p>
<p>I just went to look and that number is 0085.</p>