<p>I want to repeat what GeorgiaGirl wisely posted. We can only guess at what goes on based on imprecise data–voluntarily posted by generous students who go through this process each year. Our sample is not large enough to make predictions.</p>
<p>That said, these top Merit Scholarships are competitive. That means, they do not simply send a nice letter with congratuations–you’ve got it! Some top students are invited to the next round of the competition. I truly understand that such a competition, especially when so many thousands of dollars are at stake, is unnerving. For those who were not invited to these interviews, there was a big let-down. Many get angry. It is not that these students were not as worthy–they just didn’t make this particular holistic cut this year. </p>
<p>The same theory holds true with the next stage–the Explore interviews. It’s a finals competition, so there will be some who do not come out with the top scholarships. They wouldn’t invite you to interview if they weren’t looking to get more of a picture of how you will fit into the various schools/majors and ECs. </p>
<p>I think it’s misleading to suggest that these interviews are “no big deal,” unless beneath that statement one is trying to help uber-jittery kids to calm down. It is likely that about half to 2/3 of kids invited to interview for T/P scholarships will receive them–most of the others will receive another dollar amount. That is much better odds than winning the California Lotto, but it is still highly competitive.</p>
<p>I wish the very best luck to each cc interviewee. We really all want you to get the best outcome. But it’s important to also acknowledge the nature of competition–whether it is who gets admitted, who gets invited for interviews, and/or who ultimately gets the top awards. </p>
<p>Not everyone, no matter how worthy, will get a prize.</p>