<p>
This confuses me. You can get “commended” and not make it further, but once you get to semi-finalist you mostly just have to jump through their hoops and write an essay and get a recommendation. As long as you don’t have any major disciplinary issues and a decent GPA, isn’t “finalist” a gimme after “semifinalist”? Based on my understanding of this ridiculously long and drawn-out process, I think anyone just finishing up his junior year would only be commended.</p>
<p>My understanding:[ul]
[<em>]Oct Junior year - take PSAT
[</em>]Spring Junior year - get “commended” - one in 50,000 - and have the right to send “looky me!” letters to two colleges
[<em>]Fall Senior year - get “semi-finalist” - 1/3 of the commendeds, or about 16,000, and you have the right to write them an essay and get a principal rec
[</em>]Spring Senior year - get “finalist” - most of the semi-finalists, or about 15,000
[*]Late spring Senior year - get “scholar” - about 1/5 to 1/2 of the finalists, depending on whether you count the ones who get money from schools or just the ones who get money from NMC itself[/ul]</p>