National Merit Commended-putting it on applications?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely. Technically I believe it is a national award. Ironically NMSF is a state level award.

Yes, but NMSF meet both.

[Anonymous]

NP. I agree with the PPs that it's possible your child qualified for NMSF. https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/

[Anonymous]

My DS included it. He had a 223 and the cutoff was 224 for national merit which was frustrating since the school he attends gives a small award for NMF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely. Technically I believe it is a national award. Ironically NMSF is a state level award.

Yes, but NMSF meet both.

NMSF you're simply competing against other kids from the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this was a huge subject on the Virginia public school and FCPS forums last year, and a lot of people calling the "commended" a "participation trophy"- but is your student putting the commended status on college applications?

My kid doesn't have a lot of other awards. His score is 214 and he goes to a Prince William county public school. FWIW, the entire county (13 public high schools) only had TWO NM Semi Finalists last year--so it's nothing like TJ or other high performing FCPS high schools.) He is applying to mostly out of state schools where the cut off is much lower than Virginias--in some of those states his 214 would have been high enough to be a semi finalist.

I got finalist with a lower score than that.