Does being a PSAT - Semi Finalist provide a booast to college app?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But for the schools less than top tier, it gives them bragging right - "we have 100 NMSF in incoming freshmen class" or what not. Again for top tier schools, not relevant.

This, for sure. If you're a semifinalist, there are big name state schools that will give you a free ride plus various forms of coddling/pampering while you're there (internships, stipend, etc.)

+1
Some of the schools DCUM would scoff at, but it's a good deal. Two of my kids got full rides based on PSAT and being a NMS.

NP. Rising senior will likely be a semifinalist. Unfortunately none of the "generous" schools are on his list. Did you find that these schools reached out to you after the individuals are announced? Thanks.

pp w/ 3 nms kids, yes, schools reached out with offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC's school in NOVA has 4 PSAT semi-finalists. My DC got a decent score but not one that would put him with the 4. Would this impact his chances with UVA? His school does not give out rankings but he has taken 12 AP's, 4.3 GPA, and 1540 SAT with decent EC but no national awards. Naviance puts him right at the GPA needed for UVA but does not break it down by school/major. DC is either thinking about CS or Economics.

It would be a boost at a school where he is in the top 25% of applicants.

[Anonymous]

Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

LOL simpleton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

Admissions counselor at UVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

LOL simpleton

LOL striver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being an actual finalist helps because colleges like to use that as bragging rights. But I don't thibk being a semifinalist helps as much.

As a former National Merit kid myself it did seem wildly overblown. And they just deducted the 2k from my financial aid grant so it ended up making basically no difference.

Finalists aren't announced until after applications are due. I suppose colleges could check to see whether a student who was a semifinalist when applying became a finalist in the spring, but given that most semifinalists become finalists, it doesn't seem like a good use of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being an actual finalist helps because colleges like to use that as bragging rights. But I don't thibk being a semifinalist helps as much.

As a former National Merit kid myself it did seem wildly overblown. And they just deducted the 2k from my financial aid grant so it ended up making basically no difference.

Finalists aren't announced until after applications are due. I suppose colleges could check to see whether a student who was a semifinalist when applying became a finalist in the spring, but given that most semifinalists become finalists, it doesn't seem like a good use of time.

I did get an automatic in to one school's honor college as a finalist. I guess it saved me an application.

[Anonymous]

Many elite colleges like Amherst, U Chicago and Rice etc waive application fee for scholars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But for the schools less than top tier, it gives them bragging right - "we have 100 NMSF in incoming freshmen class" or what not. Again for top tier schools, not relevant.

This, for sure. If you're a semifinalist, there are big name state schools that will give you a free ride plus various forms of coddling/pampering while you're there (internships, stipend, etc.)

+1
Some of the schools DCUM would scoff at, but it's a good deal. Two of my kids got full rides based on PSAT and being a NMS.

NP. Rising senior will likely be a semifinalist. Unfortunately none of the "generous" schools are on his list. Did you find that these schools reached out to you after the individuals are announced? Thanks.

We did not have schools reach out with offers. We researched which ones had full rides for NMF. Univ of Florida was one, but they no longer offer it to out of state applicants like they used to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

depends on which one got in

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

depends on which one got in

Kid B was accepted ED to UVA.

Kid A applied early to Brown on the strength of their “national award” and was rejected, applied EA to UVA and got deferred/rejected due to yield protection, and will be attending JMU this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

depends on which one got in

Kid B was accepted ED to UVA.

Kid A applied early to Brown on the strength of their “national award” and was rejected, applied EA to UVA and got deferred/rejected due to yield protection, and will be attending JMU this fall.

Kid A should have probably applied to more than 3 schools. Yield protection, huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid A applies to UVA as a semi-finalist and gets a 1560 on the SAT.
Kid B applies to UVA with a 1560 on the SAT and not a semi-finalist.

Kid A == Kid B

depends on which one got in

Kid B was accepted ED to UVA.

Kid A applied early to Brown on the strength of their “national award” and was rejected, applied EA to UVA and got deferred/rejected due to yield protection, and will be attending JMU this fall.

So each took a different path. Can not compare results if that's the case. One got lucky and the other one wasn't.