Do you realize that in DC for the class of 2024, a student could have a 222 and still only be "commended?" The criteria for NMSF is very high in many states/DC. I bet there are many students in these high qualifying cutoff states that got 35/36 on the ACT but were below the cutoff for NMSF. Compare that with North Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia, where the student only had to get 207 to be a NMSF. |
What is spent per pupil on education in in those states? If they are not investing in education, obviously they will not be getting results comparable to states that do. |
My kid was commended in PSAT and then scored 1600 on the SAT. Included the commended status in application and got into an Ivy and a top 5 school. |
Per pupil spending isn't always by state. In many states, per pupil spending will vary wildly by county/school district. Also, private schools are included which can have great bearing on the "investment" per pupil. |
I feel like there are all these bad actors out there trying to manipulate students and families as they go through the college admissions process. Today, it's "oh you can get a major scholarship by being National Merit Commended" when that's just not true at all. It's hard enough to find actual funding the student needs. FOCUS ON THE SAT. |
Fact is anyone competitive for T20 is going to have ten different impressive awards to list. It's not realistic to think they would need to cite commended or NHS or things like that. |
DD didn't have room - had 5 other awards to list instead |
As you can see from responses, there is little upside and little downside, unless you go test optional. If you go test optional (particularly at UC schools where they won't accept scores at all), the 'commended' would send a signal that the kid does fine on tests. If you submit scores, then the actual SAT/ACT score would swamp the 'commended' notation, but listing it certainly wouldn't be held against you. |
Not everyone who is commended will be applying to a T20. |
right, but if you put commended, for all the college knows you barely scraped by. do you put your 222 on the application? |
and do you really think it was the commended status that made the difference? |
Same with the kid from North Dakota that got a 207 and is a NMSF. The college doesn't know if he got 228 or 207. So maybe a NMSF from ND shouldn't put it on his college application either? |
Didn’t hurt… |
Same for NMSF, just redundant information, with a 1580 SAT |
Barely scraped by? Your poor kids. |