Congratulations National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists 2023!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your NMSF kids planning to apply for NMF? Is the extra work worth it, as given the timing, it will have least impact on college admissions?

DD did it. It was easy (she used the personal statement essay she was already working on for college apps) and will earn her $8000 ($2000/year from her college). When students find out they are finalists, they can share the news with admissions counselors. (Always nice to have a positive update to send!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are your NMSF kids planning to apply for NMF? Is the extra work worth it, as given the timing, it will have least impact on college admissions?

DD did it. It was easy (she used the personal statement essay she was already working on for college apps) and will earn her $8000 ($2000/year from her college). When students find out they are finalists, they can share the news with admissions counselors. (Always nice to have a positive update to send!)

Thank you for sharing, very helpful

[Anonymous]

If your kid was FCPS and national merit scholar semifinalist or commended in the past did the counselor tell them? Did they get an email? Curious what we should look out for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are your NMSF kids planning to apply for NMF? Is the extra work worth it, as given the timing, it will have least impact on college admissions?

DD did it. It was easy (she used the personal statement essay she was already working on for college apps) and will earn her $8000 ($2000/year from her college). When students find out they are finalists, they can share the news with admissions counselors. (Always nice to have a positive update to send!)

Thank you for sharing, very helpful

Yes, good to know. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Does the list get released today?

[Anonymous]

Right, but they should already know whether they made it or not based on the cutoff

[Anonymous]

What PSAT score is typically needed to get a 221?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right, but they should already know whether they made it or not based on the cutoff

But others might want to say congratulations

[Anonymous]

Read the notification of NMSF the local Patch news site. Still no communication from the school. Really nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does National Merit semifinalist help college application to a TOP 10 this fall? My child's school does not have semifinalist quite often.

Definitely yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What PSAT score is typically needed to get a 221?

It depends on what the breakdown is. My DC had a 1470, but only a 218 because math was perfect but only counts once and verbal counts twice. Others with a 1470 but higher verbal and lower math had a 222. So even though same raw score, one was semi finalist and one was commended. Definitely hurts the kids who are stronger in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The counselor pulled my kid out of class to tell him.

Won’t happen in DD’s class where at least half of the kids are NMSF

Name the school, or it just did not happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What PSAT score is typically needed to get a 221?

It depends on what the breakdown is. My DC had a 1470, but only a 218 because math was perfect but only counts once and verbal counts twice. Others with a 1470 but higher verbal and lower math had a 222. So even though same raw score, one was semi finalist and one was commended. Definitely hurts the kids who are stronger in math.

+1 re math. DS did not qualify due to this calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What PSAT score is typically needed to get a 221?

It depends on what the breakdown is. My DC had a 1470, but only a 218 because math was perfect but only counts once and verbal counts twice. Others with a 1470 but higher verbal and lower math had a 222. So even though same raw score, one was semi finalist and one was commended. Definitely hurts the kids who are stronger in math.

I dislike that it is heavily weighted on the language score. It should be evenly weighted. (Of course, my opinion is based on my kid's strength!)

[Anonymous]

Where is a link to the DC list?