I found out a couple weeks ago that I am a semifinalist. I figured there were probably some people here who were national merit finalists in the past or are this year. I'm trying to write my essay but I'm not sure what exactly to write, if anyone else has done this I would like to know what you wrote about.
National Merit
- Thread starter volta
- Start date
cgannon64
BOB DYLAN'S ROCKIN OUT!
Gosh, you have to write an essay for that? I'm going into Junior year now, and Sophmores cannot qualify for the National Merit Scholarships, though my score was 40 points off the amount required to get consideration. I'm hoping this time around on the PSAT I'll get 2100+, and thus a chance.
If you don't mind my asking, what did you get on the PSAT?
If you don't mind my asking, what did you get on the PSAT?
You have to write an essay on the application to become a finalist: its what are your accomplishments, what sets you apart, or something like that. I don't think it really matters that much because most of the semifinalists become finalists, but I was having trouble writing it because I wasn't sure how many things to talk about.
Oh and I got 225 on the psat.
Oh and I got 225 on the psat.
Urederra
Mostly harmless
Congratulations, volta, and good luck.
I just wrote some piece of crap. IIRC the topic was lousy ("tell why you deserve this" or somesuch nonsense) so I just talked about myself. That's it. It wasn't very good at all. I was a finalist nonetheless, though being a finalist requires little more than sending in an application (they take something like 90% of semifinalists). I didn't get anything out of it, though
EDIT: You can get some pretty sweet offers if you go to a participating school, though. Last year's finalists got an offer for something like an 80,000 to the U of Florida.
EDIT: You can get some pretty sweet offers if you go to a participating school, though. Last year's finalists got an offer for something like an 80,000 to the U of Florida.
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
I used pretty much the same essay as I used on college applications. Most of those ask for a learning experience or overcoming a setback or accomplishing a dream or something like that.
This is a plus as you don't really have to write a whole new essay...just tweak an existing one.
This is a plus as you don't really have to write a whole new essay...just tweak an existing one.
None of the schools I'm applying to were even slightly impressed I was a National Merit finalist. I got mail back from Georgetown and Columbia along the lines of "umm. . . good job? you want a cookie or something? F off".
I guess if you apply to second or third tier schools, they'll give you some money, but if you're looking at top colleges, they really don't care, so don't sweat the essay too much.
And, for the record, I wrote about doing missionary work in Africa.
I guess if you apply to second or third tier schools, they'll give you some money, but if you're looking at top colleges, they really don't care, so don't sweat the essay too much.
And, for the record, I wrote about doing missionary work in Africa.
blackheart
unenlightened
I didn't realize there was a scholarship that went with the PSATs so I totally blew em off.
I guess I'll just write something and not worry about it.
I'm probably going to go to OU but I'm considering SMU. Both of them offer full scholarships to finalists. But I might decide to go somewhere else; my parents paid for my brother to go to college so they would pay for me.
I'm probably going to go to OU but I'm considering SMU. Both of them offer full scholarships to finalists. But I might decide to go somewhere else; my parents paid for my brother to go to college so they would pay for me.
Syterion
Voodoo Economist
Just write a good essay. My sister was way off the average numbers for everything academic at Georgetown and she got in from good essays. And from what I've seen you far exceed most college's requirements easily. And I'd say missionary work in Africa would look good to a Jesuit school.
Keirador said:
Yeah. The only school that I remotely considered that gave anything for it was the University of Richmond, and their award was rather paltry (at least compared to some others). Like the full scholarship offer from Depths-of-Texas University.
I recommend you write about your amazing talent for writing essays.
I thought just about every school, except for the Ivy League and other schools that don't give scholarships at all, give a scholarship (admittedly one that's like $2500 a year or so) to National Merit finalists, but you have to list them as your first choice.
I thought just about every school, except for the Ivy League and other schools that don't give scholarships at all, give a scholarship (admittedly one that's like $2500 a year or so) to National Merit finalists, but you have to list them as your first choice.
What the...? Isn't that like tuition plus 70,000? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you.shortguy said:
I thought he meant an $80,000 scholarship. . .
Syterion: Thanks for the support, but my rank in class is not so good. Small private school, and I tend to blow off homework like it's my job. Tenth in the class doesn't put me in the top 10%, which is the first thing schools look for. My essays better be pretty damn shiny. Hey, you folk are smart, I think I'll post them here for critiques when I'm done.
Syterion: Thanks for the support, but my rank in class is not so good. Small private school, and I tend to blow off homework like it's my job. Tenth in the class doesn't put me in the top 10%, which is the first thing schools look for. My essays better be pretty damn shiny. Hey, you folk are smart, I think I'll post them here for critiques when I'm done.
I was a finalist, but I think I just used my college essay for the finalist essay, which was on my trip to Ethiopia.volta said:
Seconded. A bunch of schools offered free or nearly-free rides just because I was a finalist (or in most cases, they found out I was a semi-finalist and offered if I became a finalist). Of course, none of the schools were ones that I was potentially interested in, so it didn't do me as much good as it could do others.shortguy said:
