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The national merit scholar thing is stupid on many axes. For one, its just a formula on your SAT score, we already have an SAT score, why is there some officia

The national merit scholar thing is stupid on many axes. For one, its just a formula on your SAT score, we already have an SAT score, why is there some official entity awarding prizes based on a simple function of that score? Colleges can use whatever function they want. The whole thing should go away.

samatman 7y ago
Despite the name, the National Merit Scholarship program is a private entity affiliated with Northwestern University. It isn't official in any way; it is simply a scholarship for students with high scores on a particular test. The only effect that it 'going away' would have, would be to discourage intelligent students from attending colleges they otherwise could not afford.
saagarjha 7y ago
National Merit status is based on your PSAT score.
systemBuilder 7y ago
Be advised that as SOON as you pay the $80 admission fee to that college, the college's rank (and bank account) goes up. You either raise the stats of the student body, and get admitted. Or you would lower the stats of the student body, therefore, you are rejected, RAISING the "selectivity" of the college. One of those stats is number of national merit scholars, finalists, and commended students. Believe it!
corey_moncure 7y ago
It never made any sense to me either. I scored 1600 on the PSAT and got a stupid letter. Big deal. It didn't matter then and hasn't mattered since. All of my time before and during college would have been better spent focusing on meeting people and forging relationships with successful people than worrying about academics. This is the secret unspoken script underlying the whole dialog about college admissions. Membership in an exclusive club. I got into a good school and blew it because I didn't have the wisdom to see through the tatemae about college and academia generally. Don't be foolish like me.

samatman 7y ago

Despite the name, the National Merit Scholarship program is a private entity affiliated with Northwestern University. It isn't official in any way; it is simply a scholarship for students with high scores on a particular test. The only effect that it 'going away' would have, would be to discourage intelligent students from attending colleges they otherwise could not afford.

saagarjha 7y ago

National Merit status is based on your PSAT score.

systemBuilder 7y ago

Be advised that as SOON as you pay the $80 admission fee to that college, the college's rank (and bank account) goes up. You either raise the stats of the student body, and get admitted. Or you would lower the stats of the student body, therefore, you are rejected, RAISING the "selectivity" of the college. One of those stats is number of national merit scholars, finalists, and commended students. Believe it!

corey_moncure 7y ago

It never made any sense to me either. I scored 1600 on the PSAT and got a stupid letter. Big deal. It didn't matter then and hasn't mattered since. All of my time before and during college would have been better spent focusing on meeting people and forging relationships with successful people than worrying about academics. This is the secret unspoken script underlying the whole dialog about college admissions. Membership in an exclusive club. I got into a good school and blew it because I didn't have the wisdom to see through the tatemae about college and academia generally. Don't be foolish like me.