I think it's above and beyond...the way it was explained to me was that it was based on other things (grades, extracurricular, etc.) They said I got to my level because of those other things in addition to PSAT scores.

I could be wrong though...the guidance counselors at my school weren't the best.

Dammit. Too bad I didn't take the PSATs (or the SATs for that matter). Otherwise I could have been a NMS and helped skew the statistics in favor of ISU. I was all about the extracurriculars in high school. ;) And if Mindy W. wouldn't have been such a lazy beeyotch, I would have held my rightful place as salutitorian.

Not that I'm bitter about that or anything.

This is correct IIRC - you make a preliminary cut w/ your PSAT scores, then the 'final' cut is an application-based process. I was a NMS, but my PSAT score barely made the semifinal cut (again if i recall).

I don't think it was ever properly explained to me...I just got letters letting me know when I moved on in the process, and a letter letting me know when i didn't move on

I wanted to go to Iowa State b/c all my older high school friends had gone there and lots of girls in my high school class were going there. :rolleyes:

Then we went down there for a fraternity's date party one weekend and I ended up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning....

Needless to say my mother tossed my acceptance letter from them in the trash when it came. :o

:( Unfortunate but not surprising given some of my own experiences at date parties.

I did know quite a few people from Omaha while I was there.

yeah, sounds about right - i think my high school guidance counselor would have trouble guiding me to the crapper after burrito day

Like Rob said -- the semi-finalists were based solely on PSAT scores. The finalists had more stuff (SAT scores, grades, recommendation I think -- I know my guidance counselor wrote them something about me). My best friend was a semi-finalist but not a finalist because his PSAT score met the cut-off but his SAT score wasn't high enough. Things like that.

I think that the NM program is -- thank god -- based mostly on stuff your guidance counselors put together for you rather than stuff you had to put together yourself. Which was a relief considering all the other scholarship and college applications that had to get done.