Don't worry about it - NMSF won't help much with college admissions. Most of the big National Merit scholarships (given by colleges, not the NMSC) require making Finalist, and some years even one C on the transcript and you don't make NMF.
Middle kid is a college freshman this year and she was NMSF (and NMF). Did not help her at all with college admissions. She didn't get in to her first choice. She is now at a school which she always liked, and is very happy. She has a full tuition scholarship, but that was not based on NMSF - the school has their own application and there wasn't even a spot to describe awards. Her college has no idea that she made NMSF/NMF.
NotherBen,as for kids making Finalist, most will make it. 16,000 Semifinalists are named and 15,000 become Finalists.
