Just to add a bit from my experience. I would deffinately agree that getting a MC to recommend you is awesome. I got one from our CMC and I think I was most grateful for his. The MC told the honest truth, no fluffing. He highlighted the good and the bad and then recommended me--it felt good to have his support. Also, make sure that in your personal statement you highlight and discuss any areas that are difficient in your package. I had a 3.5 GPA in highschool, but I failed college my first year--really bad. I explained why I have changed and how I have matured, and why when I attend this time, I will succeed. Board members can smell BS so just be honest. My honesty got me a spot in NSI. Last, at your boards remember that just as much as the officers are looking for specific answers to the questions they ask you, they are also equally, if in some cases perhaps moreso, watching your manerisms, listening to your voice influxsion and pretty much just observing your overall outward appearance. They already expect you to be nervous, especially on the 2nd board when they hammer you with questions, so they want to see how you handle the pressure. In fact, at my 2nd board, they tried to trip me up a little, and they told me afterwards they did it, not to see me fail, but to observe how I handled myself under stress and frustration and how I negociated the problem. Boards want you to succeed. Its not a weeding out process. Dirtbags typically dont make it to boards.