<p>entomom, no I didn’t apply to them, which was a regret, but I didn’t think that I would be that competitive for a scholarship at those schools. I don’t plan to go to graduate school or travel around the world or anything (my family doesn’t do that sort of thing). However, I guess I can’t say for sure if I would want to attend grad school. asdfjkl1, do you know anyone who chose to go through with the loans and did it turn out alright? The reason I ask this question is to know if I’m shooting myself in the foot by not applying to other schools with National Merit scholarships really soon. Again, this is like the absolute worst scenario, but I like preparing myself for the worst.</p>