@melvin123
That other post came across as snarky - the way I interpreted it was that 50% of all parents hope their kid gets NMF money when only 2% of kids actually get it. Since everyone takes PSAT in HS, only 2% of test takers get money, while 50% of test takers’ parents hope their kid gets money.
So all I am saying - roughly - is that half of the kids that took PSAT test don’t even go to college. Of the other half that does, only tiny portion has a snowballs chance at the scholarship. So resulting percentage of parents that hope for NMF money is really tiny, maybe not even 2% overall. That tiny group knows that a. NMF could provide a lot of money for college, and b. their kid’s PSAT score is in line with historical results.
Speaking for myself - when my S15 applied 3 years ago, we had no idea (I know!!!) what NMF was or that it provided funding for colleges. His name was announced in his HS and was told he needs to submit application quickly. We thought it’s a nice accomplishment to be noted on college application. Only after postcards and emails started coming in did we realize that it’s real money we are talking about!
So now we are just being proactive and want to identify good NMF offers early on, so my D18 can enjoy her senior year. Most parents we know have no idea about NMF scholarships!
@tallgrass, oh, that makes total sense! I thought you were saying that 50% of kids that qualify for NMF didn’t go to college, and that would just be terrible. Yes, I knew that you can get some money from the company itself, but that the real money is with the colleges. Good luck to your D!
I know UKentucky hasn’t posted it’s Patterson Scholarship info for incoming freshman in 2018 yet (supposed to be mid-September) but if their scholarship doesn’t change significantly UKy is a fantastic deal for NMFs. My D2 and her BF are both on the Patterson (rising juniors) and absolutely LOVE Lexington and the UKy campus. For whatever reason it doesn’t get mentioned as often as other schools, but if the Patterson is still automatic for NMFs in the 2018 incoming class I highly recommend taking a look. I know UKy announced a shift of funds from merit scholarships to need-based FA, but I think it’s definitely worth keeping on prospective NM students’ radar while waiting for definitive words on any Patterson changes.
I’m another one who had no clue about National Merit when I joined. Thanks to CC, S knew to hit the test prep hard, and now, with an SI of 223, he has an excellent chance at a full ride to his first choice school.
Not everyone takes the PSAT, btw. It’s mandatory at certain schools / certain states but at our HS, you have to sign up for it and only 40 or so kids take it each year.
Add me to the list of NMF ignoramuses! CC got me (and D18) looking for schools that have NMF scholarships. She was looking at UCLA but when we found out that USC had the half tuition scholarship, she switched it as her favorite (there are many reasons but NMF really sealed the deal for her). That could save us $100K over four years. We’re talking real money now.
@droppedit , I am sure you have heard, but USC is a weird duck in this regard. They have a generous NMF award, but … I know specifically a few NMF last year that applied and were not accepted to the school period. They have SO MANY applications there, its an interesting scenario.
@DavidPuddy – I know and I’ve warned D18 numerous times that their acceptance rate is very low. Regardless, you’ll probably be able to hear the wailing all the way over at your house if she gets rejected (seismometers will be triggered, neighbors will probably call the cops, etc.). She has around 10 colleges on her list and a few are gimmies, so she’ll be going to college somewhere next year.
PS. I did a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation on USC’s stats last year and wasn’t thrilled to find that her scores didn’t help as much as I had hoped (I think the calculated admit rate went from ~16% to ~25%). I’m desperately hanging on to the idea that those other kids had lackluster essays and were rejected by USC for yield protection. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
Re: USC, we are hoping the geographic diversity thing works in our favor. Plus, D will be applying to Dornsife, which doesn’t seem as competitive as some programs. If she’s rejected, it will make her final decision easier, right?
USC has a hard cap on number of NMF scholarships. In order not to exceed that cap, they routinely deny NMF’s even though they would otherwise have the stats and grades to be accepted.
For those interested in going to school in Oklahoma but disappointed by this year’s drop in the NMF award at OU, check out Oklahoma State. It’s not full ride but it does cover a lot more than tuition and fees and still includes the full tuition waiver for OOS students, which the new OU package has eliminated. I have not personally visited OSU but a friend whose son is also likely NMF visited both OU and OSU this summer (potential NMF visit at both schools) and the whole family was really impressed by OSU.
My own son is set on UTD. He’s likely NMF with a 222 SI in Texas (two points over last year’s cutoff), but he’s not quite in the clear. Just a couple more weeks until we find out the state cutoffs! I hope Art over at Compass is gearing up for all the traffic his site is going to get around NMSF notification time!
Happy to help. Do you have kids approaching college decisions? Any that have taken the PSAT and are interpreting their options based upon the test? This is a good group with which to have those discussions.
That came from USC during a visit. NMF’s get automatic half tuition, but they don’t have funding for everyone, so they either deny some or push their acceptance to the spring semester when funds open up.
Wow. I’ve heard speculation about a cap for NMFs at USC, but this is the first time I’ve heard that it came directly from USC. How long ago was that? My D and H will visit USC in October. I’ll report back what their most current policy is, if they address it.