<p>It is still useful to be NMF. Take a look at the list of schools that offer special scholarships for NMF, and then drop them a line about your situation. Some of them won’t care at all that you are taking a year off.</p>
<p>Go ahead and apply to any of the competitive schools that appeal to you. Your grades and test scores put you in the range for them. However, you need to be aware that most of them will take your family’s financial situation into consideration when you apply for financial aid. If the school thinks that your family should pay more than your family thinks it should, that particular school may not be affordable for you. You need to have a very clear understanding of just exactly how much your family is willing to pay so that you know which aid packages will work for you and which won’t.</p>