<p>I'm a National Merit Finalist who will be attending MIT next year. I still have Johns Hopkins listed as my first choice school (from something I wrote in last year). What should I do to change that to MIT?</p>
<p>It wouldn't hurt. I doubt it, but check if MIT gives merit aid to National Merit Finalists.</p>
<p>MIT does not give anything to NM finalists. But you need to change it to be considered for one of the $2500 scholarships from NM themselves. You should have a postcard in your original package.</p>
<p>wait....why does one need to change it to be considered for the 2500 scholarship? I thought every finalist is automatically considered for that....and then the rest who don't get it go on for the corporate and college ones...</p>
<p>I faxed NM tonight and changed it to "undecided"</p>
<p>Here's my understanding (someone please correct me if I'm wrong because I find the whole thing unnecessarily confusing) - You cannot get both a school and a NM scholarship. If you are offered a school scholarship, but then decide not to take it because some other school is really your first choice, it may be too late for the NM scholarship.</p>
<p>i'm just not touching mine, and hoping for the best, because I thought I understood what was going on until I read this thread lol</p>
<p>NM scholarships are awarded before school scholarships, so it doesn't matter what school you have listed for your first choice as far as NM scholarships go. My son did not list his true first choice college on the NM form, because it does not give any kind of NM school scholarships. He listed his second choice, which does. He was still awarded a $2500 scholarship from NM. After he was accepted at his true first choice school, he just had to send a form to NM informing them of where he would be attending. No problem.</p>
<p>Thanks Susantm. I thought that too, so it is nice to have confirmation. What were your son's stats like? I'm wondering because it would really be nice to get the 2500 scholarship....since I'm probably going to a school which doesn't offer NM scholarships. Thanks!</p>
<p>They have already been awarded? Does this mean I have not received the $2500 scholarship?</p>
<p>For private schools it's different. I have a friend who only gets $750 for Rice for NMSF.</p>
<p>My son received his NM scholarship four years ago. I do not know if they have been awarded this year yet.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what stats are relevant here. He had 1530 SAT, one AP class, several community college classes, SAT II's from mid-600's to mid-700's. He was very involved in Japanese exchange student programs--both going to Japan and hosting several students. GPA was 4.0 at the time, although he got a couple B's in CC classes later. He was mostly homeschooled--don't know if that matters or not...</p>
<p>let's say a student gets into a school which offers him or her $2000 in finaid for being a ntl merit finalist. if the student eventually decides not to enroll at that institution, is he or she still eligible for the $2500 scholarships given by national merit themselves?</p>
<p>The NM winners of the $2500 can use that money for any college, regardless if they participate in NM or not. I also know a student who won the $2500 and attended a NM sponsoring school. The school attended awards $2000/year to all finalists. However, you can only get one NM award. He used the $2500 for his first year and the school gave him $2000 for each year after that.</p>
<p>I agree that the letter from NM was very confusing. I called the NM office for clarification.
I suggest you call NM office to clarify any questions. Staff was very helpful and I had almost no wait time to reach knowledgeable person. They can tell you what corporations and schools offer scholarships through NM finalist that are on your list.
I was told that the order is corporate (if parent work for company), school and then NM $2500 and that you can only qualify for one.
D does not qualify for corporate. They said if my D was offered a school scholarship through NM to her first choice school and she changed first choice schools, she would NOT be able to get school scholarship or $2500 scholarship. This is just if the scholarship comes through NM office. Many schools offer scholarships to NM finalist that do not come through NM office.
Also, NM office also said that if my D was selected for $2500, it would not be awarded until she specifies first choice school (currently listed as undecided). I think she has until end of April to specify first choice with NM. She will probably do it toward the end of March after we get final offers from schools but she has already decided on school.</p>
<p>I still think it is confusing, but that was how I understood the process.
Good luck to one and all.</p>
<p>I thought the deadline to declare your first choice school was March 1st.....am I mistaken?? (won't be the first time!)</p>
<p>No, you have until sometime in late April. Contact NMSC for the exact date. The folks there really are quite helpful.</p>
<p>If a finalist has been accepted and will be attending the school listed as his or her first choice, does he and or she have to inform NM that they are definitely going to that college? If not, what does NM do about finalists who wind up not going to college (I'm sure there have to be a few of them)?</p>
<p>Do you have to name your first choice school before you learn of the $2500 offers? Anyone have any idea of the time frame on those scholarships?</p>
<p>I found my son's notice of receiving a NM $2500 scholarship from four years ago, and it was dated March 22--so that might give you an idea of when they are sent out. </p>
<p>It listed his first choice school as the one where the scholarship would be given, but said he could inform them if this changed, and that the scholarship would apply to whichever school he ended up attending. (If he had gone to the first choice school, he would not have had to inform anyone, since that was the school already listed, only if he changed his choice--which he did.)</p>
<p>I don't know if you need to have a first choice school listed to receive this, but I would advise having one, in case you don't get this, but DO get a school scholarship.</p>