I know USC gives a half tuition scholarship to NMFs who end up listing them as the top college choice, but with that in mind, could indicating NMSF status in my application hurt my admissions chances because they would be evaluating me with the recognition that they would have to give me scholarship money? I already have top SATs (so it’s not like NMSF would demonstrate me being any better at testing or anything) but relatively uninspiring grades and a possibly iffy counselor rec, so I’m concerned that they might not consider me worthy enough to be worth awarding a major scholarship. On the other hand, them knowing they would be giving me money would probably make them think I’d be more likely to boost their yield rate so…
Would it be advisable to just not mention NMSF status (or even my PSAT score) and request that my counselor not bring it up in the rec letter, or would doing so ultimately be more likely to hurt than help my chances?
If USC is aware of my NMSF status, will it lessen my chances of being awarded one of their other scholarships (Presidential or Dean’s) that wouldn’t add any money to the NMF scholarship, given that they would assume I’d be getting the money from NMF anyway? (It’s potentially possible that I might not even end up getting NMF due to some of the aforementioned app issues, particularly fallout from the rocky counselor relationship part, so I want to make sure to cover all bases. Additionally, getting a separate scholarship could potentially enable me to get a decision in Jan-Feb. which would actually be very helpful as it would allow me to pursue treatment of a recurring health concern, the results of which might help inform my college decision, in time to have the necessary results to take into account when choosing.)
Does USC deal with this situation all the time, and therefore have means to just look up the National Merit statuses of students with top SAT scores anyway? If so, would they potentially see not including the NMSF status as deceptive and therefore an integrity concern or something?
Your NMSF status won’t hurt, your grades and recommendations might hurt.
USC is not obllgated to accept all NMSF or to give them all scholarships. I have also heard (here on cc) of them bumping strong candidates up from the NMSF scholarship to higher scholarships.
@nw2this I’m pretty sure they give the scholarship to every NMF they accept, or at least that’s what an admissions rep told me. Thus if they think I’m NMF and they don’t want to give me money, their only other option is to not admit me, right?
They are not obligated to accept all NMF, but if you are NMF and are accepted you do get the scholarship. Which does create questions.
There are people that believe applying as an NMF (I assume you are/will be finalist not NMSF) can hurt you because they can’t take them all obviously, accepting just a few of them. The presidential scholarship is half as well, and they post those at approx 200 total awards. There was a post long ago that said NMF were likely in the total of Presidential and thought NMF was 150 of the 350 total half scholarships they posted then, putting NMF around 150. One could assume there wouldn’t be more NMF than Presidential scholarships so it is safe to assume it is 100-200 of them at most. Either way, it is not that many, compared to there being 15,000 NMFs and many of them applying to USC.
Having said all this, put your best foot forward which includes mentioning the NMSF. If there are things that are going to keep you from being NMF from your counselor or whatever, those same things will keep you from getting a presidential or deans. Kids come in thinking USC hands those out like candy and come January they are stunned. There are 250 deans and 200 presidential and 100 trustees. But around 60,000 people applying. 4.6 with 34 ACTs don’t even get accepted at times, yet get a scholarship. It is selective and holistic. Hope, but never count on a USC scholarship. On cc, it will seem like everyone gets one, because students and often times parents come here to post/brag about it more than people would to say they didn’t get it (who would do that)? And remember, half tuition still leaves almost 50K in costs to cover.
They aren’t going to be looking up status that isn’t provided to them. Many kids applying have great SAT scores.
You can designate them as number one choice in the spring, after your acceptances come in. That triggers the letter from NM foundation and USC updates your financial aid to include the half tuition.
Good luck, give them all you got, but have backup plans!
According to their website - nmf are considered for the scholarship not guaranteed it, although I realize in practice all nmf that they accept either get this scholarship or a higher one. Still I don’t see them rejecting a nmf that they would otherwise accept just because they are a nmf.
National Merit Presidential Scholarship: This scholarship is open to incoming freshman students and is a half-tuition scholarship (approximately $26,000/year). The number of awards given varies every year. The scholarship is selected on the basis of PSAT performance and students are considered if they have been designated National Merit Finalists and name USC as their first-choice college with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
If we are to believe USC that it is need-blind in its admission practices (and I have seen no evidence to the contrary), then the possibility that a certain admit would cost them money should in no way influence the admission committee’s decision. The way I see it, if they value national merit scholars so much (why else would they guarantee these students scholarships?), why would that status put someone at an admission disadvantage? As others have said here, keep in mind that being a national merit finalist doesn’t guarantee you admission, but I can’t believe that it would lessen anyone’s chances.