<p>I just learned that I am a finalist. I listed an LAC as my top choice that does not give out college-sponsored NMS. Do they still get notified that I listed them as my top choice?
If yes, will this help my admissions there at all? It's a pretty competitive LAC and I am definitely in the applicant pool, but probably not a standout applicant. How much will it help?</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I don’t think NMCorp notifies non-participating colleges of the first choice standings for a few reasons…</p>
<p>1) there are 15,000 finalists and that would be a lot of contacting.</p>
<p>2) kids change their first choices, so that would be a lot of recontacting</p>
<p>3) NMCorp wouldn’t want to participate in something that could become a manipulating process.</p>
<p>I’m not even sure when NMCorp contacts the participating colleges.</p>
<p>I doubt that the admissions office is flattered enough by a National Merit first choice to accept you where they otherwise would not have. But I guess there’s no way to tell. </p>
<p>To my thinking, the only good reason for you to first-choice a school is to qualify for NM scholarships that school sponsors. </p>
<p>If you are borderline, applying early is your best bet. For selective admission schools, the acceptance criteria is usually somewhat easier early in the process. If you really wanted to get in to this school, using their early decision program, if they have one, helps because you are committing to attend if you are accepted. But that usually takes place early in the fall, and we’re way past that.</p>
<p>At this point, you might want use your first choice to guarantee some money at a second-choice school if you don’t get in at number 1.</p>
<p>Our son here is a finalist, admitted to some colleges already from the early action round or rolling admission that sponsor National Merit scholarships. One of those colleges is reminding him repeatedly to designate it as his first choice–which in some respects it is. One college that will decide on a regular decision application is also a National Merit scholarship college sponsor; most places he has applied do not have National Merit scholarships. Besides student preference, what else do you recommend as criteria for deciding which college to designate as the first-choice college? All the choices in hand are sufficiently good that they could be “first choice,” especially if one has a substantial cost advantage over another. </p>
<p>I think all the colleges in question are pretty good about covering demonstrated financial need for low-income students. (It feels weird to us, who usually think of ourselves as “middle-class,” to be deemed “low-income,” but our FAFSA estimated family contribution is, realistically, not very large at all.) So what’s the best way to decide a first-choice college if all colleges endeavor to meet demonstrated financial need? </p>
<p>Good luck to all of you grappling with the same decision. I’d love to hear from other families who you are balancing the pros and cons of making one choice or another.</p>
<p>When my dd designated her first choice college for National Merit, she went with the school that had the most money tied to the finalist designation. (they have also done a superior job recruiting her, so much so she is really hopeful she will get the award so she can go there. In her case her first choice is really her first choice!)
Her other three choices have minimal National Merit awards, so it seemed the reasonable thing to do to try and secure the best merit package available. She is a finalist for full ride merit packages at her 2nd and 3rd choices and has interviews every weekend for the next three weeks. Certainly, she will consider them if she is awarded a full package, but none of those are dependant on the NMF designation.
I have found it so odd that our state flagship U, which supposedly participates in the NMF program, have offered her VERY little, yet the more prestigious privates have all been very generous. So, at this juncture, even if she gets nothing more than what has already been offered by her top three, she will fare better at the privates financially …</p>
<p>I think if your child is in a competition for a school’s NMF scholarship, then that school should be chosen #1. If the other school give $$ to all of their NMFs, then only select that school if your child doesn’t win the competitive award and is going to go to accept the other NMF school’s scholarship.</p>
<p>Thoughts?</p>
<p>@tokenadult</p>
<p>See related posts on the thread: I’m a finalist. Help!</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>What is your question??</p>
<p>No question, I’m simply recommending viewing the “I’m a finalist. Help” thread as it has posts that are related to the questions and comments from tokenadult.</p>
<p>oh…was there supposed to be a link?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/861029-im-finalist-help.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/861029-im-finalist-help.html</a></p>
<p>It has no relevance that you stated a college as a first choice…it only matters if the college you listed participates in the NMS. If they do, then they are notified etc so you will be considered for their institutional scholarships…if they do not, then oh well</p>
<p>My daughter is a finalist for both the National Merit and National Achievement Programs. Just when I thought I finally figured out the strategy of notification of first choice college for the National Merit Program, the National Achievement folks called and left a message said my daughter must list a tenative first choice college within the next couple days, or they won’t be able to consider her for a $2,500 National Achievement scholarship. (I think they are talking about one of the National Merit Scholarship Corps. one time $2,500 awards for the National Achievement Program.) </p>
<p>My daughter planned on listing undecided for the National Merit scholarships until she makes her final decision after hearing whether or not she is accepted into some selective programs which happen to be at schools with either full-tuition or half-tuition national merit scholarships (probably April 1 notification). But if she does not go to one of these schools and instead goes to a school with no merit aid, then the one-time $2500 National Achievement Scholarship from the National Merit Corp would be nice. The phone message from National Achievement made it sound like we have only a few days to list a tenative college choice or forfeit the possibility of a $2500 award.</p>
<p>But I think I remember reading somewhere that you can only have a scholarship from one–either National Merit or National Achievement. Is that true? And does the notification of tenative college choice for one program affect the other program? Also, this week she has interviews at 2 of the colleges that give big National Merit Awards (but probably not National Achievement), so would listing a strategic 1st choice college other than these be a disadvantage, because I would think they might ask her if she has listed them #1.</p>
<p>I’m very confused. Is it best to just jeapardize the $2,500 National Achievement scholarship, and focus on what is best to get a bigger National Merit Scholarship from a college?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>It would be best for you to call NMCorp with these questions since your child is both NMF and NA… The people at NMCorp are super nice and they do answer the phone! :)</p>
<p>Nat’l Merit Corp 847-866-5100</p>
<p>Be sure to let them know that your child is both.</p>
<p>My daughter is a National Merit Finalist and is trying desperatly to choose a college to attend. However, one of the schools has a limited number of scholarships worth $6000 per year if she names them first but she needs to be in the first batch list they receive to even see if they pick her for the award. If she is awarded this scholarship that school would probably be the choice but it is hard to choose without knowing. Another close runner up school has made a transparent offer. If she lists the school that may offer the $6000 will she be allowed and have time to change her 1st choice school to the second school and still get their award?</p>
<p>Another close runner up school has made a transparent offer. If she lists the school that may offer the $6000 will she be allowed and have time to change her 1st choice school to the second school and still get their award?</p>
<p>Likely…but, seriously, call Nat’l Merit Corp 847-866-5100 </p>
<p>The people who answer the phone are super nice and very helpful advising with these situations. </p>
<p>Ask when students are notified if they are awarded a competitive college NMF scholarship. And, ask if there is time to switch #1 choice after that to a guaranteed college scholarship if the competitive one isn’t won. </p>
<p>Usually, the non-competitive ones (like from Bama) can be selected kind of late in the game. However, do ask to be sure.</p>
<p>alright, I’m starting the 2011 run now. If a school i’ve listed as #1 offers me a scholarship, does that mean NMS won’t consider me for one I could use anywhere?</p>
<p>^ No… Your college choices don’t affect the actual NMSC Scholarship (or at least it shouldn’t… but you never know if someone just has a grudge against a certain school).</p>
<p>But do your other schools learn you didn’t designate them and what you put as first choice? That seems a real problem…</p>
<p>Colleges are too busy during app season to be looking up where NMFs chose as their first choice…even if they could look.</p>
<p>Besides, top schools know that kids often put safety schools that give big scholarships as number one.</p>
<p>it means nothing to other schools…and they aren’t looking anyway.</p>