<p>I am no expert, but I don't see any mention of a full scholarship from Northwestern for NMS Finalists. Here's the text from their website:</p>
<p>"Northwestern participates in the National Merit and National Achievement scholarship programs. It currently ranks No. 6 among all colleges in the number of National Merit freshmen enrolling.</p>
<p>To qualify you must be a National Merit finalist and name Northwestern as your first-choice school (as to where you plan to attend if admitted). The amount of National Merit awards will range from a minimum of $500 up to $2,000. For students who have also applied for need-based assistance, and are deemed eligible, the National Merit award will be included as part of the applicant's financial assistance."</p>
<p>If you have found a mention of full scholarship, would love to see it, as my son has applied and is an NMSF, hoping for Finalist.</p>
<p>Pton Grad (OP). Thanks for the apology, but totally unnecessary. I took no offense with your OP, merely wanting to clear up the message for any non-HYPS-types and HYPS rejected's who might be lurking on CC. My perhaps overly-sarcastic remarks were directed at f.scottie, who apparently h"hit a nerve," not you. Of course most CC'rs are interested in the Ivy-League, including my D, who is anxiously awaiting word from NM and from "reach" schools; but I have discovered that many, many students and parents have no idea how to approach college selection/admissions, and I have personally directed many (including our school GC's) to CC. I hope they use it, but do not start feeling totally inferior. I merely wanted to make the situation very clear to everybody. On the other hand, I guess it IS a touchy subject from the responses.</p>
<p>Well, with this last post I shall retire from the field, not having expected the original post to be so controversial.</p>
<p>Wvartsymom, congratulations to your daughter for what I assume to be her Finalist status in the National Merit Scholarship contest and may she hear wonderful news both on that front and on her college applications!</p>
<p>Tokenadult, yes, the answers are all there, though perhaps not explained particularly clearly. Thank you for emphasizing this.</p>
<p>Werner, Im afraid that I hit a nerve with you, something that certainly wasnt my intention. It is a fact, however, that there is a difference between the national scholars chosen by the NMSC (approximately 2,500 nationwide) and the many other Finalists who were not chosen for the national scholarship, but who are nevertheless named Scholars by the schools they choose to attend. Any school can do this and many do. Here is a link to an article that may explain it better than I seem to have done.</p>
<p>This is a new clipping archive from Auburn University. See the last article entitled: UA ranked No. 11 public school in merit scholar recruitment.</p>