<p>What are the names of some colleges which give full rides for NMS finalists?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>UT-Dallas, University of Tulsa, LSU, Arizona state, Texas Tech or most of the school with ranking of 50-100</p>
<p>Here's a list that LJ put together. Not all are for full rides, so if you're interested in a school, check it's website for more details. </p>
<p>The only thing I know that's wrong with the list is that he misspelled Abilene in Abilene Christian University (my home town). ;)</p>
<p>Strick...did I miss the list??</p>
<p>Yep, you missed it.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link.</p>
<p>People with median incomes or below get "full rides" at a lot of the top schools if they get in at all, and a lot of the people who get in (at whatever income level) to such schools have National Merit Scholar status. It seems to me that the most strategic way to use NMS status is not to get the lowest sticker price, but to get the best quality education you possibly can.</p>
<p>"It seems to me that the most strategic way to use NMS status is not to get the lowest sticker price, but to get the best quality education you possibly can."</p>
<p>Shame if it is, we're not always sure where to get that or how to measure the difference between the educations offered at different schools. In my son's major, is there really that difference between the #1 school which is private (not not a HYP, btw) and the #7 school which is public and 1/8th the price, NMSC benefits included? And better in what way? You learn more (to what end?) or get a better paying job (net of the loans you have to repay?)?</p>
<p>"In my son's major, is there really that difference between the #1 school which is private (not not a HYP, btw) and the #7 school which is public and 1/8th the price, NMSC benefits included?"</p>
<p>I'm not aware of what that major is, so I don't know what any of the schools are. What comparisons of school characteristics did you consider (or are you considering) as you look at the price difference? </p>
<p>"And better in what way?"</p>
<p>Well, that's what I'm asking you in this follow-up reply. Is there NOTHING that could be better about a school that might be worth more money? We have to economize here too, so I'm very sympathetic to the idea of not paying more than is strictly necessary, but sometimes paying more at the beginning is WORTH more at the end. </p>
<p>"You learn more (to what end?) or get a better paying job (net of the loans you have to repay?)?"</p>
<p>I hardly think that learning more could ever be harmful. Students at some schools plainly learn more than students at some other schools in the "same" major, but I don't what major program you are thinking about. </p>
<p>I would appreciate comments from onlookers to the thread about job market advantages of going to one school rather than another. I rather think that there are substantially better odds of getting better paying jobs throughout the length of a career (and better avoiding layoffs and the like) for graduates of some schools than for graduates of others, but it's tricky to predict the present value of future earnings in any case. I have heard of numerous examples of jobs in various occupations that are simply only open to graduates of the right schools--with "right" being defined differently in different occupations. </p>
<p>Just for information, my strategy in applying to colleges in my generation was to go for the lowest list price. I'm no longer convinced that that was a good idea, which is why I raise the question in this thread.</p>
<p>Strick's list says these schools are "full tuition", which is not the same as "Full ride". But at least one of them (and possibly others), The Univ. of Houston, is a true full ride for NMFs. Full ride = tuition, room, board, everything.</p>
<p>"Is there NOTHING that could be better about a school that might be worth more money? We have to economize here too, so I'm very sympathetic to the idea of not paying more than is strictly necessary, but sometimes paying more at the beginning is WORTH more at the end."</p>
<p>There in lies the problem. Maybe there is and maybe there isn't. I don't know that the #1 school actually teaches more than the #7 school or teaches it better. I don't know that anyone does. The problem is that you can't assume that the more expensive school is worth more any more than you can assume the less expensive school is a better buy.</p>
<p>Then there's that other thing. It does make sense that what matters longer term salary wise if anything does, is where your terminal degree came from. That would suggest you go to for a good value undergraduate school and make sure you do well enough to get into the right graduate school.</p>
<p>Arizona State Barrett Honors Program supposedly has more NMFs than princeton. recently hired former dean swarthmore and a former high ranking official of yale to build up there school with a multi-million dollar grant from the founders of intel. somewhere ranks it as one of the top 3 fastest-growing schools. could be a golden opportunity, as since this is new, they may rise fast in the rankings.</p>
<p>"Strick's list says these schools are 'full tuition', which is not the same as "Full ride". But at least one of them (and possibly others), The Univ. of Houston, is a true full ride for NMFs. Full ride = tuition, room, board, everything."</p>
<p>I think LJ's list started out to be full rides, but over time he began to add schools who had significant scholarships. UT Austin for example is only roughly half tuition. </p>
<p>It's just a starting point. If you're interested in a school, check the websites or contact them directly for full details.</p>
<p>i got a letter from UT-dallas offering the whole shebang, full tuition.</p>
<p>often room and board are extra. If they are included be aware that it must be counted for income on 1040's
Deciding on a school by major can be short sighted. No matter how long they have wanted this major- things change.
Virtually none of the kids I know are in the same major as when they applied to college and many of them have changed majors from freshman year.
A friend of my daughters had practically perfect test scores and was National Merit. Brillant girl. Chose to attend a public instate to save a couple thousand dollars. She is graduating with honors but this school isn't particulary challenging and I think she could have benefited by attending school with more academic peers.
Particulary if you plan on attending grad school, I think it is worth it to get the best preparation you can</p>
<p>Second guessing every decision can get quite complicated then. In our case much cheaper #7 school is actually more highly ranked than #1 school, both over all and in the most likely back up major. Do you compromise, maybe be less prepared, where you go to study what you want to study just in case? We gave our son the parameters, our opinions and concerns and let him decide.</p>
<p>And in the end, money is always a factor; how much a factor each family should decide for themselves.</p>
<p>D was a NMS Finalist and alas, she wasn't interested in any of the schools that had full rides. When I write the tuition check, I do sometimes ask myself if U of Arizona would have been <em>that</em> bad but the feeling soon passes. If I recall, all the full rides for NMS were at large public schools, mainly in the Southwest and Midwest, two geographical areas that rang "No Sale" with my D.</p>
<p>Ah...I see Strick's list is broader than that.</p>
<p>Hmm...I also remember USC enticing her to apply with the promise of a minimum of a half-tuition scholarship. Another "No Sale."</p>
<p>I don't know what rankings you are using- I don't think there is a lot of difference in the top 300 or so schools other than using personal preferences.
But of course many of the top schools don't have merit or much merit so it might take a little digging to find the ones that do.
I wouldn't consider a school where the proposed major is so small that they only have one or two in teh dept. but all I am saying is to look at the big picture dont get carried away by focusing on a relatively small bit.
It can really be helpful to read some of the threads where students and their families initially chose a school perhaps because one detail overshadowed everything else, whether that be prestige, plush dorms or cute boys. Now the students are finding that other things have much more influence in day to day life and it isn't such a hot place after all.
However if money is a major criteria for your family it certainly is better to be up front with that in the beginning and choose schools with that in mind. Much better than having to transfer sophmore year because the aid petered out.</p>
<p>i am a nmsf, why is it such a big deal, colleges love having these kids but for what reason?</p>
<p>The number of National Merit kids is something schools like to boast about, particularly schools on the make that are trying to boost their academic reputations.</p>
<p>If a school has the money, he quickest way to move up the academic hierarchy is to simply buy the talent - both in students and faculty. They lure smart and talented faculty with generous offers of endowed professorships and research facilities, and they lure smart students with full-tuition or full-ride scholarships.</p>