Oklahoma over Fordham?
CC is really an alternative universe unless the OP’s D is instate for Oklahoma.
Unless this student needs a LOT more aid to make college affordable.
It is very possible,that Fordham is not affordable even with the merit aid offered. We don’t know!
OKlahoma could come in at an affordable cost considering their awards to NMSF.
Oklahoma had a priority scholarship deadline of December 15. So, I think you can still apply for whatever is left. I suspect that the nmf scholarship is still available while the departmental scholarships that stack with it probably are not.
OU does attract more nmf than Fordham. The scholarship covers more and finalists get very special treatment.
I was just trying to come up with schools that give big (NMF) merit awards that might still be available.
Of course Fordham is a good option but room and board and fees could still be quite a lot of money.
OU kept trying to get my son to apply until about mid-April. If you call the National Merit Office at OU, I’d bet they would still be able to help.
"Oklahoma over Fordham?
CC is really an alternative universe unless the OP’s D is instate for Oklahoma."
Was the tone necessary on this? Everyone here is trying to help the OP, and we don’t know whether Fordham, even with a full tuition scholarship, is affordable for the OP.
I know someone whose D was a NMF and attends Oklahoma and is rocking it.
It is not too late for a potential NMF to get the big NMF scholarship from Alabama. The Dec 15 deadline for merit does NOT apply to NMFs. NMFs can still apply and are guaranteed that huge award as long as they are named a NMF.
BTW…NMF rejection letters will be mailed out around Jan 6th, so if you don’t receive one by about Jan 17, you can count on being named a NMF in February
@mom2collegekids how is it bad idea , when harvard,princeton and etc recommend it? https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/preparing-college/should-i-take-time
@mom2collegekids is saying that the NM scholarship awards are awarded for HS grads going on to college right after HS.
Sure, those schools you name encourage gap years…but they can’t tell the NM scholarship sponsors to hold,the scholarships for the year.
When it comes to the big NMF awards, who the heck cares what Harvard or Princeton say? THEY don’t give out huge awards.
Sure, if this student does a gap year and then gets a lottery-winning rare acceptance to HYPS and gets super-duper aid, then fine. BUT…if the student does the gap year and doesn’t get into HYPS, then she will have lost all opportunities to receiving those big NMF awards.
@mom2collegekids oh wait , i didnt read that NMF part. i googled the meaning of it, but definitions seems out of context 
A bird in hand versus two in the bush. HYPS is even more of a lottery style chance. Have the financial safeties and take a little time to see what opportunities these schools have. A school like UA has wonderful opportunities and extra $$ for NM; have you visited Fordham?
Find a school that is a great env’t for your student that the student likes, has the major(s) the student is interested in, and where the student can enjoy while also doing well at.
See what schools can apply at this time to meet your financial picture and which is a reasonable place for meeting the student academic needs. Do have a little time to sort it out, but do want your student to have a feeling of good choices because there are.
@Isamom Your dd needs to understand that her situation is absolutely not unique. There are probably more top academic kids around the country who are in her situation than who are not. Not that many middle class families have the saving or cash flow necessary to pay for attendance at top schools. What happens to all of those kids? They forge a place for themselves at schools their families can afford. The world does not exist in the CC bubble. Extremely gifted kids are found on campuses across the country.
She needs to find something about Fordham to get excited about.
FWIW, no applications to need-based aid only schools, but we do let our kids apply to unaffordable schools that have extremely competitive high $$ scholarships.They know that the school is not an option without the scholarship. They apply to a broad range of schools and don’t get attached to the idea of any of them until that particular school becomes affordable. Cost drives a significant portion of their decision. The objective is to have at least 2-3 affordable options that they will be happy to attend.
FWIW, visiting depts can really change their perspective on a school. We have visited depts at schools they thought they’d love and have left going no way and found dept gems on campuses they were unsure of. If cost is going to drive decisions, they can’t have a “dream” school. They need to have schools that will ultimately let them achieve their goals and will support them on the way.
What does she specifically want from her UG experience? For example, our ds wanted UG research. It was one of his prime filters for determining whether or not a school stayed on his list. Our dd, a sr, wants high level language opportunities. Coordinated study abroad (easily transferrable back credits from the study abroad location), foreign language houses, lunch tables, clubs, etc showing a passion for languages on the campuses are some of her desires. Knowing that a school offers something that they really want is one way to start looking beyond “name.”
Unfortunately, you really are late in the game for the many of the best scholarship opportunities. She needs to be incredibly proactive today and make decisions on where to apply and start filling them out immediately.
Room and Board alone, at Fordham, Rose Hill or Lincoln Center, varies. But it can get you near and even over $20K per year, not including fees or travel or personal expenses.
Depending on one’s budget of course, even with a full tuition scholarship, the four year cost might look shockingly high compared to other big NMF merit awards at other schools.
Be realistic with yourself about the four year cost of attendance and whether your family can swing it!
Western Carolina university might be an option for you. My son applied. http://news-prod.wcu.edu/2016/07/wcu-among-three-unc-institutions-selected-for-nc-promise-tuition-plan/
I would suggest taking a closer look at both University of Alabama and University of Oklahoma. They are not the “highly selective colleges” that your daughter (and mine) dreamed of at the beginning of the college search. But they do attract a large number of NMF students, and therefore have a significant population of kids who are qualified to attend “highly selective colleges”. And there are “highly selective programs” and opportunities at these schools, with additional benefits like early registration.
My daughter will be attending OU next fall. She would not have believed it a year ago, but after some research and visits, she is beyond excited about the opportunity. And I am so relieved that we have a option that I can afford.
Fordham is a wonderful school and full tuition is hard to beat.
Northeastern offers 30K to NMS and is a top 40 ranked school.
I would apply to a reach or two with FA and see what money comes in.
@suzy100 mentioned Boston College. Boston College does not offer National Merit $ and offers very few merit scholarships. Boston University does offer $20K/ yr for NMF.
@isamom Since it is very late in the game, if Fordham works for your family, consider having your daughter attend for the first year and you can spend time researching possible transfer alternatives that may offer scholarship money. Maybe once she is there, she will be happy there.
The big merit awards go to college freshmen. If she transfers, she will not get offers like this.
This is where I recognize that people’s definitions for needing to apply to schools based on cost are obviously individually based. Scholarships that leave close to $20,000 in tuition/fee costs alone does not mesh with what I read the OP as saying is an affordable option. Reading through my lens, it seems like tuition needs to be covered.