<p>Are there any National Merit Finalists who listed WashU as their 1st choice college by 03/01 who have been selected for one of the NM $2500 awards?</p>
<p>There is a thread elsewhere (I think on the FA forum) that suggests this would not be likely to happen. The suggestion was that the $2500 awards go primarily to students whose first choice school does not sponsor NM awards, the idea being that this approach better spreads around the NM awards. In the case of WashU, even if you don’t get the $2500 NM sponsored award, finalists still qualify for a $2000/year WashU sponsored NM award, so not that much different.</p>
<p>I created this thread because of the one in the FA forum. There is conflicting information concerning that suggestion. The NMSC website and their people claim that a student’s school choice is not considered for the $2500 NM awards. I am looking for independent confirmation of that. So far I have heard from one parent on the Northwestern forum whose son listed a sponsoring school as their 1st choice and still got the $2500 award.</p>
<p>well, I understand money is money, but is $500 really going to make much difference?</p>
<p>Yes, $500 isn’t a lot, but there are two things to note about the the $2500 NM award. It can be used at any college and it is a one-time award. What it is actually worth to the student depends on what college they end up going to. We are looking at 4 colleges that are not NM sponsors so the $2500 NM award would be worth $2500 at any of those. We are looking at 4 other colleges that limit the number of NMF’s that they give money to and/or they vary the amount based on financial need. The $2500 NM Award would not be subject to those limits, but its hard to say whether it would be better than taking the college’s offer until you actually know their final offer. WashU actually has one of the better NMF policies. All NM finalists get $2,000 per year. And if the student gets the one-time $2500 NM award, then WashU gives the student $2500 per year for the next 3 years. Which brings us back to it being only a $500 per year difference, but if I can string enough $500 amounts together it could bring more schools into the financially viable category.</p>
<p>The reason I am looking for confirmation about the selection process is because if the NMSC people actually do use the students 1st choice college to determine who gets the $2500 NM awards, then I gave my D bad advice and perhaps cost her $2500.</p>
<p>I guess it’s possible, but I really don’t know anyone who got nmfinalist and got more than the $2000 a year.
Either way, to get anything from WashU you need to claim it as your first choice (either right away or asap via the yellow change card).</p>
<p>I have to say, I think I have a pretty good handle on most things University related, but the NMF I find totally baffling. Now you have me worried whether my D will get her $2,000 NMF money at Tulane, lol.</p>
<p>spenier - I am not an authority, but I don’t think naming a school that gives out NM awards has anything to do with whether or not you get the one time $2500 award from NM. I have always believed that the $2500 awards were given to the students who had the highest post-PSAT SAT scores. I might be wrong, but that is how it has always seemed to pan out.</p>
<p>Case in point - Two years ago, my nephew named his first choice school 3/1 as a place that was offering him a four year free ride (due to NMF status). He did this because the school was sort of “implying” they would only give this offer to the first however many who listed them as a first choice. He did it to secure the $130,000 they were offering “just in case”. AFTER naming that school, he was given one of the $2500 awards from NM. He then changed his #1 choice school to Northwestern (the school he attends) by the May deadline. Like WashU, Northwestern extends the award for the next three years.</p>
<p>You can call them and ask, I always found NMC very agreeable to answering any questions we had.</p>
<p>I didn’t read all the way down through this, but if it’s what you were looking for, I received the $2500 award (and listed WashU as my 1st choice). That was last year though, incidentally, although I doubt things have changed.</p>
<p>WashU sent me a letter today saying that since I put them down as my first choice, I would get $2500 this year from National Achievement and they would continue it for the next 3 years.</p>
<p>So if I (NMF) have already selected another school as my first choice, I can change to it to WashU by May 1st and still receive the money from WashU if I choose to enroll there?</p>
<p>star_s - that is my understanding exactly, but do it as soon as you can so nothing falls through the cracks.</p>
<p>If you’re first choice school has already made you an offer of money, then I don’t think that you can switch. If it hasn’t then you can by May 1st.</p>