<p>My daughter is a National Merit Scholar and will <em>probably</em> make it to the next stage in the fall based on her scores (218 in WA).
As we build our list of dream schools (Columbia) and safety/regional schools, we find ourselves wondering about financial aid packages and what impact her National Merit status might have at Ivies vs. Private vs. Public schools.
We would appreciate any information that others would be willing to share on this topic.</p>
<p>As another parent so wonderfully put it -
Ivies - "We'd love to have you (if you are lucky enough to get accepted), but sorry, no money."
Schools a little lower on the scale - "We'd love to have you and here's a TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR a year scholarship toward your FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR a year bill.
Schools ranked @75 and below - "We'd love to have you, and we'd love to give you a four year free ride!!"</p>
<p>My D was a NMF (PSAT 230) was offered no scholarship at Notre Dame (ranked #20), $2,000 a year at WashU (#12), and a full ride at University of Kansas and University of Tulsa (both #88). </p>
<p>Scholarships have a lot more to do with your family income, special talents of your child, SAT/ACT scores, exceptional extracurriculars, etc.</p>
<p>Your D can get a 1/2 off tuition at USC for being a NMF. Make sure she submits her APP by Dec 1, as that is the cutoff date for Scholarship applications. She can still apply ED/ EA elsewhere.</p>
<p>I would take a look at Tulsa. It's a nice little school with a full ride package that I seriously considered. </p>
<p>But yeah, most top schools don't really care about NMFs.</p>
<p>I was sorry to learn how useless NM is for merit money until you get pretty low in the rankings in general. All the ivies give need based money only.</p>
<p>If you designate Ohio State by March 1st, you get full instate tuition and $4000. Out of state students with those type of scores also get the Buckeye Plus scholarship automatically -- currently worth $6600.</p>
<p>The Honors/Scholars Program at Ohio State has 1200 freshmen across 13 (?) colleges: Humanities, Business, Fine Arts, Engineering, etc...</p>
<p>My son noted "computer engineering" and "computer science" on the questionnaire that accompanied the PSAT. He received many unsolicited offers of free or greatly reduced tuition to schools of engineering, that seemed to be based only on being a National Merit Finalist (not a semi-finalist). None of the schools were extremely "high ranking" but many were solid, reputable engineering schools.</p>
<p>The schools he was accepted to offered either NO National Merit money, or one or two thousand per year. Two schools offered larger amounts if the family was eligible for need-based aid--University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt offers up to five thousand a year, depending on the family's finances.</p>
<p>My son did receive some considerable merit scholarships, but none were based on National Merit standing. SAT scores, course record, teacher and counselor evaluations and leadership extracurriculars were deciding factors.</p>
<p>National Merit Finalist standing is not worthless--even a couple thousand a year is something for families ineligible for any need-based aid--unless one is determined to attend a no-merit money school. None of the Ivy schools, MIT, Stanford, Northwestern, numerous others, will give you anything. Also, if one is out-of-state at some of the best publics there is no National Merit stipend.</p>
<p>Congratulations anyway. Good PSAT scores usually foreshadow good SAT scores. If you are applying to schools that give merit awards, that might be useful.</p>
<p>
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My daughter is a National Merit Scholar
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Do you mean that she's been notified that she was one of the top 50,000 scorers in the October 2006 PSAT exam? The designation of "National Merit Scholar" is made as the last step in a rather puzzling process. For students who took the Fall 2006 PSAT, this designation will be made in March of 2008. Here's a link to the official website, where there's an explanation of the timeline: <a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php</a> </p>
<p>If your d's score is above the cutoff for your state, she'll be notified in September that she's a semi-finalist, at which point she'll have an application to complete to continue in the process. Many schools have special scholarships available for semi-finalists and finalists, including full-ride packages. Ivies and similar schools do not award merit scholarships; some need-only schools may use a National Merit award as part of an accepted student's financial aid package, however. And, of course, the NMSC awards its own one-time-only $2500 scholarships to some finalists, and many corporations sponsor NM scholarships for children of employees or students who live in their communities.</p>
<p>Some highly-ranked schools do sponsor NM scholarships: Vanderbilt awards $2K annually to students who receive other merit scholarships, and a minimum of $5K annually to students who don't. A quick look at NMSC's annual report shows that other very selective schools also participate in the program (U Chicago, Emory, Brandeis, Tufts, Northwestern), though I don't know how generous the scholarships are or whether they're earmarked for need-based aid. Here's a link to the report: <a href="http://www.nationalmerit.org/06_annual_report.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.nationalmerit.org/06_annual_report.pdf</a></p>
<p>Boy, I never have seen so many turn up their noses at free money. BOTH my kids were NMF and between them earned about a quarter million towards an excellent education at a couple of LACs. One just graduated and begins med school this fall at 22. He's gonna be called doc at the end of the day and with most people he'll deal with, that'll be enough.</p>
<p>Let me write that again $250,000 for college from SOMEBODY ELSE. Not my pocket, not my kids either..... If life is so good for some that a quarter mill is chump change, why do you bother? </p>
<p>If you look around you'll find excellent opportunities for a nmf across the country. If some of the name schools turn their nose up at a nmf, heck, screw them. Nobody should ever make you feel bad your kid scored that high across the country. IF they do, that would be your fault. </p>
<p>But I guess it's attitude... I've never felt I've had to have a label (be it car, school or clothes) define me. My kids believe they will "make" where ever they go a success and sofar they have. Sometimes people want something so badly they lose perspective and objectivity. </p>
<p>Good luck on your search and remember your daughter has earned something of value, don't discount it.</p>
<p>My son got a $2500 NMF scholarship. He's going to an ivy so they gave him no merit money, but he'll use the NMF $ there. He was offered varing levels scholarships at other schools based on being a NMF (including a full ride at a school he hadn't looked at or applied to). I'm convienced that being a NMF was a huge factor in him getting many local scholarships that could be used at any school. Never underestimate the value of $2K here and another $2k there... It does take effort on the student's part to find and apply for them.</p>
<p>
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Two schools offered larger amounts if the family was eligible for need-based aid--University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt offers up to five thousand a year, depending on the family's finances.
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midmo, I've always understood that Vanderbilt's NM scholarships were awarded regardless of the family's financial situation. Perhaps Vandy's NM scholarships might be provided as part of a financial aid package for students who qualify? Here's what I found on the Vandy website today: "National Merit and National Achievement Scholarships are awarded to students designated as finalists by the National Merit Corporation. Finalists who indicate Vanderbilt as their first choice school will receive a minimum of $5,000 per year in merit scholarships from all sources. If a National Merit finalist receives another Vanderbilt merit scholarship that exceeds the $5,000 minimum guarantee, they will still receive a National Merit award of $2,000 above and beyond the amount of any other scholarship." It's confusing, but in our case my d's scholarship was awarded without our submitting info for finaid.</p>
<p>opie,</p>
<p>Not to rain on your parade, but your kids being NM finalists does NOT mean they are among the best in the land. Qualifying scores vary from state to state, so a non finalist could well have scores far better than your kids. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that your kids were worth that 1/4 million because they were used for marketing purposes. Why do you think schools buy kids like yours? (a) to advertise how many NM finalists they have (the world need not know they were purchased...) and (b) to keep the faculty a bit happy that at least a few of their students are smarter than average.</p>
<p>The fact is that at all too many schools the NM finalists will be a bit isolated intellectually. That of course assumes the PSAT actually measures something related to intellect.</p>
<p>NationalMeritMom -- As others have said, there are more steps to the process, but assuming your daughter does end up as a National Merit Scholar, Columbia does not contribute anything financially to it. She will get a little over $2000 from the National Merit Foundation. At least it helps with spending money in NYC.</p>
<p>S was a NMF. He got 0 from Berkeley (where he attends), $750 from UChicago, $7,000 a year from UCDavis and $20,000 a year from George Washington U (but total cost there is close to $50k a year). </p>
<p>Interestingly, our D will probably get $7-10K in merit scholarships a year from the small university that she would like to attend, and she is not NMF and is a B-plus student. Her stats put her smack in the 50%-tile of admitted students, so she will be both challenged and surrounded by enough intellectually similar peers AND we'll save upwards of $35,000.</p>
<p>"Not to rain on your parade, but your kids being NM finalists does NOT mean they are among the best in the land"</p>
<p>OK, they're awful and terrible and they suck. ;)</p>
<p>"Keep in mind that your kids were worth that 1/4 million because they were used for marketing purposes"</p>
<p>And that's bad because??? </p>
<p>I should have rejected the awards outright as my personal crusade against corporate marketing in America? Does this mean they have to return the Nike, Coke, BMW, Calvin Klein ad money? :) (I'm kidding about this part, I just keep recalling Wayne's World bit on not selling out... Chachinggg! Visa!) </p>
<p>"The fact is that at all too many schools the NM finalists will be a bit isolated intellectually. That of course assumes the PSAT actually measures something related to intell" </p>
<p>Ouch!! for sure that will leave a scar that requires treatment. :) I'm sure they've spent their entire time in college lonely without friends. Caged in a little cell like an animal for the other students to look at and wonder,</p>
<p>I hope your post made you feel better. Don't worry I won't take it personal at all. In fact, it's kinda amusing as you really are reaching to make me feel bad about my kids and their choices..... You've told me they aren't smart, they are marketing tools of evil higher education and they will live very lonely lives in college... Gee, I think I'm being pretty nice considering your "friendly" slams. </p>
<p>All I can say is you certainly are intitled to spend as much as you want for your kids education and you can sit there and watch the mailbox, hoping that your "ivy" grants you the "honor" of high tuition and a label. </p>
<p>There are people who think the "clothes make the man" and then are people who realize when the man can wear whatever the hell they want, life is pretty good.</p>
<p>
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but assuming your daughter does end up as a National Merit Scholar ... She will get a little over $2000 from the National Merit Foundation.
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That's a pretty big assumption: there's no guarantee of achieving that status. Remember that "National Merit Scholars" are chosen from the set of "National Merit Finalists" (which are chosen from the set of "National Merit Semi-finalists", etc...). My kids' high school typically has 35+ Finalists designated each year, and close to zero Scholars (the ones who receive actual money).</p>
<p>As with momof2inca's experience, our 2nd child (the no-better-than-B student who was "only" NM Commended) is the one that received a monster merit scholarship from a school not considered among the top ranks. Our 1st child (a NM Finalist) received a small community service scholarship (one-time $1500 award) but zero from NMF; he's the one attending a "Top 10" school. They each made their choices.</p>
<p>Son got tremendous merit scholarship opportunities at a # of top schools including Duke and Swarthmore. I assume his NMF played some part in this although it was never singled out from the "whole package." Congrats to your daughter and you.</p>
<p>like Opie's kids, my two NMF's turned their designation into monster scholarships at two schools others may turn their noses up at but worked perfectly for their needs.D attended ASU as a music performance major but on a NMF scholarship that covered all costs except a food plan,S is now attending U of South Carolina for Sports Management on a combo of their NMF scholarship plus a named OOS scholarship he competed for.His total costs are covered, plus he has $$ in the bank.
And as others may wonder,neither has felt like a "rat in a cage" or "on display".There are other scholarship kids,not only NMF's and an Honors College setting at both places.The total amount of "smart kids" may be higher than the entire population of some small LAC's.
D is now attending a highly ranked U for Grad School and has reported feeling just as well prepared for the PhD rigors as others coming from supposedly "better,more rigourous" schools.
To each their own I guess.Im with Opie...we've paid practically nothing and neither kid has a loan.</p>
<p>"To each their own I guess.Im with Opie...we've paid practically nothing and neither kid has a loan"</p>
<p>Thank you. We visited ASU and UA for my D, we liked both schools. Both kids have post grad in mind, so getting someone else to cover undergrad is pretty great. And just like mine, I'm sure your kids would do well where ever they went. </p>
<p>I just firmly believe the individual makes the experience what they want. And there are different kinds of smart out there and it doesn't hurt a person to learn from others. Like minded people tend to think alike which isn't always a good thing. Sometimes learning something different socially broadens the individual.</p>
<p>OK, I'm curious (and interested in the $150K). How do you find these schools?
They don't just come knock on your door, right?</p>
<p>Or more specifically, my S wants to do engineering or applied math. We've already identified U of Mich and U of Southern California as having merit award
potential. Are there other good candidate schools for him to look at?</p>