National Merit Commended Students: Which Two Colleges to Choose?

Test Preparation
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<p>The National Merit Scholarship Corporation allows the highest-scoring 50,000 students the opportunity to be referred to two colleges/universities of their choice by the College Plans Reporting Service (CPRS).</p>

<p>I already chose my two schools, and they were high matches/slight reaches. I didn't want to pick reach schools because they probably won't even look at these things, and I felt like my safety schools (most of which are in-state anyway) will most likely accept me with or without being referred. That was my reasoning, anyway.</p>

<p>So... was this a good move?</p>

<p>(I guess it doesn't really matter anymore, since I've already submitted my choices, but I just wanted to check.)</p>

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<p>when do these have to be in by? i totally forgot!</p>

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<p>Wednesday, May 23rd.</p>

<p>I forgot, too, until I read a post here on CC. Heh.</p>

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<p>roxxy, you did the right thing. I do not think it matter much anyway. Those schools that are interested in commended or SF students will find out about you and will send you information. Those that do not care the National Merit will not make much difference to them.</p>

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<p>Some schools that offer money for NM standing require that they be one of the two schools that are notified. For most schools, being notified like this doesn't matter, because you can notify the rest of your standing during the application process anyway. What naming a school now does lets them know that as early as your junior year you had it marked as a top two choice, which would be positive for schools that use interest as an admissions factour. I chose my one reach and the school I knew the next most about.</p>

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<p>I chose Tulane and Miami (Ohio). Hopefully, I'll get something back from them. In reality, I don't think it really matters at all.</p>

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<p>I think you have the right idea. Use your NM designation to show early interest in schools that keep track, WUSTL, Emory, etc. My D put Rice down as one of her schools and they gave her a voucher so that she could apply for free.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I wish I'd known about Rice! Oh, well. I don't even know if I'm applying there; my list already includes 20 schools, and I am having so much trouble narrowing it down. Heh.</p>

<p>I did put WUSTL down for one of them, however. Yay!</p>

<p>Thanks so much for the replies!</p>

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<p>Penn considers level of interest right? I might have to put em on there</p>

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<p>I put Penn and Duke.</p>

<p>...I think. It was a while ago when I filled it out online. =P</p>

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<p>I put down WUStL last year but they still waitlisted me like they did every other applicant.</p>

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<p>I put Northwestern! :) I'm ED-ing there also.</p>

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<p>I think most top colleges really don't care that much about these first two choices. </p>

<p>They purchase the information for tons of kids who score a minimum of XXX on the test and mail out propaganda to all of them. I'm pretty sure you don't get any special letters from Ivys or other top schools for listing them through this (or I haven't heard of a case yet) and you just get the regular mailings everyone else gets.</p>

<p>Even after advancing to Semi-Finalist or Finalist standing and listing one school as your first choice, the top schools of the country still don't care too much. I'm not trying to rain on your parades (congrats on being Commended!), but the names you list now aren't really that important in most cases (unless you name a school that offers a full ride or some other major scholarship and is trying to actively recruit National Merit kids).</p>

<p>The same thing that happened to a77 happened to many of my friends who were waitlisted at their National Merit 1st Choice College (within the top 20) but made it into other top 20 schools. Some schools, like Rice, do offer nice benefits for those who name them now, but if you are shooting for the Ivys (ProcrastiNate), I don't think they put too much thought into whether you name them or not.</p>

<p>(Heck, Penn never sent me a single piece of college propaganda even though I listed it as my first choice as a commended student [while just about all the other top schools did - starting the summer before Junior year after my Sophomore PSAT]. I don't know if it was because Penn just didn't send out a lot of stuff, or because the school didn't care enough to send something to me. I actually ended up not even naming Penn as my first choice school as a Finalist because I decided it didn't matter, and instead, named WashU because I knew it was a school that did care... and lo and behold, I was waitlisted there and accepted at Penn - college admissions is a funny thing not meant to be understood by the common high school senior I suppose)</p>

<p>(So, in closing, Yes Roxxy, I think that was a good move on your part to not list "reaches" since they probably don't care)</p>

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<p>should i do University of Washington and Whitman? or Whitman and Carleton?</p>

<p>i know for sure that UW and Whitman are on my list, but i am not totally sure that i want to apply to carleton yet. UW is a safety for me though so i am not sure if i should include it or not.</p>

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<p>Is there a list of schools who give money or generally care or give vouchers for picking them?</p>

<p>I need to decide! I was thinking U Chicago since its my first choice, but would they even care? My GC thinks that they would think its a big deal. I don't really believe her though. . .</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>a77, I feel your pain about WUSTL. They have always been referred to as a school that cares about interest, but after this year's results, I'm not sure how they make their decisions. </p>

<p>andrea, Since you're instate and UW is a safety, I'd probably go with Whitman & Carleton, even if you're not sure if you're applying to Carleton. I don't think sending in this early indicator will make any difference to your acceptance to UW, and you can always designate UW next April if you decide to go there. Also, I'm not sure of the timing (before or after acceptances), but I believe that Carleton sends NMSF a voucher to help pay for travel expenses to visit them. Ask on the Carleton forum to get more info.</p>

<p>katia, Sorry, but I don't know that much about UChicago and if they track interest or not. Again, ask on the UChicago forum, people there will likely know more. However, I'd tend to agree with you that it's likely not a "big deal" since they get many NMSF applying. It kinda depends on your other schools and if they're better choices for this early designation. I have never seen an official list, you just have to check college websites. There is a thread (on the FA forum, I think), that lists schools that give large amounts for NM. Rice is the only one I know that gives the application voucher. A few of the schools that I have found personally that give money (usually in the $500 to 2k range) are: CMC, JHU, Bowdwin, Tufts, Rice, WUSTL, Carleton, UNC-CH, Oberlin, Grinnell, Vandy, Brandies, Case Western, Kenyon, URochester & BU. Several state universities have very good scholarships for NM. </p>

<p>Note: For the current status, always check the college website, things do change!</p>

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<p>entomom: i am also interested in the honors program at UW; more so than i am interested in carleton. should i still send to carleton? thanks for your opinion.</p>

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<p>Thanks entomom- I asked on the Chicago forum and they said that it would probably be a good thing since Chicago gives money to finalists ( not sure if I'll be one, but still)</p>

<p>I'm having a hard time with my other one though.</p>

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<p>and is it ok to put undecided for both major and career choice? it says "tentative" but i really have no idea what i want to do yet.</p>

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<p>I put undecided for just about everything I could (It's true. I have no clue what to do in life). For my two schools I picked my #1 favorite match Dartmouth and my #1 favorite reach Princeton</p>