<p>Does being a NMF and listing MIT as your first choice school get you any extra financial aid?</p>
<p>I...really need the money, or I won't be able to go, even though I've been admitted EA.</p>
<p>I doubt it on both counts. financial aid is based on need though, so if you show that you need it, I'm sure you'll get it.</p>
<p>No. MIT doesn't offer any extra money for National Merit. You'd be better off listing a more affordable backup as your NMF first choice. If you get the $2,500 award straight from the NMSC, then you'd be able to use it towards any school anyway.</p>
<p>(I'm in the same boat; I need some major outside money due to noncontributing parents. I'm also going to try acting really sad in front of the financial aid desk.)</p>
<p>Thread hijack: If I got a full ride to Oberlin but not enough from MIT, do you think mentioning it to the MIT aid office might get me a little bit more? By "full ride" I mean a mega stack of merit scholarships only for use at Ohio schools that happens to totally cover all the costs of an Oberlin education.</p>
<p>If your financial aid award isn't sufficient, there are always appointment times set up during CPW where you can go plead your case for a financial aid officer.</p>
<p>But all MIT financial aid is strictly need-based.</p>
<p>Since MIT isn't on that list of colleges that work with National Merit, you won't get extra money for being a finalist. The most you can get is the $2,500 from National Merit, but it's a one-shot deal since it only lasts for one semester. (if you qualify, you'll know like really late, in June before you matriculate, so the money's more like an afterthought since you'll probably already know your financial package)</p>
<p>If your family really needs the money, I'm sure MIT would be able to cover for your needs. Personally, I thought that MIT was very generous with my financial offer. Consistently, MIT had given me approximately $3,000 more per semester than my calculated need through FAFSA. This isn't the highest aid package that was offered to me, but it was the highest package coming from a non-merit financial aid college. MIT even increased my finaid by $1,000 last year, although I'm not quite sure what the reason was (maybe my family's assets were less because of the exchange rate?).</p>
<p>But I just want to say that the finaid office is really friendly and if you can convince them that you need the money to go to school, they'll find a way.</p>
<p>@Mollie: Appointmens with a FA officer at CPW?! I thought that was only in dreams... :D</p>
<p>@oasis: That sounds very encouraging. Thank you.</p>
<p>This thread makes me feel like I can actually go to MIT... :D I hope so so much.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help!</p>
<p>I'm hoping, too, but can't seem to keep myself from reading things about the AWESOME mechanical engineering classes at MIT...oh man...2.007 is going to rule.</p>