<p>Simple question: for the half-tuition scholarship listed for USC, must you be a National Merit Finalist or a full-blown National Merit Scholar?</p>
<p>Also, once you qualify based on whichever the criterion is, is it a guaranteed offer?</p>
<p>You must be a finalist and name USC as your first choice school. I think the offer is pretty much guaranteed, I named USC as my first choice school in March and was still offered the half-tuition scholarship.</p>
<p>I don't know if anything has changed in the last couple of years, but my son was a NM Commended Scholar, did not list USC as his first choice, and received Presidential (half) scholarship.</p>
<p>In that case, the Presidential Scholarship was probably separate from the NM award.</p>
<p>Yes, I think it is separate. I think test scores a very important to them, though; it just doesn't have to be the PSAT. It could be other strong scores that sway them.</p>
<p>***...i got a 1530 SAT and was a NM commended scholar and applied by the deadline and didn't get jack... are you sure bout that flatxca...</p>
<p>Yes, I am sure. It isn't just by test scores though, but I think they help. My son had a 1510 and got the presidential. He did a million other things in school, tons of ECs.
If you think you deserve a second look, it wouldn't hurt to write a nice letter to them requesting a possible review. You never know.</p>
<p>well I called them a while back and asked them to reconsider but they said they "ran out of scholarships" already anyways (yeah right)...</p>
<p>i figured i was gonna bite it the first semester and pay up with some other smaller scholarships i got and try and get a 4.0 and then go back to them and demand some money...heh</p>
<p>bubblekid: NM Commended is not what they have as the requirement for that scholarship. It's NM finalist (esssentially, semifinalist -> fill out NM app (finalist) -> pick SC as top choice).</p>
<p>Hope that makes some sense.</p>