<p>So my daughter, whose PSAT and SAT scores will make a semi-finalist, listed Rice as one of her top two choices with National Merit at the end of her junior year. She got a letter today saying if she applied to Rice her application fee would be waived, and encouraged her to apply early decision. It also said that if she is admitted and lists Rice as her first choice next year, Rice will award "National Merit Scholars" an annual $1,000 merit scholarship, but also stated that she would be ineligible for if she gets the National Merit $2,500 award or a corporate award. Questions:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Is this letter something new, or have people gotten them in the past? Should we read anything into it for admission purposes?</p></li>
<li><p>How are awards coordinated? Doesn't one have to apply through National Merit to be considered for the National Merit $2,500 scholarship? And isn't that the same designation you have to achieve to receive the $4,000 Rice scholarship?</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Let me clarify my second question. Let’s say it’s February 2012, and you get notice that you are a NM Finalist. You’ve applied to two schools - Rice, which awards $4,000 to finalists who don’t get the $2,500 award, and Safety School X, which doesn’t award anything to finalists. What do you? If you think you’ll get into Rice, shouldn’t you withdraw your NM application in order to get the automatic $4,000 from Rice if you’re admitted? (Otherwise, if you win the $2,500 you can’t get the $4,000.) But if you do that and you’re rejected from Rice and get into Safety School X, you’ve just lost out on the $2,500 award. So what do you do?</p>
<p>It’s a very irritating issue, but I can confirm for you that Rice won’t give out the $1000 annual scholarship if you accept the $2500. Which puts national merit scholars out $1500 over those who don’t accept, unfortunately. So if your daughter is set on Rice, it would be more financially beneficial to withdraw from NM.</p>
<p>if and when nm offers her 2500, she can decline it.
the letter you received is atypical recruiting letter all that lsited rice as one of two schools couple of months ago. nothing more.</p>
<p>Do NOT have your kiddo apply ANYWHERE ED if she’s not POSITIVE she’ll be attending that U, especially if she MAY want to compare FAid/merit award packages. If you’re ED, you CANNOT apply elsewhere and need to withdraw your other apps, with few exceptions.</p>
<p>My S did not get a waiver of his app fees when he was a NMSF & applied to Rice. Waivers are always nice, but S didn’t like their app because it required a unique essay that he didn’t feel like writing. Wish he had thought about that before he wasted the app fee & the fee to send his scores there! ARGH. :(</p>