<p>I know this is early, but when do finalists designate a college as their first choice? I am fairly sure I will be a finalist, and I'm looking at a few colleges that give money to people who pick the college as a first choice (Rice, Rochester, etc.). However, I don't have a college I would kill to go to, so I'm just trying to get an idea about when finalists have to pick one. I hope this isn't too confusing. Thanks</p>
<p>If you are a semi-finalist, you will receive your finalist application in September. I don't remember when it is due, but probably within a month. On that application you must indicate your first choice college. You CAN still change it for a certain period of time--I'm not sure how long. And, if you receive a general NM scholarship, good at any college, you can change the choice of college up until July or so. (They understand that you don't know for sure where you will be going in September.)</p>
<p>Thanks .</p>
<p>You can change your first choice until April, usually. I think it can be changed until you recieve a scholarship. So if you apply to Rochester, list it as your first choice, and get in, but also get into another college that gives NM scholarships and decide you'd rather go there--you should have a (short) period of time to change it. The college is not supposed to tell you whether you get the scholarship, that comes in the mail from the NM people, and they don't send out names of people who got the college scholarships till the end of april.</p>
<p>*note: it might be best to leave it undecided to begin with, and just remember to send your final choice as soon as you decide where you want to go.</p>
<p>You don't have to list a first choice college until some time in April. You can indicate "undecided" until that time. The problem comes when you put a first choice college and don't get it changed by the deadline if you decide to go somewhere else.</p>
<p>This is not a problem. You can change right on through the summer. We changed after the 'deadline' without a problem. This only applies to scholarships administered by NMSC. If you get a school scholarship and then change schools, obviously they won't honor it.</p>