<p>So, I need some help on deciding who I should put down for my top choice on the National Merit card. In reality, my top choices are, in this order:</p>
<p>1.MIT (deferred EA)
2.Princeton
3.Harvard
4.Caltech (deferred EA)
5.Penn
6.Brown
7.Rice/Cornell
8. Michigan (already accepted)</p>
<p>Which school(s) will picking them give me a higher chance of admission? Which should I pick?</p>
<p>The first 7 schools don’t really care if you put them down for National Merit. I don’t think picking any of them will raise your chances.</p>
<p>are you 100% sure? if it just helps a bit i’d do it</p>
<p>You should pick Michigan, and then let all the other schools know that you picked Michigan. And make sure to let them know you already got in.</p>
<p>That’ll be sure to make the other schools SUPER jealous and want you really really badly. Then you’re as good as in.</p>
<p>Congrats on getting National Merit, man. Huge accomplishment! It’ll definitely raise your chances at the top schools in the country who don’t already have hundreds of National Merit scholars. You’re awesome! :)</p>
<p>I’d put Rice and Michigan, I don’t think the others care</p>
<p>I’m definitely NOT picking Michigan, because I’ve already gotten in, and already have a lot of scholarship money.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That doesn’t sound right, but newest newb is usually pretty on the ball about scholarship and admissions.</p>
<p>Make sure that none of the scholarships are contingent upon listing Michigan as your first choice. Most of the National Merit scholarships require this.</p>
<p>No, I got a separate engineering scholarship from Michigan for $20,000 a year and applied for another 20k one that I may get as well. Both are not related to NMF</p>
<p>@Jahaba, do you not have a sarcasm detector in your brain?</p>
<p>Mine is working just fine. I’d have the manufacturer look at yours though; it seems to only work once before shutting off. :)</p>
<p>The Ivy’s and tech colleges on your list don’t care about being your “first choice” because they don’t sponser NMF scholarships and they have thousands of other NMF’s who have applied for admittance as well. Save the first choice card for notifying NMSF when you make you final decision as to where you are going to college. If your matriculating college does sponser, i.e. pay for NMF scholarships then be sure to let NMSF know by the mid May deadline.</p>
<p>Menlopark is spot on. If you feel you MUST select a school on your list now, pick Rice. I think they are the only one that sponsor NM scholarships.</p>