<p>I am assuming--and telling my son this too--don't wait for colleges to reach out to you just because you made NMSF. Nothing will/should begin happening until you apply since this really shows them commitment-- and is kind of an important part of the process!. The schools he is looking at are primarily Big 12/SEC schools with large enrollments and huge applicant pools. The analogy I am trying to draw is you are #100 (or lower) on the Hot 5 list of running backs. The first step you need to take is to get noticed--by applying early, showing interest and contacting them privately. Unfortunately, we are not super close to most of the schools he is interested in attending so they don't send recruiters to his school (some come to fairs and have large functions in the area which he will attend) for personal discussions.</p>
<p>One concern I have is rushing him and not getting applicatios/essays done in the quality fashion that is required for scholarship applicants.</p>
<p>Anyone that has experience--you know who you are! Please let us newbies know what is important from your perspective. Wrestling season starts in 6-8 wks and that will be a major time management issue. Thanks for any help for me and others.</p>
<p>Both, but I see admittance (since no matter how good you think you are, not everyone gets admitted everywhere) being the first step of where he should focus his attention (once he finishes up the NMF packet this weekend). And then IF he gets NMF notification in Spring he will have some admits in hand to discuss NMF packages with and maybe schedule visits etc. I guess the bottom-line is–the university have deadlines, but I feel he should be beating, not meeting those deadlines–esp with a winter sport and other senior year distractions on the horizon.</p>
<p>If he is interested in SEC schools - be sure to look into Kentucky. They have one of the best NMF packages around. (It probably won’t take much looking - likely they will send lots of mail.)</p>
<p>I was told by the University of Oklahoma that NMFs have until 4/30 (which I believe is the NM deadline) to commit and still be eligible for their very generous scholarship. Oklahoma State (which also has a great NM package) is the same. </p>
<p>My son is doing his visits first and then applying based on his impressions after those visits and where he feels he would like to go. Application fees get expensive and I don’t see the point of paying to apply to a school he wouldn’t go to. We started visits two weeks ago. </p>
<p>That said, he is opting to take the low/no debt route which means limiting his choices to schools that offer full ride or near full ride packages which, unfortunately, rules out the more selective colleges. Those schools will accept him regardless of how early or late he applies. If he were looking at a more selective school, I imagine I would be pushing a little more. :-)</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight everyone. Sooner–when complete share your thoughts on OKstate visit. He is very interested, but a visit from Mid-Atlantic will be tough. Bob Wallace–he will be visiting Kentucky–anyone with impressions let us know as well–I will share ours when we nail down a date. The feedback we have heard is that it is more urban style campus but Lexington is a great town–I have never been. When he visited UT Austin and Texas A&M he thought UT was urban–I told him he mght be a little sheltered! Of those two he preferred A&M.</p>
<p>Aggie84, we actually visited OSU last week. Their NM offer is very generous. It amounts to about $3,000 more per year than OU’s, which is also a great package. OSU doesn’t give a technology allowance or a travel abroad allowance like OU does, but even factoring that in, OSU’s offer is slightly better.</p>
<p>My son liked OSU. We were especially impressed with the honors college. There is a lot of money coming into OSU, and it was obvious by all the construction and improvements going on there. The student gym/pool is amazing and the campus is very pretty. All the students we spoke with seemed very happy to be there. It is a good school, but overall, the “campus vibe” isn’t really what my son is looking for. It didn’t feel like a good fit for him, but that certainly shouldn’t sway you from looking. We have several friends who have children there and they absolutely love it.</p>
<p>Texas A&M is very generous to NMF and high stat kids. UT has so many high stat kids that they focus their money on meeting needs of lower income families so not much money for merit aide. </p>
<p>Understand your concern, we were swamped and trying to figure out what to prioritize. Number one was National Merit essay, resume and teacher recs. Then she started on college essays and setting up interviews - she was looking a some top schools that tracked interest. Most large universities don’t track interest for getting admitted. (If he is pursuing his atheletic abilities my info is not correct.) </p>
<p>A college consultant recommended she get her apps in by early November and not wait til Thanksgiving break to push send. Of course, on Dec 31 she pushed send and was accepted. </p>
<p>I think the most important thing is to go on the web site of each college and do their net price calculator. Biggest mistake I made was letting my daughter complete the applications for her reach schools before she wrote the essays for her safeties!</p>
<p>Aggie4- if you are looking at huge SEC, have you looked at Alabama? NMF get full tuition, one year room plus Ipad and some other stuff if they apply and are admitted by December 1. My son applied in July, has his admittance in hand and also has a written scholarship offer based on just the GPA and SAT. The NMF offer is guaranteed if your son applies and is admitted by Dec 1. Roll Tide!</p>
<p>Aggie84 - The University of Kentucky is a good state flagship with some outstanding programs. In particular, the College of Pharmacy has a beautiful new building and its reputation is growing nationally. Also, the Veterinary program (especially large mammals/horses) is widely recognized. Industry in the area (Toyota and its Tier 1 suppliers; LexMark; etc.) has been growing and this has helped the Engineering school although it is not yet top tier.</p>
<p>They do offer generous merit scholarships and work hard to keep top students in state. For NMSF, they promote their Honors College which gives a smaller feel to the large universtiy. However, most undergraduates live off-campus and it seems that the campus is rather deserted on weekends. The dining services also do not have a good reputation.</p>
<p>Lexington is not really much of an urban center - it is much less populous than Louisville and Cincinnati although it covers a greater geographic area. Still, you will find that everyone in the entire state supports UK, especially Big Blue basketball (except that corner of the state that wears red). I thought it odd that at Eastern Kentucky Univ.'s campus, which is 30 miles south of Lexington, there were more UK T-shirts than EKU.</p>