<p>My son is weighing four college options before making a final decision. The school he is strongly leaning towards offers very few National Merit Scholarships, especially to out-of-state students. It looks like it may be difficult to get a NMS from them (although they've offered another very attractive scholarship). The other schools have "guaranteed" him a National Merit Scholarship should he list them as his first-choice institution. </p>
<p>I'm wondering how much the NMS should factor into his decision. I know it should not be "make-or-break," but I hate the thought that he might not be a NMS simply because he chose that specific school. How much difference does NMF vs NMS make in terms of education and longer-term career opportunities? </p>
<p>My husband and I are both self-employed, so a corporate NMS is not an option.</p>
<p>I do not think it makes any difference between a NMF and a NMS. In fact most people do not even know about such distinction. Any NMF can become a NMS by enrolling in schools that guarantee a NMF scholarship.</p>
<p>Do you know if the NMF scholarship schools offer “official” NMF awards? Some NMF awards aren’t “official” so those wouldn’t make a student a “Scholar”.</p>
<p>Which schools are these?</p>
<p>As life goes, I don’t think it makes a difference to be named a Scholar or not.</p>
<p>e school he is strongly leaning towards offers very few National Merit Scholarships, especially to out-of-state students</p>
<p>Which state school is this? I didn’t think that there were many state schools that limited OOS awards. When would you find out if he was awarded one??</p>
<p>University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>
<p>Univ. of WI-Madison is a great school and it is a shame it limits the number of NMF scholarships to out of state and in-state students. We are WI residents and although my 2 sons toured Madison (and liked it very much) they didn’t like it enough to apply as the neighboring Minnesota guaranteed not only the official NMF award ($1,000 to $2,000 p/year) but also a non-official Gold Scholarship of $10,000 p/year. (WI/MN have a reciprocity agreement so tuition is in-state.) As a NMF I would not worry if your son was called a scholar or not…my oldest is a college sophomore and I don’t think the fact that he was a National Merit Finalist/Scholar has ever come up at all.</p>
<p>
Absolutely no difference at all. Indeed neither designation will make much difference to graduate schools, professional schools, and employers. It matters only to colleges, and not that many of them, too.</p>