what if my child miscalculated and does not get into any of the schools they applied to- lots of deferrals from early action
even with high SAT (800M 760E), 4.0 unweighted GPA, lots of AP 5 and 4’s,good essays, ec, varsity sports- can they use the benefits of being a NMS finalist next year if the have to take a gap year (they were deferred EA at 2 of their “safety schools”, starting to panic a bit
It depends on the school. Some schools really don’t care much about NM designation at all. Some schools will still offer scholarships/special consideration to NMF after a gap year; some will not. You would need to check with each individual school. UAH (Alabama-Huntsville) is still accepting applications for Fall 2018 and offers a full ride for National Merit Finalists. There are most likely other public universities which will still admit and award large scholarships for NMF. Please refer to the National Merit thread in the Financial Aid section.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-an-updated-compilation.html#latest
@quinntheeskimo While your best bet would be to check with each school who has a NMF package you are interested in, the student likely needs to be accepted for the upcoming year and then you request a deferral of enrollment.