<p>Some questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>How important is it?</li>
<li>Can I just use my Common App essay if it answers the prompt?</li>
<li>Will my school be able to read it?</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li><p>Very important if you want to compete for the corporate awards. If you don’t care about the corporate award, or you will automatically get $2500 from your college of choice for NMF, then the essay doesn’t matter much. Someone will definitely read the essay, so don’t write anything abusive or blatantly offensive if you want to advance from NMSF to NMF.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, provided that you keep your essay within the word limit.</p></li>
<li><p>Do you mean your current high school? I don’t think so.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, it is also very important for the NMSC $2,500 award. Not at all important for the college specific awards – most of those are given if you are accepted, choose to attend, and are NMF – I don’t think the colleges even see the essay in that situation. So I think it is fine to use your Common App essay if it works with the prompt.</p>
<p>Regarding your high school seeing it, our kid’s guidance counselor wanted to read hers before she sent it in. I think they had a kid NOT progress to NMF the year before, and she thought maybe he had slacked on the essay – so the next year she asked each student to meet with her and bring their essay before submitting it.</p>