<p>here is a link to a list of close to 80 full tuition scholarships for national metit finalist <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html%5B/url%5D">http://homepage.mac.com/l_j/secondhome/National_Merit.html</a></p>
<p>Wow! Thanks SO much for posting this list! I had looked at the University of Northern Illinois BFA Acting program when I was researching colleges, but had written them off because I somehow missed that they offer full rides for merit. Weird. I specifically looked for that. Looks like I have another application to fill out.</p>
<p>added a few more thr other day</p>
<p>What are some of the better schools on this list? UT Austin seems to have a pretty good offer of $13,000 over 4 years, or in-state tuition + $1000/yr for nonresidents.</p>
<p>added a coulple more 11/3/04</p>
<p>I know 2 students at Oklahoma who took the full ride. With AP's and testing out of classes they both started as sophomores. One is spending this year abroad with all expenses paid by OU (as part of his full ride scholarship), and the other did a semester and a summer abroad. They're both very happy.</p>
<p>i think SUNY albany also belongs on your list--at least for NY residents, not sure of others. they have a great AP policy, so it's very possible to have a BA and an MA in 4 years there...for free!</p>
<p>Got a question...colleges often require that you register them as "first choice" with NMS in order to get their scholarships...can you indicate "undecided" with NMS, and then apply to several that have good deals for NMSF, see where you are accepted and <em>then</em> indicate your first choice to NMS?</p>
<p>From what other posters have said in the past, it's really easy to change your first choice. Some have gone so far as to suggest you start out undecided and change when you decide where you're going. Several people have pointed to webpage at Carleton College that offers sound NMSC advice (and a timeline and other useful info). It's here:</p>
<p>BTW, Texas Tech is not on this list, but my S received an unsolicited letter from them offering what certainly looked a full scholarship last week.</p>
<p>Your National Merit Finalist materials come with a postcard that lets you change your first choice. So don't worry, you are not locked in. Listing it now gives the school you are currently most interested in that information from National Merit.</p>
<p>Thanks Strick11 texas tech is now on the list</p>
<p>Actually, I'm not sure what's going on with Texas Tech. Their website lists two scholarships related to the NMSC, one very modest and the other near a full scholarship if not one. I don't know how a student would qualify for one versus the other. Nether seems what they offered my S.</p>
<p>I think the near full scholarship at Texas Tech is for students who are actually named "National Merit Scholars" and offered a NM scholarship. The far lesser amount is for "finalists" only, those who are not named a NMS.</p>
<p>I bow down to the work l<em>J did on researching 80 free schools!
Using <a href="http://www.applyweb.com%5B/url%5D">www.applyweb.com</a> typing in "full tuition" I thought I was doing good by finding 30 of them. Why can't the high schools help us better?
Using l</em>j's list I went to <a href="http://www.usnews.com%5B/url%5D">www.usnews.com</a> to rate the 80.
Realize that these free schools at best lay in the top 100 schools between #62 Ohio State to #111 Utah State or Loyola/Chicago.
Most are second or third tier - no interest to us.
Two other good full scholarships for the state of Nebraska in computer science are Univ. of Ne./ Lincoln, J.D. Edwards Program which is a live in community of computer scholars.
Univ. of NE /Omaha, Peter Kiewit Institute gives a wonderful computer scholarship.
Also interesting:
<a href="http://www.collegesofdistinction.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegesofdistinction.com</a>
<a href="http://www.collegedirt.com%5B/url%5D">www.collegedirt.com</a></p>
<p>Of the 80 schools we love University of Tulsa!</p>
<p>cdhads - my son is NMSF - has interview w/the West Coast adcom next weekend - is there anything you can tell me about the school (son is not enthusiastic about OK in general - but I've heard wonderful things about the school and the city of Tulsa)</p>
<p>"Why can't the high schools help us better?"</p>
<p>I assume they're busy. That's why I emailed the link to this list to my son's Counselor. They have a scolarship page on their website and this was a nice complement to it.</p>
<p>We like Tulsa for many reasons.
It is small, so students can work directly with their PhD professors from their freshman year in small classes. In larger schools we found teaching done by grad assistants who sometimes have a hard to understand accent in a lecture hall of 100 kids.
It is safe, friendly and relaxed. People know each other and the administration is like family. All the students we met were happy, friendly and helpful.
The campus is beautiful and easy to walk in.
We like the specialized federal computer security program there.
Grads can end up in DC working for the government.</p>
<p>Tulsa has more historic art deco buildings than anywhere else.
It is worth going there for the architecture alone.
It has two of the best smaller art museums I've seen anywhere in the world - The Philbrook and Gilcrease. The millionaire oil barons there did the city up fine. And there is something to be said about being the only car on the interstate in the middle of the afternoon. It is truly a different animal than California. The girl who drove my hotel shuttle said her California family just moved to Tulsa because they could no longer afford LA. $200,000 buys a great house here in the midwest.</p>
<p>Anyway, research it for yourself and give them a call.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.utulsa.edu%5B/url%5D">www.utulsa.edu</a>
<a href="http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/collegetemplates/default.asp?cid=122%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/collegetemplates/default.asp?cid=122</a></p>
<p>Good luck and consider the great schools in the midwest.</p>
<p>Some National Merit schools do not give you money for books, so to fill in that slot google:</p>
<p>Federal Byrd Scholarship...and then your state</p>
<p>to get the application form. You need the one for your state.
National Merit kids qualify perfectly and it gives $1500 a year that you can use for books.</p>
<p>Here is the details of Tulsa's federal computer program.</p>
<p>What about National Achievement? I didn't get it, but a friend did and I was just wondering. Basically the same schools as NM?</p>