<p>John…I think part of the reason why there’s not really one “straightforward” strategy for naming a first-choice school is that so much depends on which schools the student is really considering. FWIW…here’s my two cents. Fully expect that some others will have different advice. It just depends on your perspective.</p>
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<li><p>If you’re primarily looking at schools that DO NOT offer high $$ NMF scholarships (HYPSM, most LACs, etc.) …there’s probably no need to list a first choice school until you’re nearing the NMSC deadline (usually around April 1). In this instance, you’re probably only interested in the one-time $2500 scholarship or perhaps a corporate scholarship if your family qualifies. Which school you eventually list as first choice will probably not affect the award of either scholarship in this case.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’re planning to attend a school that DOES offer high $$ NMF scholarships…now it depends. If there is one school that is head and shoulders above all others because of their scholarship (Alabama for instance) and you’ll definitely attend there, the choice is easy…list it now. If there are several that you’re considering, you’re probably best off leaving it as “Undecided” until you see what the overall packages offered by the schools are. Most of the NMF scholarship schools only require the student to APPLY by their priority scholarship deadline and “eventually” list them as a first choice, but read the university’s scholarship info closely. IF one of them wants you to list them as a first choice by an earlier deadline in order to be considered for their NMF money, my personal opinion would be to do so. Listing College A as a first choice early (if they require it) usually WILL NOT affect whether or not you get offered a scholarship by College B. If none of them want you to make an early first choice…leave it as “Undecided” and wait to compare packages.</p></li>
<li><p>(or maybe 2a). If one of the schools you’re considering offers good NMF money but has a limited number of scholarships to offer…you may want to consider listing them as a first choice now to improve your chances of getting one of those limited numbers. You can only be AWARDED one official NMSC scholarship, but you can be OFFERED NMF money by any number of schools. The scholarship is not considered AWARDED until NMSC sends you notification in the late spring, so if you can improve your chances of being OFFERED scholarships by listing a first choice now do so…and change the designation to your final choice school before the official deadline.</p></li>
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<p>Regarding the $2500 one-time awards…no one really knows exactly how these awards are distributed. It’s possible that having a non-NMF school listed as your first choice kicks you into the pool for consideration, but no one knows. If you’re hoping to get one of those awards, it truly seems to be a crap shoot. No particular rhyme or reason to who gets them as far as we can tell (i.e. no particular PSAT/SAT score, GPA level, etc.). Good Luck to you as you narrow down the field!!</p>