<p>I haven't seen any other posts about this, so I wanted to make sure that parents of NMSF know. My D got a letter from Univ of Oklahoma about their National Scholars Program. The letter stated that OU guarantees (in bold letters) a full $74,500 scholarship package (they called it a package, so it may be combinations of grants and loans) to EVERY NMF who lists OU as their first choice on the NMF application by April 19, 2006. Don't know if any of you have kids interested in OU, but this sounds like a great deal for kids who need a great deal of merit aid. In the letter they state that OU is the #1 per capital University for # of NMF and that they have a special program (NSP above) in which the classes are small and the kids are followed throughout their college career by specific mentors to assure their success. So, if your kid is a NMSF and this interests you, give them a call!</p>
<p>CCer's from Outside the Southwest, </p>
<p>The University of Oklahoma (OU) indeed has much to offer the National Merit Scholar (NMS). As Quiltguru describes very well, OU takes special interest in and care of its NMS students reflecting its continued rise in academics. Don't be put off by OU's lofty athletic achievements and then dismiss the rest of the school; that would be a mistake. OU's president David Boren is a former U.S. senator and governor who has done an enormous amount through his personal connections and influence to bolster OU academics in the past 10 years (such as getting world leaders to speak on OU's campus). OU's NMS program is also a spin-off of Boren's efforts.</p>
<p>If you get a chance to visit the OU campus, you would come away impressed with both its physical attractivenesss and academic programs (a mixture of Gothic buildings and modern architecture on a tree lined accessible campus). OU also has a fiercely loyal alumni network that is an advantage to any graduating student. One alum is Wall Street's Michael Price who endowed OU's Business School with a hefty gift.</p>
<p>Our bi-coastal oriented society usually does "flyovers" of the vast continent in between the two coasts (both in planes and in their thinking). OU is another place worth stopping by between the Atlantic and Pacific.</p>