<p>Let's face it, I can't even label Alabama or Arizona on a map. So I obveously did not apply to any of the NMSF full ride colleges. Since I should at least try to designate a school that gives at least <em>some money</em> to me, which should I pick?</p>
<p>*WUSTL ($2500, renewable)
*Chicago ($1000, not sure?)
*Rice (I think $750-$2000, renewable?)
*HYPSMP
*State college</p>
<p>Since I would be getting a max of $10k over the course of four years and $190k isn't really all that different from $200k, should I designate Princeton or Harvard as my first choice instead in order to increase (would it?) my changes of admission?</p>
<p>I guess my question is: Is $2500/year (5% discount) really worth it?</p>
<p>I don’t think designating HYPSM will increase your chance of admission, I wouldn’t worry about that. They know from your application that you’re a semi-finalist, they’ll assume finalist, and they have tons of those, so …?</p>
<p>As for designating your first choice…very important…DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT NOW?.. or can’t you wait? Look over at the National Merit threads, there is MUCH talk about when this needs to be done. It’s VERY confusing. But we checked my D’s top two choices and neither requires it before 5/31, so she can wait until she has her offers. Right now, for example…her in state safety has already admitted her and advised they offer $1000 / year “if you name us as your first choice”. But we verified with them that it does NOT have to be done this early. Also, make sure to check the “untold” story on the state colleges. Example: My D’s state college has a $12,000 scholarship that “gives preference to National Merit Finalists”, but that’s a piece of information that was only found through googling old press releases.</p>
<p>I agree that it’s a total waste of time to designate P, H or any of the other very selective colleges as they have so many uber qualified applicants and high yield rates that they don’t give a hoot about showing interest.</p>
<p>I like the advice that Carleton gives, in other words, put undecided until the very end:</p>
<p>I’m sorry, for being clueless, but I’m a bit confused about this. So you are supposed to designate your top school? Does that mean you can only use it for that school or is that just so they can have some more information about you?</p>
<p>You wouldn’t get $2500 per year for going to HYPS. </p>
<p>At most, you might get lucky to get the very few one time $2500 from NMCorp.</p>
<p>HYPS won’t care what you selected as your #1 school for NMCorp, because they know that kids often choose merit schools for that.</p>
<p>BTW…I’m concerned that someone who’s worth of ivies can’t label Alabama or Arizona on a map. My son could do that when he was 4 years old. LOL. ;)</p>
<p>* but I’m a bit confused about this. So you are supposed to designate your top school?*</p>
<p>You’re supposed to designate a top school, but you can easily change that choice in the spring. There is an online form for you to send or fax in with your change of school.</p>
<p>Once you choose your college, you can change your first choice at that point.</p>
<p>My son lived in California until he was in middle school. :)</p>
<p>How does NMC pick who receives the one-time $2500 award?</p>
<p>No one really knows how NMC picks who will get the very, very few one-time $2500 awards. Perhaps they give an even number by state? Perhaps they give them to those who had perfect or near-perfect SATs? NMC doesn’t publish their criteria.</p>