Shooting for and getting NMF are two different things. It is tough to get. It is good you are here doing research. If you are going on the hunt for merit you will need to do a ton of research. Read all the threads here on CC, but look at the colleges’ own website to get a feel for what they are offering. Like others have said it can change from year to year. In general the ticket to larger merit is high ACT/SAT scores and good grades. But then come the essays as well. If she goes pre-med be sure to do research on kids from said colleges going on to med school.