<p>My understanding last year (and I don’t know if this changed for this year) is if you are a National Merit Finalist, and are accepted to USC, and you put down USC as your first choice university on the National Merit Corp. form, then you get the presidential half tuition scholarship. If USC is your first choice, why delay putting it down as your first choice university? If USC is not your first choice, or you are undecided, then figure out which university is your first choice. I don’t understand why some people on this forum on procrastinating their decision. If you are undecided, then go visit the schools at the top of your list and make a decision to inform the National Merit Corp.</p>