Did Son mess up on First Choice?

mommafrog
Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:31:47 +0000

Dad2011, thanks – but I think I have NMSQ on my speed dial…this is what I was told when I called w/the same question the end of Feb. D had listed “Undecided,” but I wanted to check the rules of this very complicated game with them. My concern was that, if a kid is selected for the 1 time $2500 award, could that knock them out of the potential of a full-ride college-sponsored award? (Their answer – sometimes…depends on the school’s rule. NMS actually only provides a small amount of that full ride, the rest comes from the colleges who want to recruit NMFs.) Anyway, I asked then if it would be better to remain Undecided (as she really hadn’t made her choice) and the rep told me that you have to have a school, ANY school (whether they give NM dollars or not) on file by that March 1st date to be considered for the award, because if you don’t list a school, they have no idea if your child is going to go to college. Not sure about the corporate scholarships, as her dad and I work at places not on the list…

HOWEVER…from my somewhat obsessive reading here, it looks like students who were up for that one-time award and still listed Undecided did receive contact from NM telling them to choose a school quick…d didn’t get that letter, and we haven’t seen any award notices coming yet. (Really okay at this house, because her true first-choice school will give a larger guaranteed 4-year award, and she has selected them.) Apparently, the state-representative thing has to do w/picking the top kids (don’t know if that’s the highest of the high scorers, best essay, or what criteria).

I may have misunderstood the rep – my best advice would be to go to the source and give them a call next week. (They are very nice, even if you call them three times in one day…as I have…) This has got to be one of the most convoluted processes ever invented!! At the end of it all, some kids will get free college, some get smaller, renewable awards, some get a one-time payment…and about half get no monetary awards at all. And to think, when d brought home that lovely PSAT score, hubs and I thought she could choose just about any school, and have her way paid…