<p>Well NEU is by far your best bet in New England. But I’m not sure full tuition is automatic for being NMF… even if it is this year it may not be next. I would think they’d get hundreds upon hundreds of NMF kids applying if it was automatic, and then there’s no way NEW could cover that type of cost.</p>
<p>IMO it is an over the top award for just being NMF. My S had a PSAT 222, but we’re in mass so that doesn’t make the cutoff (223 his year)… any other state he would be NMF.</p>
<p>Assuming NEU gives you full tuition it’s by far the best deal you’ll get in New England. Merit awards are generally pretty poor at new england schools. Big merit money is out of new england. </p>
<p>Anyway with his stats NEU is is best option, just don’t assume it’s guaranteed. His stats probably aren’t going to be good enough to get full tuition at any other top 100 school in the US. NMF path will give him the best deals.</p>
<p>BTW, there’s nothing “national” about NMF, it’s all state by state. I really think the colleges don’t realize how it’s setup. Someone from like Mississippi with a 205 PSAT can get NMF but a 222 from Mass can’t even make the cut? Also, huge merit awards for a PSAT test generally taken early Junior year doesn’t make sense, the awards should have based on SAT or ACT scores which are Senior year. Also, if you take PSAT sophmore year, no matter what the score it doesn’t count. It’s just in my opinion completely out of balance the awards for this whole NMF program. But it is what it is so take advantage of it if you make the cut.</p>