<p>Is the first choice college I report to the NMSC on the sf application in anyway binding? Would I be expected to go to it if I were to become a finalist and be accepted to that school and receive an award? I ask this because I intend to apply to some schools that offer national merit scholarships, but they are not my first choice schools, and so I may be applying to a different school first through early action (and if accepted go there).</p>
<p>I am a National Merit semifinalist wanting to make a decision about listing a first choic institution too. can anyone let me know which schools are most generous with the amount of money they offer to people who list them as first choice?
thanks.</p>
<p>Please clarify how you continued changing first choice through July. NM says once you receive an offer through National Merit, you can no longer match with any other National Merit. Example: daughter receives notice of $2500 award from her first choice school; she is then prohibited from changing her first choice school.</p>
Because D received a NMS Scholarship, not a school sponsored scholarship, it was movable to whatever college she eventually attended. It seems that school sponsored scholarships must be finalized by 31 May. You cannot get both the NMS scholarship and a school or corporate scholarship, so in our case there was no real deadline. It sounds like “undecided” maybe the best solution for most people, up to 31 May. As most schools require an acceptance by 01 May, that shouldn’t be a problem. Be aware that many NMS awards from schools are not administered by NMS and therefore don’t fall under this rule. They simply make their own award to students that qualify as finalist. Those schools may or maynot have their own deadlines.</p>
<p>My daughter looked at the options for NMS choice and put down one on her list. She then filed the paperwork at her high school</p>
<p>She really does like the school, but was that a mistake?</p>
<p>Should we change it to undecided – What if she wants to go somewhere else where they also give aid based on NMSC, particularly if based on first choice?</p>
<p>I am so confused about this…If no place if first choice and she gets accepted at a NMSC school, is that when one indicates which one is first choice? How does the timing work?</p>
<p>momfromme, I would ask her high school if it’s too late to change to “undecided” since they probably haven’t sent the paperwork in to NMSC yet. In my opinion, it’s best to leave the options open.</p>
<p>Some schools will only give $ if for NMS Finalists if students list as first choice by some date, say Feb 1. But regular decisions will not be known by then, right? </p>
<p>My d finds one of those schools (BU) acceptable, but it is not her first choice among schools that offer $ for finalists.</p>
<p>This sets up tension - since she wouldn’t want to commit to BU when she hasn’t heard yet from preferred schools.</p>
<p>If I put in “undecided” for 1st choice college, will it be more likely for me to get the NMSC $2500 scholarship? Don’t they match up people with a first choice college for the college sponsored scholarship?</p>
<p>Thus, if you change it by March 1, you’ll still be in the first group the college is considering, just as if you had originally put that school down in September.</p>
<p>The issue is that I am wondering about the possibility of putting down as my first choice college something that is not my first choice college but that offers NMSs.</p>