<p>I’ve heard there are some schools that will offer scholarships/merit aid to national merit finalists and, perhaps, semi-finalists. Otherwise, though, it’s just another award to add to a list of accomplishments. As my kid points out, the finalist prize doesn’t really seem worth the effort–it requires more testing and and essay for a chance at being chosen. It’s great for homeschoolers and other students who need more external validation of their ability; I think the average student at bs is better off putting time into classes, sports, ec’s, studying for the SAT, etc. That said, I like D’yer Maker’s method of gaming the system.</p>