@Dave_N – love your NFW!
No wisdom either. I did not even know there was a March 1st deadline. We will be heading out to USC this weekend for the visit/interview round Mon & Tues. Perhaps I should have my son designate USC?
Is there an actual March 1st deadline or is that just BU? I thought they had until the end of April to assign??
@srk2017 2 years ago it was mid march sorry can’t remember exact date but I know it was before the Ivy decisions were posted. My D said they had the most applicants ever this year according to her Trustee advisor. The amazing thing with BU is they spread this scholarship over all majors not just STEM. My D is in the Communications program. It is a great school in an amazing city.
@Dave_N - have you read through this? One of the parents did a detailed analysis. I haven’t read the whole thread. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1103731-how-to-choose-your-first-choice-college-for-national-merit-purposes-p1.html
@Dave_N - my understanding is that schools can get reports from NMF between March 1 and May 1. If they are a school that looks at this on March 1 then you are at a disadvantage for that school if you designate later. Some of this is discussed on the thread above. And you can not stack NMF awards, but some schools allow NMF to automatically get/be considered for other tuition scholarships. At BU you can get the Presidential ($20k) with NMF. Not sure if they have other NMF money. Clear as mud right?
If she applied for Trustees at BU then I think she’ll be considered for Presidential if she doesn’t get Trustees. Both had the Dec 1 deadline.
@Dave_N I haven’t really heard of schools using the NMF designation as a sign of interest for non-NMF scholarships. My S just listed Michigan State as his #1, because their NMF scholarship money is not automatic, and he assumes listing them as his choice means they will let him know if they are offering it to him or not. But he could still switch his choice before May 1st if he wants.
In your situation it sounds like the only one who cares by March 1st is BU, so I’d probably list them or stay undecided.
@Cubanmom3 - Thanks for the info. My DS applied for BS/MD program and had an interview @ BU.
@Mom2aphysicsgeek
From NMSQ website:
Specific to college-sponsored awards:
March 1 through May 31, 2017: A Finalist who has reported a sponsor college as first choice before March 1 will be included in the first group referred to that institution for scholarship consideration. Only the sponsoring college you have listed as your first choice will be notified. Periodically NMSC will notify sponsors of additional Finalists who have reported (by May 31) the college or university as their first choice.
Apparently some schools start looking at the list after March 1 to award scholarship money, some wait until later.
@Dave_N -
You should not feel pressured to select a top choice until you are clear where your D has been admitted and what other scholarships are on the table. Your NMF choice of school will not affect admissions. Other than BU which seems to have its own self-imposed deadline of March 1st for their $20K (which is not enough to make it a contender), you would not have to designate a first choice school until May 1st.
If your D doesn’t get the full tuition at USCali, the NMF will give her 1/2 tuition. Again, you have until May 1st to designate USC as the top choice. Obviously, USC full tuition or Vandy’s CV or one of the WashU scholarships would make those more affordable than 1/2 tuition at USC, and NM would stack for Vandy.
@Dave_N Thanks for starting this NM discussion because I wasn’t aware that BU had a 3/1 deadline. So my simple question is if my D puts BU as her top choice now can she change it at a later date to say USC if she ends up going there? BU has Tuition Exchange (like USC) and supposedly it stacks with NM 20K so it makes BU very attractive but if she’s not admitted or decides to go elsewhere she’d want to change that top selection.
Could have just sent a copy of her NHRP to BU for the same scholarship as NM - had to be done by 1/3 
Thank you all for the words of wisdom! We’ve got seven acceptances so far, waiting to hear from three more schools. Thankful we have some solid options:)
@Dave_N, Just want to offer words of encouragement in this stressful moment. I know nothing about NMF designation. Just let me say, when the stress builds, be thankful that you have a brilliant child who achieved greatness. I promise, all will work out…Good luck…
For those who might be 2nd guessing their child’s financial option driving their decisions…ds was just accepted to an REU for the #1 program in the country. 2 top 10 options in 2days. Everything will be fine. Really. 
Lower ranked schools can offer them great opportunities and let them shine. You don’t have to forfeit your financial future.
@Dolemite, your student can change the NMF designation anytime through May 1. So if there is a school that is requiring an early designation for a scholarship, you can do that and change it again if she ultimately chooses to attend elsewhere.
Editing to add that the information at the link above is not entirely correct. The notification for the $2500 NM scholarships occurs before the first choice college designation is required. This was the case for my daughter last year.
Congrats @Mom2aphysicsgeek! That is simply incredible!
Wow, catching up again.
@STEM2017 Any reason to celebrate!! <:-P
@Mom2aphysicsgeek CONGRATS ON REU!!! <:-P
So what is your son leaning toward at this point? And reading backward, that trip you went on WAS long! I guess it’s good you won’t have to do it again! As far as NM and Study Abroad: I’m guessing it might work differently depending on the college… @itsgettingreal17 For our college it appears we pay the home school directly for any study abroad programs, so maybe it just depends on the school and program.
@quietdesperation Hard to imaging being so blunt at admitted students day! Along those lines, my conversation with financial aid office didn’t go well, everything I tried to add to see if it would help was met with a resounding NO, NO and NO. I guess they just get tired of all the calls.
@Momofsenior2017 Thanks for the kind word and good luck with the waiting game on the UC’s!
@Dave_N I am no expert, but from what you added, I guess as long as you can change it, your gut about designating BU sounds reasonable. Also chuckled at NFW :))
@educationfan Happy to hear you have solid options!
@HappyGoLucky2017 – He’s coming home tonight. He met some other students and stayed over with a very nice CS student - rolled out of bed at 7:45am this morning for an 8am class (gotta love it), and then went to an engineering info session. Then he had another CS class (data structures & algorithms) & and engineering class. A lot for a day and a half but I think he got a taste of what the classes are like and interactions of students and profs. I really hope this was helpful for him.
data structures & algorithms is a good class to check out for CS.
Two unrelated “quick” questions, if I may:
(1) Does anyone understand the corporate-sponsored NM scholarships for kids not connected to any sponsor? I get there are very few of those, but is this something DS is supposed to apply for somehow? (DS will be attending a college that does not give any NM $.)
(2) For those whose kids have done on-campus overnight visits and stayed with a student-host… do you send a sleeping bag or anything like that? Or do they just typically “sleep” on a disgusting dorm floor? (ewww)