<p>OK so I’m a semifinalist. My school took me and a couple other in a room today, told us we were, and gave us the papers to become finalist. They told us that schools might try to court us into coming to them. One of the counselors mentioned University of Oklahoma taking a semifinalist to dinner or something and offering him like a full ride or something like that? Does this actually happen? I love free food and I love free money even more. How would University of Oklahoma even find out about the whole semifinalist thing in the first place to take you to dinner anyways? I indicated on my SAT not to have schools send me junk. Is that going to hurt my chances? Or do all colleges find out about the semifinalists regardless?</p>
<p>ManiacApple,</p>
<p>Being named a NMSF is a pretty big deal. You have much to learn about the subject.<br>
Start learning about your opportunities by reading threads throughout this forum, especially this one: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/136920-full-rides-national-merit-finalists-scholars.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/136920-full-rides-national-merit-finalists-scholars.html</a></p>
<p>Depending on where you want to go to college, you may have earned yourself a full-ride four-year scholarship, subject to your advancing to finalist status which isn’t too difficult.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>OU is very proud of the fact that they have the most NM Finalists of any public university in the country. They have an entire department dedicated to recruiting NM Finalists. Their package is excellent and can be found here.</p>
<p>[National</a> Merit](<a href=“Honors & National Merit”>http://www.ou.edu/go2/nationalmerit.html)</p>
<p>They give a very personalized tour and will arrange appointments with any department you request. If you are coming from even a fairly short distance, they will bring you in the night before and put you up in a hotel. They have current National Merit students who are already attending OU meet with the prospective student, take him/her to lunch, etc. </p>
<p>Oklahoma State also has a great National Merit package, although they do not recruit in the same way.</p>
<p><a href=“https://financialaid.okstate.edu/PDF/national-merit-nonresident-11-12.pdf[/url]”>https://financialaid.okstate.edu/PDF/national-merit-nonresident-11-12.pdf</a></p>
<p>I know many NMF won’t consider state schools and much prefer more selective colleges, and I get that, but for those not wanting to acquire college debt, it’s tough to walk away from offers like these, especially if the student is considering graduate school (and, thus, more student debt) down the road.</p>
<p>Oh, and the University of Tulsa also has a competitive full ride scholarship. I was told by an admissions person this week that NM standing is a very large consideration in the awarding of that scholarship.</p>