2020 National Merit semifinalists in DC

[Anonymous]

I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

[Anonymous]

Elite colleges have wanted the bragging rights to enrolling a good crop of semifinalists and finalists every year since the PSAT was introduced in 1971.

Semifinalists and finalists are hot commodities in elite college admissions, yet few high-performing DC public school students and their families, teachers and admins know this, or know and do not care.

In a more ambitious school system, elite college acceptances matter enough for most high performers to take the PSAT.

Wilson hires just one college counselor for the entire junior class of roughly 560 students. What more do you need to know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

[Anonymous]

I know DC parents who care about the PSAT.

Hint: their kids are academic superstars likely to hit the high octane cut-off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

BS. If you are a recruitable athlete or legacy, you don't need anywhere near a NMSF PSAT score to get into the most highly selective private universities. Short of that, you need a 1500 SAT (lower than NMSF level), great grades, and a unique hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know DC parents who care about the PSAT.

Hint: their kids are academic superstars likely to hit the high octane cut-off.

Congrats to these 10 parents and their 5 kids.

[Anonymous]

As to why? I don't know. I know my bright NWDC kids (two in DCPS, one is a top private) don't read much for fun and never have. Very, very few of their friends do either. They're all too busy playing travel sports, school sports, instruments, other extracurriculars, you-tubing, tik-tocking, instagramming, etc. Rarely if ever are they just sitting on a couch for hours just reading books.

In contrast I literally spent my ENTIRE CHILDHOOD READING. I read thousands of books by high school graduation. My kids will have read a small fraction of this. I have friends with kids in other areas of the country whose kids have much quieter lives than mine do. They spend a good deal more time at home and a good deal more time reading. None of the frenzy of 10 million activities, travel soccer practices and constant social events of my NWDC kids. I bet this is reflected in the PSAT scores. That or my kids (and the rest of us District residents) are just dumber. That could be it too.




NP here who lives in not-NW DC and has children who read just s much as I do/did AND participate in many extracurricular activities - travel sports, martial arts, performing arts, scouts, volunteer work and part time jobs so maybe it is the special NW air? Tired of the excuses. You gave them the screens. You don’t model good habits in regards to screens and reading. The NW public schools (and many of the privates) ARE NOT ALL THAT.

[Anonymous]

Massive lead pipe problem discovered in DC when today's juniors and seniors were infants and toddlers.

Known to lower IQ, and cause ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As to why? I don't know. I know my bright NWDC kids (two in DCPS, one is a top private) don't read much for fun and never have. Very, very few of their friends do either. They're all too busy playing travel sports, school sports, instruments, other extracurriculars, you-tubing, tik-tocking, instagramming, etc. Rarely if ever are they just sitting on a couch for hours just reading books.

In contrast I literally spent my ENTIRE CHILDHOOD READING. I read thousands of books by high school graduation. My kids will have read a small fraction of this. I have friends with kids in other areas of the country whose kids have much quieter lives than mine do. They spend a good deal more time at home and a good deal more time reading. None of the frenzy of 10 million activities, travel soccer practices and constant social events of my NWDC kids. I bet this is reflected in the PSAT scores. That or my kids (and the rest of us District residents) are just dumber. That could be it too.




NP here who lives in not-NW DC and has children who read just s much as I do/did AND participate in many extracurricular activities - travel sports, martial arts, performing arts, scouts, volunteer work and part time jobs so maybe it is the special NW air? Tired of the excuses. You gave them the screens. You don’t model good habits in regards to screens and reading. The NW public schools (and many of the privates) ARE NOT ALL THAT.



So is it the screens that did my kids in or the schools (public and elite Big3 private since I have kids in both). I can't tell from your post??

I trust your kids are among the roughly total 10 (public and private combined) DC residents who were NMSFs this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As to why? I don't know. I know my bright NWDC kids (two in DCPS, one is a top private) don't read much for fun and never have. Very, very few of their friends do either. They're all too busy playing travel sports, school sports, instruments, other extracurriculars, you-tubing, tik-tocking, instagramming, etc. Rarely if ever are they just sitting on a couch for hours just reading books.

In contrast I literally spent my ENTIRE CHILDHOOD READING. I read thousands of books by high school graduation. My kids will have read a small fraction of this. I have friends with kids in other areas of the country whose kids have much quieter lives than mine do. They spend a good deal more time at home and a good deal more time reading. None of the frenzy of 10 million activities, travel soccer practices and constant social events of my NWDC kids. I bet this is reflected in the PSAT scores. That or my kids (and the rest of us District residents) are just dumber. That could be it too.




NP here who lives in not-NW DC and has children who read just s much as I do/did AND participate in many extracurricular activities - travel sports, martial arts, performing arts, scouts, volunteer work and part time jobs so maybe it is the special NW air? Tired of the excuses. You gave them the screens. You don’t model good habits in regards to screens and reading. The NW public schools (and many of the privates) ARE NOT ALL THAT.



So is it the screens that did my kids in or the schools (public and elite Big3 private since I have kids in both). I can't tell from your post??

I trust your kids are among the roughly total 10 (public and private combined) DC residents who were NMSFs this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

BS. If you are a recruitable athlete or legacy, you don't need anywhere near a NMSF PSAT score to get into the most highly selective private universities. Short of that, you need a 1500 SAT (lower than NMSF level), great grades, and a unique hook.

You're painting with too broad a brush, PP. Much depends on where a college applicant applies. Harvard's legacy admit rate is only around 20% now - it was close to 60% as recently as the mid 80s. You can bet that Ivy applicants who are NMSF semifinalists get a second look, and that legacies whose parents aren't willing and able to donate campus buildings and endowed chairs no longer breeze into top schools with mediocre standardized test scores. The PSAT is not required to apply anywhere, meaning that PSAT scores are very seldom submitted with applications. All that SAT scores of 700 plus per section guarantee is that your UMC applicant's application will be read in full.

Recruitable athletes are few and far between, particularly in DC public. The term "hook" in admissions is generally used to indicate that a faculty or staff member of the college is fighting an applicant's corner, trying to ensure that they're admitted and induced to enroll, e.g. a musician for an orchestra that needs a first-rate clarinet player. This is a soft form of being recruited. Right, having a niche interest to bring to the table certainly doesn't hurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what? More students in DC public could hit the cut-off, or score higher, if we had GT ES programs, test in middle schools and more serious application high schools. No more excuses, thanks.

The cut off for states changes based on percentage of kids hitting it. So if suddenly 25% of kids in a state met the cut score, guess what? They'd move the cut score higher to whatever number gets the winners back down to roughly around 1%. They will not make the test easy enough for 10% to make the cut because that makes the test useless.

There will never be more than about 50 NMSF in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

BS. If you are a recruitable athlete or legacy, you don't need anywhere near a NMSF PSAT score to get into the most highly selective private universities. Short of that, you need a 1500 SAT (lower than NMSF level), great grades, and a unique hook.

You're painting with too broad a brush, PP. Much depends on where a college applicant applies. Harvard's legacy admit rate is only around 20% now - it was close to 60% as recently as the mid 80s. You can bet that Ivy applicants who are NMSF semifinalists get a second look, and that legacies whose parents aren't willing and able to donate campus buildings and endowed chairs no longer breeze into top schools with mediocre standardized test scores. The PSAT is not required to apply anywhere, meaning that PSAT scores are very seldom submitted with applications. All that SAT scores of 700 plus per section guarantee is that your UMC applicant's application will be read in full.

Recruitable athletes are few and far between, particularly in DC public. The term "hook" in admissions is generally used to indicate that a faculty or staff member of the college is fighting an applicant's corner, trying to ensure that they're admitted and induced to enroll, e.g. a musician for an orchestra that needs a first-rate clarinet player. This is a soft form of being recruited. Right, having a niche interest to bring to the table certainly doesn't hurt.

Don't kid yourself -- 20% compared to 5% for all applicants is still very a significant boost. And the bump for recruited athletes (20% of student body) whose standardized tests scores and GPA are within range for the university (do not need to be NMSF level) is even higher (83%). Of course if you are a recruitable athlete, who meets the criteria AND are a legacy your chances go way up.

Compared to that being a NMSF doesn't get you much unless you are applying to a flagship where they give full scholarships for finalists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

BS. If you are a recruitable athlete or legacy, you don't need anywhere near a NMSF PSAT score to get into the most highly selective private universities. Short of that, you need a 1500 SAT (lower than NMSF level), great grades, and a unique hook.

You're painting with too broad a brush, PP. Much depends on where a college applicant applies. Harvard's legacy admit rate is only around 20% now - it was close to 60% as recently as the mid 80s. You can bet that Ivy applicants who are NMSF semifinalists get a second look, and that legacies whose parents aren't willing and able to donate campus buildings and endowed chairs no longer breeze into top schools with mediocre standardized test scores. The PSAT is not required to apply anywhere, meaning that PSAT scores are very seldom submitted with applications. All that SAT scores of 700 plus per section guarantee is that your UMC applicant's application will be read in full.

Recruitable athletes are few and far between, particularly in DC public. The term "hook" in admissions is generally used to indicate that a faculty or staff member of the college is fighting an applicant's corner, trying to ensure that they're admitted and induced to enroll, e.g. a musician for an orchestra that needs a first-rate clarinet player. This is a soft form of being recruited. Right, having a niche interest to bring to the table certainly doesn't hurt.

All that NMSF means is you did well on the PSAT. I've never heard of a school looking at PSAT rather than SAT. Even then, the colleges know that the SAT is highly coachable and expect their candidates to have taken the effort to get to the point to get a respectable score. A poor score means you didn't put the effort in, that's all. Beyond a certain point a good score doesn't move the dial.

[Anonymous]

Is that a typical number for DC? I went to high school in Hawaii and there were 28 National Merit Semifinalists in my graduating class.