NMSFs in DC 2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6 down to 3 is 50% decrease at Walls. That is huge

The actual PSAT scores didn’t drop. The cut score rose. And the cut score has nothing to do with DC.

What’s “really really depressing” is the number of people who claim to care about education but seem to be incapable of analysis or critical thought.

Agree. So much judgment based on so little analysis / information.

I understand the inclination to feel that our children deserve better. I am also frustrated that my child who test extremely well didn't get a chance to test at Walls or to have his test scores factor into his admission to any public high schools in DC, but ultimately, that says less about the quality of the schools than a minor change in admissions.

The reason it's possible to do this, and no have a major decline in the student body performance is because there are far more intelligent and qualified students than seats to go around.

As long and DCPS keeps making every effort to educate the children who come into the system well, and students stay in DC, those two factors will come together and even more DC schools will become among the best in the nation, just as Walls already is.

What’s depressing is that Walls doesn’t use objective criteria for admission. And no my kid didn’t get rejected or anything because they’re too young.

[Anonymous]

Walls students are not mediocre students at all. Walls is a humanities oriented high school and the admission test includes an on-site writing test. Each and every Walls student is unique and a stand out in their own merit and way.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone actually have the list of NMSF by all DC schools (public and private) for 2026?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone actually have the list of NMSF by all DC schools (public and private) for 2026?

No! This is the whole issue. FCPS, MCPS and APS have all released their lists.

[Anonymous]

I noticed Reddit has pictures direct from College Board from nearly every state...except Delaware and DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown Patch used to publish the list

Yup. Someone email them to publish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone actually have the list of NMSF by all DC schools (public and private) for 2026?

No! This is the whole issue. FCPS, MCPS and APS have all released their lists.

This sounds familiar....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/12/29/thomas-jefferson-high-national-merit/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well - they did “drop” if walls kids stayed the same but other kids on average now score higher. Apparently in past DC cut score roughly results in top 1 percent in DC getting NMSF. Wondering if that also happened this year - higher cut score - but even so 1 percent achieved it.

No, it’s like 0.5% this year. Because the total is only what, 37? But there are about 9,000 PSAT/NMSQT takers in DC.

In theory, there could be zero NMSFs in DC. In theory, every kid in DC could be an NMSF. Because the cut score is unrelated to the local population.

This is the crux of the NMSF problem in DC. It's totally unrelated to DC itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well - they did “drop” if walls kids stayed the same but other kids on average now score higher. Apparently in past DC cut score roughly results in top 1 percent in DC getting NMSF. Wondering if that also happened this year - higher cut score - but even so 1 percent achieved it.

No, it’s like 0.5% this year. Because the total is only what, 37? But there are about 9,000 PSAT/NMSQT takers in DC.

In theory, there could be zero NMSFs in DC. In theory, every kid in DC could be an NMSF. Because the cut score is unrelated to the local population.

This is the crux of the NMSF problem in DC. It's totally unrelated to DC itself.

We don't know what the total number of NMSF is in DC for 2026 right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Walls students are not mediocre students at all. Walls is a humanities oriented high school and the admission test includes an on-site writing test. Each and every Walls student is unique and a stand out in their own merit and way.

There is no admissions test now. That changed a few years back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


Different poster here and I agree. I am saddened that dcps crown jewel is being diluted by mediocre students getting all As in underperforming middle schools. I’m not sending my kids to a school where most of the kids aren’t at grade level.

Excellent trolling effort. Well crafted message with a little rage-bait for everybody.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Walls students are not mediocre students at all. Walls is a humanities oriented high school and the admission test includes an on-site writing test. Each and every Walls student is unique and a stand out in their own merit and way.

There is no admissions test now. That changed a few years back.

Walls admission is based on GPA, recommendation letters, an interview, and an on-site 30-min writing test.

[Anonymous]

Someone just posted list on private school forum:

BASIS (2)
Edmund Burke (1)
DC International School (1)
Georgetown Day School (4)
Georgetown Visitation (2)
Jackson-Reed (3)
MacArthur HS (1)
Maret (1)
National Cathedral School (5)
School Without Walls (3)
Sidwell Friends (4)
St Albans (2)
St Anselm's Abbey (3)
St John's College HS (1)
Washington International (1)
Washington Latin Public Charter (3)

[Anonymous]

Actual names can be found in Reddit link, also in same private school forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Walls PARCC/CAPE scores:

2018-19 /exam/84.1% (4+ math)/93.4% (4+ ELA)

2023-24/no exam/67.8% (4+ math)/97% (4+ ELA)

ELA seems about the same but math is definitely lower.

There are no decent public options to Walls in DC (other than BASIS DC, which you can't get into after 5th grade) and it only cherry picks A students, so the fact that Walls has some NMS/top students doesn't necessarily mean that the overall school quality hasn't decreased.

A measure of change in Math standards may be that 2018/19 SWW had 0/0% students taking Algebra I PARCC and 2024/25 SWW has 18/ 11% students taking Algebra I CAPE.