Definitely not the most rigorous school in md. Lol |
The Potomac School in McLean, VA, has 2 candidates. |
The Potomac School in McLean, VA, has 2 candidates |
+2! |
26 total from DCPS/DCPCS |
The list of 2018 candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has been published.
Note that this honor -- unlike the National Merit Semifinalists (NMSF) -- is chosen based on the State (or the District) in which you live, and not the State (or District) in which your school is located. And while NMSF is selected based on your PSAT score from October of Junior year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars are chosen based on your highest SAT or ACT scores. "The U.S. Department of Education then looks at test records for the top 30 males and top 30 females in each of the states/jurisdictions. For each examinee, the SAT score is converted to the ACT Sum of Scores, according to a concordance table. Each individual examinee's highest test score (in a single test administration ) is identified, and duplicates and/or lower scores are dropped." https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/select.html By way of explanation, in most large, and/or competitive States (e.g., California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia), you can assume that the top 30 males and the top 30 females in those States will all have earned a perfect 1600 SAT score (or concordance tables will equate that with a perfect 36 ACT score). In fact there will be more than 30 individuals in those States who earned either a 1600 SAT score or a 36 ACT score, and all of them will be U.S. Presidential Scholars candidates. In the District, some smaller (e.g., Wyoming) and/or less competitive States (e.g., Arkansas) the top 30 SAT scores may/will likely dip below a perfect 1600 (and thus accordingly will the qualifying ACT score based on concordance tables). So, for example, DC might have 12 female students per year earning a perfect 1600, 17 earning a 1590, and with 1 spot still available, any female student earning a 1580 would also be a candidate. Also, for some reason, a majority of candidates from each State (or the District) qualify for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program on the basis of their ACT scores. Finally, the candidates selected for artistic merit, through a different qualifying process, will not be introduced into the list until the Semifinalist level in April. "Arts candidates enter the Presidential Scholars Program selection process at the semifinalist level. In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars makes the final selection of up to 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts." https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/select.html I put this explanation in to say that each of the following DC private schools have many excellent students who do not make the list. (Spoken from experience as a few years ago my DC was NMSF in a DC private school (we live in Maryland). DC took the SAT one time, earned a 2390/2400 and was done, but that was not a high enough score for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. When going through the private school list, please note that you will have to review the names from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, to get complete numbers. Also, one name from Georgetown Day School appears twice on the DC list, and I omitted the second reference from my tally. Edmund Burke School -- 4 Georgetown Day School -- 8 Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School -- 1 Gonzaga College High School -- 1 Maret School -- 4 National Cathedral School -- 6 St. Albans School -- 6 Sidwell Friends School -- 7 Washington International School -- 1 https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2018/candidates.pdf I only listed the private schools in DC itself, but please feel free to add the DC public schools and private schools in Maryland and Virginia. |
Actually, WIS has 2 students (one from MD and one from DC). |
The list of 2018 candidates for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has been published.
Note that this honor -- unlike the National Merit Semifinalists (NMSF) -- is chosen based on the State (or the District) in which you live, and not the State (or District) in which your school is located. And while NMSF is selected based on your PSAT score from October of Junior year, the U.S. Presidential Scholars are chosen based on your highest SAT or ACT scores. "The U.S. Department of Education then looks at test records for the top 30 males and top 30 females in each of the states/jurisdictions. For each examinee, the SAT score is converted to the ACT Sum of Scores, according to a concordance table. Each individual examinee's highest test score (in a single test administration ) is identified, and duplicates and/or lower scores are dropped." https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/select.html By way of explanation, in most large, and/or competitive States (e.g., California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia), you can assume that the top 30 males and the top 30 females in those States will all have earned a perfect 1600 SAT score (or concordance tables will equate that with a perfect 36 ACT score). In fact there will be more than 30 individuals in those States who earned either a 1600 SAT score or a 36 ACT score, and all of them will be U.S. Presidential Scholars candidates. In the District, some smaller (e.g., Wyoming) and/or less competitive States (e.g., Arkansas) the top 30 SAT scores may/will likely dip below a perfect 1600 (and thus accordingly will the qualifying ACT score based on concordance tables). So, for example, DC might have 12 female students per year earning a perfect 1600, 17 earning a 1590, and with 1 spot still available, any female student earning a 1580 would also be a candidate. Also, for some reason, a majority of candidates from each State (or the District) qualify for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program on the basis of their ACT scores. Finally, the candidates selected for artistic merit, through a different qualifying process, will not be introduced into the list until the Semifinalist level in April. "Arts candidates enter the Presidential Scholars Program selection process at the semifinalist level. In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars makes the final selection of up to 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts." https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/select.html I put this explanation in to say that each of the following DC private schools have many excellent students who do not make the list. (Spoken from experience as a few years ago my DC was NMSF in a DC private school (we live in Maryland). DC took the SAT one time, earned a 2390/2400 and was done, but that was not a high enough score for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. When going through the private school list, please note that you will have to review the names from DC, Maryland, and Virginia, to get complete numbers. Also, one name from Georgetown Day School appears twice on the DC list, and I omitted the second reference from my tally. Edmund Burke School -- 4 Georgetown Day School -- 8 Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School -- 1 Gonzaga College High School -- 1 Maret School -- 4 National Cathedral School -- 6 St. Albans School -- 6 Sidwell Friends School -- 7 Washington International School -- 2 https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2018/candidates.pdf I only listed the private schools in DC itself, but please feel free to add the DC public schools and private schools in Maryland and Virginia. |
Actually 27 ... the boy listed as unknown school is at Walls, so that is six from Walls. |
The numbers coming out of EL Haynes are surprise me. I guess because I never thought about the school one way or the other.
— DC resident |
Two are [**] Candidate for Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education; it isn't the first year they have had candidates, but yeah, eight is unprecedented. |
E.L. Haynes Public Charter School has more U.S. Presidential Scholars Program candidates than Sidwell Friends School. Who would have thought? |
I agree this seems odd. Especially when compared to the 2017 school quality report http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/2017-11-8%20PMF%20Score%20Card%20SY16-17_E.L.%20Haynes%20PCS%20–%20High%20School_HS_2017.pdf I hope it's legit though. |
In looking at GDS's candidates, I notice that the list does not even include the names of several students who were NMSF this year. It must be a smart class if you have some differerent students as candidates for both those awards. |
The EL Haynes number is surprising in light of the school’s past performance.
EL Haynes Pres Scholars # / NMSF # 2014 0 / 0 2015 0 / 0 2016 0 / 0 2017 1 / 0 2018 8 / 0 Perhaps Haynes should tell DCPS and DCPCS what secret sauce it used this year! I’m sure others would want to know. |