National Merit Semifinalist for DMV Private Schools

[Anonymous]

Walls: No resources, no test prep or tutors and perfect SAT/ACT scores, AP 5s etc. Kids routinely level out of high school math and go to GW for classes. Kids, also, are kind, supportive and thoughtful humans. It is a good look for our future, a two thumbs up for the disappearing middle class and a HUGE feather in the cap of DCPS.

[Anonymous]

What is the size of the Walls class v the Sidwell class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They never push anyone. It’s up to the student to figure it out or advocate for something they don’t know they want or need.

Then why do people on DCUM say that GDS is a pressure cooker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Walls: No resources, no test prep or tutors and perfect SAT/ACT scores, AP 5s etc. Kids routinely level out of high school math and go to GW for classes. Kids, also, are kind, supportive and thoughtful humans. It is a good look for our future, a two thumbs up for the disappearing middle class and a HUGE feather in the cap of DCPS.

Walls is a selective school. And it is not exactly a news flash that parents who send their very smart children to selective schools are also more likely to do test prep, have enriched home environments,etc. I mean, TJ has a massive number of NMSF kids, and I don't have enough data to tell how much of that is a value-add from the school vs the average TJ kids of that class being very high quality test preppers with enriched home environments. And I don't think you do, either.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know a thing about TJ. But I know a lot about Walls since I am a Walls parent. I can tell you first hand that those very smart kids are NOT prepping. They do not have tutors or classes at school to help them with these scores. Yes, many (although not all) come from homes with highly educated parents. But those homes can’t afford the enrichment summers, after school and vacation activities many families of privates can. There are many components to the success of these kids, despite the resources. One of the most striking (and beautiful) one is the collaborative nature of the kids at the school. To the extent a child is eager to go to an Ivy, they are quiet about it. Most kids- even the perfect score kids (and yes, I personally know and love them in multiples) want a college / university for its offerings and its collaborative supportive nature and do not necessarily even apply to an Ivy. After all, that is the Walls environment and it is the one that allows them to do their best work.
I have toggled both the Walls and Big 3 private world, having had kids in both. Walls requires these kids to chart the course that is right for them without the pressure to perform. There is stress (heavy and fast paced course load, really smart peers) but it is not accompanied by pressure to succeed. I believe this is the reason so many of them perform so well on these tests, first time out of the gate and without test prep. There is simply no pressure. And these kids are thinking big thoughts …. And we could all use a little of this collab + bring your best self vibe in our lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They never push anyone. It’s up to the student to figure it out or advocate for something they don’t know they want or need.

Then why do people on DCUM say that GDS is a pressure cooker?

People on DCUM say the same about Maret, where kids have multiple free periods and play on their phones while hanging out on couches.

It’s almost as if DCUM posters say all kinds of stupid stuff.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about this. College admissions to top schools have nothing to do with NMSF.

I don’t agree with this. While NMSF is perhaps not more than another feather in the cap of these high performing kids, elite colleges do care very much about high SAT scores, and those who perform well on psat are very likely to do the same on SAT.

My kid didn't qualify for NMSF but got 1600 on the SAT. That's what matters for college admissions.

Ha! My son did horrible on the PSAT. I slaked him why and he said “it doesn’t count”. Then scored 1580 as a junior on his SAT.

Whereas my kid knew it could make him some money, so he showed what he knew and became a semifinalist. (And it didn't prevent him from doing well on the SAT.)

And how much money did he get?

$8000 for a morning's work. Not bad.

So $8000 x 4 =$32000? That is indeed awesome. Congrats to your kid.

No. It's $2,000 a year x 4 = $8,000

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about this. College admissions to top schools have nothing to do with NMSF.

I don’t agree with this. While NMSF is perhaps not more than another feather in the cap of these high performing kids, elite colleges do care very much about high SAT scores, and those who perform well on psat are very likely to do the same on SAT.

My kid didn't qualify for NMSF but got 1600 on the SAT. That's what matters for college admissions.

Ha! My son did horrible on the PSAT. I slaked him why and he said “it doesn’t count”. Then scored 1580 as a junior on his SAT.

Whereas my kid knew it could make him some money, so he showed what he knew and became a semifinalist. (And it didn't prevent him from doing well on the SAT.)

And how much money did he get?

$8000 for a morning's work. Not bad.

So $8000 x 4 =$32000? That is indeed awesome. Congrats to your kid.

No. It's $2,000 a year x 4 = $8,000

Is this a school scholarship or corporate scholarship? do you mind telling us the school/corporation name?

[Anonymous]

Easy to find corporate scholarships on the website.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/merit_sponsor_leaflet.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61&sessionid=bfc04888-0f4b-4b96-827a-460cafd2773c&cc=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy to find corporate scholarships on the website.
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/merit_sponsor_leaflet.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61&sessionid=bfc04888-0f4b-4b96-827a-460cafd2773c&cc=1

Thanks for the link, but the list doesn't show scholarship amounts. I'm interested in which corporations (and schools) are providing scholarships higher the one-time payment for named National Merit Scholars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know a thing about TJ. But I know a lot about Walls since I am a Walls parent. I can tell you first hand that those very smart kids are NOT prepping. They do not have tutors or classes at school to help them with these scores. Yes, many (although not all) come from homes with highly educated parents. But those homes can’t afford the enrichment summers, after school and vacation activities many families of privates can. There are many components to the success of these kids, despite the resources. One of the most striking (and beautiful) one is the collaborative nature of the kids at the school. To the extent a child is eager to go to an Ivy, they are quiet about it. Most kids- even the perfect score kids (and yes, I personally know and love them in multiples) want a college / university for its offerings and its collaborative supportive nature and do not necessarily even apply to an Ivy. After all, that is the Walls environment and it is the one that allows them to do their best work.
I have toggled both the Walls and Big 3 private world, having had kids in both. Walls requires these kids to chart the course that is right for them without the pressure to perform. There is stress (heavy and fast paced course load, really smart peers) but it is not accompanied by pressure to succeed. I believe this is the reason so many of them perform so well on these tests, first time out of the gate and without test prep. There is simply no pressure. And these kids are thinking big thoughts …. And we could all use a little of this collab + bring your best self vibe in our lives.

+++
I see the same keeping quiet and collab at the Big 3 my DC is attending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And students who put all of these eggs in this basket come from pressure cooker settings and don’t fare well in college

Most of the kids I know who were NMSF and NMF were simply that good. It did not begin in the 11th grade. They were already exhibiting precocious academic performance in primary school and continued on this trajectory as undergraduates and graduate and professional students. There’s really no need to allow your envy and jealousy to belittle accomplishments you, your family and children never attained. If the latter were true would you tarnish the accomplishments of your children with illogical and senseless babble and drivel?

Exactly!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The way this works is all so screwy. My kid missed the cutoff in DC by one point. He would be a NMSF if he went to school in VA or MD. Doesn't seem to make much sense. Oh well...

Oh well indeed. He did not make the cut with his DC cohort. Everyone can find another cohort to make the cut with ... Alabama, Montana, or prison (GED)!!
What's so screwy about not making the bar in one's cohort?

Get a life folk. Be grateful for your own unique gifts.

It's not that he didn't make the cut in the DC cohort...for some random reason, the cutoff for DC is automatically the cutoff of the highest state. DC kids aren't compared to other DC kids. This year, they were compared to NJ kids, last year MD kids, etc. I don't understand why DC kids are held to this higher standard. It's not logical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The way this works is all so screwy. My kid missed the cutoff in DC by one point. He would be a NMSF if he went to school in VA or MD. Doesn't seem to make much sense. Oh well...

Oh well indeed. He did not make the cut with his DC cohort. Everyone can find another cohort to make the cut with ... Alabama, Montana, or prison (GED)!!
What's so screwy about not making the bar in one's cohort?

Get a life folk. Be grateful for your own unique gifts.

It's not that he didn't make the cut in the DC cohort...for some random reason, the cutoff for DC is automatically the cutoff of the highest state. DC kids aren't compared to other DC kids. This year, they were compared to NJ kids, last year MD kids, etc. I don't understand why DC kids are held to this higher standard. It's not logical.

It's because DC is not a State.
It's not just DC, it applies to overseas territories and US students overseas.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about this. College admissions to top schools have nothing to do with NMSF.

I don’t agree with this. While NMSF is perhaps not more than another feather in the cap of these high performing kids, elite colleges do care very much about high SAT scores, and those who perform well on psat are very likely to do the same on SAT.

My kid didn't qualify for NMSF but got 1600 on the SAT. That's what matters for college admissions.

Ha! My son did horrible on the PSAT. I slaked him why and he said “it doesn’t count”. Then scored 1580 as a junior on his SAT.

Whereas my kid knew it could make him some money, so he showed what he knew and became a semifinalist. (And it didn't prevent him from doing well on the SAT.)

And how much money did he get?

$8000 for a morning's work. Not bad.

So $8000 x 4 =$32000? That is indeed awesome. Congrats to your kid.

No. It's $2,000 a year x 4 = $8,000

Is this a school scholarship or corporate scholarship? do you mind telling us the school/corporation name?

This was a school scholarship, $2k/year.