How many here had students that missed being NMSF and were Commended instead

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid wasn’t even commended. Perhaps an off day bc was focused on a school activity that afternoon or maybe not as smart as other kids. Whatever.

Kid did get a 1540 on SAT in 1 sitting (common app shows how many tries it takes to get score). Also had all 5s on AP exams and took a high number of AP exams compared to school peers. Had 2 B pluses in high school - including 1 junior year - so not valedictorian but higher GPA than many and high rigor (calc BC, all lab sciences, 4 years foreign language, wants to be Humanities major). Solid but regular high school activities (varsity letter winner in multiple sports, club officer, team captain etc). Known as a “nice” kid.

Was accepted REA to first choice school this fall.

All that is to say commended doesn’t make a kid or break an applicant.

So some kids do get commended, but maybe didn't have one of the things YOUR kid has. Why is it ok to take that away from them?
What if your kid had been forced to intentionally hide one of the things you mentioned above? You'd be ok with that?

What was taken away from them? Did they fail to check their own score? My kid never got a 'certificate' or 'ceremony' from his school, but knew right away when he logged in and saw his score that he made the cut and put it on the common app. I haven't read all of this stuff, so maybe I'm missing facts, but what exactly is the argument people are making that these kids were prevented from knowing they were commended? Did they restrict access to their College Board accounts somehow? Or are we talking about high achieving kids who didn't know that commended was a possibility or that they could amend their Common App with supplemental information?

+1. Much Ado about Nothing.

So it's perfectly okay for the schools to have made the decision to withhold these notifications? It wasn't an administrative oversight, or some other type of error, it was done deliberately.

No it's not. However, the impact is infinitesimal that it's indeed Much Ado about Nothing. BTW, I'm not a fan of the TJ admissions process change, the focus on "Asian dilution" and other wokeisms, but this is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone shared a scholarship for Commended students?
Has anyone linked to an AO mentioning Commended as an important factor?

Because I've seen no evidence that Commended means something from a college.

'The National Merit Scholarship website states that out of the 50,000 students recognized, 3,400 are commended students. These students receive letters of commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Although commended students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some do become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.'

https://smdp.com/2022/11/14/students-recognized-by-national-merit-scholarship-program/

So the only evidence that this matters comes from the people who give the award? Why are people getting so up in arms? No one has named a specific scholarship or linked to a comment from an AO about it.

[Anonymous]

Regardless of whether commended matters or not in college applications, the school should not have deliberately withheld the information. This is SO wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Regardless of whether commended matters or not in college applications, the school should not have deliberately withheld the information. This is SO wrong.

This is the college forum. There's a thread about what you want to talk about in the AAP forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid wasn’t even commended. Perhaps an off day bc was focused on a school activity that afternoon or maybe not as smart as other kids. Whatever.

Kid did get a 1540 on SAT in 1 sitting (common app shows how many tries it takes to get score). Also had all 5s on AP exams and took a high number of AP exams compared to school peers. Had 2 B pluses in high school - including 1 junior year - so not valedictorian but higher GPA than many and high rigor (calc BC, all lab sciences, 4 years foreign language, wants to be Humanities major). Solid but regular high school activities (varsity letter winner in multiple sports, club officer, team captain etc). Known as a “nice” kid.

Was accepted REA to first choice school this fall.

All that is to say commended doesn’t make a kid or break an applicant.

So some kids do get commended, but maybe didn't have one of the things YOUR kid has. Why is it ok to take that away from them?
What if your kid had been forced to intentionally hide one of the things you mentioned above? You'd be ok with that?

What was taken away from them? Did they fail to check their own score? My kid never got a 'certificate' or 'ceremony' from his school, but knew right away when he logged in and saw his score that he made the cut and put it on the common app. I haven't read all of this stuff, so maybe I'm missing facts, but what exactly is the argument people are making that these kids were prevented from knowing they were commended? Did they restrict access to their College Board accounts somehow? Or are we talking about high achieving kids who didn't know that commended was a possibility or that they could amend their Common App with supplemental information?

They want a special ceremony.

I haven't seen anyone say they needed a special ceremony. They just wanted to be notified.

Go read the email chain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone shared a scholarship for Commended students?
Has anyone linked to an AO mentioning Commended as an important factor?

Because I've seen no evidence that Commended means something from a college.

'The National Merit Scholarship website states that out of the 50,000 students recognized, 3,400 are commended students. These students receive letters of commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Although commended students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some do become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.'

https://smdp.com/2022/11/14/students-recognized-by-national-merit-scholarship-program/

Every single kid who isn’t a finalist - semifinalists, commended, non-commended - can apply for those special corporate scholarships. They didn’t need to wait to be notified for those at all.

[Anonymous]

Did not list commended status on applications since there were more important honors/awards

[Anonymous]

Good for your DC but that was DC's choice, not some virtue signaling, Asian-hating bureaucrat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

It’s not. That 100% Republicans trying to stir up the base. They are very scared after November.

Too bad people can see through their BS. They will look like a-holes pushing hysterics and wasting resources over this.

“Pushing hysterics and wasting resources” exactly describes everything the Democrats do. That’s their entire political program in a nutshell. So you are projecting… another thing Democrats always do.

[Anonymous]

I think it's BS that a school is left to do the lifting for a 3rd party, but that said, kids who are close to NMF should KNOW how to find out if they made the cut off or not. Unless the kid is brand spanking new to the US, they all know how it works, especially if you're an NMF gunner.

The schools should have gotten the letters out, even though I disagree that it's their job, but I refuse to believe this is some big conspiracy in the name of equity. That doesn't even make sense. And the lady that wrote the article for Fairfax Times - she's pissed at FCPS/TJ and 100% is running an agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

It’s not. That 100% Republicans trying to stir up the base. They are very scared after November.

Too bad people can see through their BS. They will look like a-holes pushing hysterics and wasting resources over this.

“Pushing hysterics and wasting resources” exactly describes everything the Democrats do. That’s their entire political program in a nutshell. So you are projecting… another thing Democrats always do.

No, Ds are busy working. Governing, legislating, etc.

They aren’t pulling political stunts that hurt people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's BS that a school is left to do the lifting for a 3rd party, but that said, kids who are close to NMF should KNOW how to find out if they made the cut off or not. Unless the kid is brand spanking new to the US, they all know how it works, especially if you're an NMF gunner.

The schools should have gotten the letters out, even though I disagree that it's their job, but I refuse to believe this is some big conspiracy in the name of equity. That doesn't even make sense. And the “lady” that wrote the article for Fairfax Times - she's pissed at FCPS/TJ and 100% is running an agenda.

Exactly. Agenda rhymes with Hump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

It’s not. That 100% Republicans trying to stir up the base. They are very scared after November.

Too bad people can see through their BS. They will look like a-holes pushing hysterics and wasting resources over this.

“Pushing hysterics and wasting resources” exactly describes everything the Democrats do. That’s their entire political program in a nutshell. So you are projecting… another thing Democrats always do.

No, Ds are busy working. Governing, legislating, etc.

They aren’t pulling political stunts that hurt people.

LOL no they are busy screeching hysterically about their ideological "isms", refusing to do the actual work that government is supposed to do, and making things worse with their political stunts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

That said, any student or parent that was paying attention would know whether that student was NMSF or commended. The cut scores are a simple google search and all the students have their scores. It is not rocket science.

Well said.

YES. That's why I do not get why the TJ thing is a thing worth a government inquiry over.

It’s not. That 100% Republicans trying to stir up the base. They are very scared after November.

Too bad people can see through their BS. They will look like a-holes pushing hysterics and wasting resources over this.

“Pushing hysterics and wasting resources” exactly describes everything the Democrats do. That’s their entire political program in a nutshell. So you are projecting… another thing Democrats always do.

No, Ds are busy working. Governing, legislating, etc.

They aren’t pulling political stunts that hurt people.

LOL no they are busy screeching hysterically about their ideological "isms", refusing to do the actual work that government is supposed to do, and making things worse with their political stunts.

Who has been screeching about "isms"? Not the Ds.

Ds get work done. Rs just obstruct and pull crazy stunts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid wasn’t even commended. Perhaps an off day bc was focused on a school activity that afternoon or maybe not as smart as other kids. Whatever.

Kid did get a 1540 on SAT in 1 sitting (common app shows how many tries it takes to get score). Also had all 5s on AP exams and took a high number of AP exams compared to school peers. Had 2 B pluses in high school - including 1 junior year - so not valedictorian but higher GPA than many and high rigor (calc BC, all lab sciences, 4 years foreign language, wants to be Humanities major). Solid but regular high school activities (varsity letter winner in multiple sports, club officer, team captain etc). Known as a “nice” kid.

Was accepted REA to first choice school this fall.

All that is to say commended doesn’t make a kid or break an applicant.

So some kids do get commended, but maybe didn't have one of the things YOUR kid has. Why is it ok to take that away from them?
What if your kid had been forced to intentionally hide one of the things you mentioned above? You'd be ok with that?

What was taken away from them? Did they fail to check their own score? My kid never got a 'certificate' or 'ceremony' from his school, but knew right away when he logged in and saw his score that he made the cut and put it on the common app. I haven't read all of this stuff, so maybe I'm missing facts, but what exactly is the argument people are making that these kids were prevented from knowing they were commended? Did they restrict access to their College Board accounts somehow? Or are we talking about high achieving kids who didn't know that commended was a possibility or that they could amend their Common App with supplemental information?

+1. Much Ado about Nothing.

So it's perfectly okay for the schools to have made the decision to withhold these notifications? It wasn't an administrative oversight, or some other type of error, it was done deliberately.

No it's not. However, the impact is infinitesimal that it's indeed Much Ado about Nothing. BTW, I'm not a fan of the TJ admissions process change, the focus on "Asian dilution" and other wokeisms, but this is stupid.

No, it's a very big deal and now three schools have been caught doing it in the name of "equity" so the AG is doing a full check on all the FCPS schools. So continue to be an apologist for TJ but you are wrong. Parents are very angry and they are also angry that FCPS installed teh $425K diversity person. Enough is enough!