Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1

[Anonymous]

Who the f cares. Are your kids happy and kind? That’s what matters.

[Anonymous]

Parent of 3 kids here - 2 were NMSF and went to fine colleges, but the one kid who wasn't a NMSF goes to HYP. Hmm....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:St. Andrew's had 15 National Merit "commended" scholars this year, according to recent Facebook post.

Is this from last year’s PSAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened to St. Albans? It used to be close.

https://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/2022-national-merit-semifinalists-named-washington-dc

They already have a bunch of Ivy commits and their college admissions continues to be amazing - not a bad school on the list (not just top 10 but all students landed in great schools) so I don’t think STA is too worried about any of this! Congrats to Sidwell which is also a great school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the info about NMSFs. But I'm curious to know how many commendations each school had. Is that tracked somewhere? I saw our school's "commended" students and want to see how it stacks up.

The national "commended" score is so low relative to DC that likely there are scores at each of the "rigorous" independent schools. I would be curious about this as well

That the commended score is "low" relative to DC and MD just shows how ridiculously high the DC and MD cut scores are. To make the commended cut you still needed to be close to 1400 on the Junior year PSAT. Its silly to call the top 3-4% nationally "low."

[Anonymous]

My DC goes to a Big3 and the school specifically says the PSAT is for practice and NOT to prepare. I wonder if many of the kids that are NMSF are specifically studying or tutoring for it over the summer? It is really not emphasized at all at the school.

[Anonymous]

My school didn't say anything, but my parents emphasized to me throughout high school that potential scholarships were at stake (NMSF and otherwise), so I'd better prepare and try my best on the PSAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC goes to a Big3 and the school specifically says the PSAT is for practice and NOT to prepare. I wonder if many of the kids that are NMSF are specifically studying or tutoring for it over the summer? It is really not emphasized at all at the school.

None of the schools emphasize it, and they all say to treat it as a practice test; that doesn't stop individuals from preparing for it.

[Anonymous]

Our public school will not inform the parents about PSAT and NMS. Usually, it is some parent who will tell parents to pay attention in our listserv. Our school has the capacity to have 80% NMS commended students. Only around 10% even apply.

[Anonymous]

Sounds totally legit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC goes to a Big3 and the school specifically says the PSAT is for practice and NOT to prepare. I wonder if many of the kids that are NMSF are specifically studying or tutoring for it over the summer? It is really not emphasized at all at the school.

None of the schools emphasize it, and they all say to treat it as a practice test; that doesn't stop individuals from preparing for it.

Maybe the schools try to deemphasize it because it’s not strongly related to acceptances at elite colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:St. John's with same number as St. Albans. One less than Georgetown Day. One more than Gonzaga.

SJC > Gonzaga. In pretty much everything these days.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our public school will not inform the parents about PSAT and NMS. Usually, it is some parent who will tell parents to pay attention in our listserv. Our school has the capacity to have 80% NMS commended students. Only around 10% even apply.

You don't apply. You just take the PSAT junior year when the school offers it. It's automatic.

[Anonymous]

I think St Albans just need better college counselors. That's it. So who was the 1 St Albans kid who did well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our public school will not inform the parents about PSAT and NMS. Usually, it is some parent who will tell parents to pay attention in our listserv. Our school has the capacity to have 80% NMS commended students. Only around 10% even apply.

You don't apply. You just take the PSAT junior year when the school offers it. It's automatic.

Correct. So the school did not have PSAT in Junior year and did not inform about the alternate route to NMS using SAT scores. So, the kids did not apply. In a graduating class of 250, only 37 are NMS semifinalist, when the truth is that a 1540 is the normal median SAT score in the school. Most of the kids and parents could not be bothered. If it was a private school, every single advantage would have been milked. That is what is wrong with public schools.