National merit 2026?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so disappointed my child didn't qualify in VA with a 223. Their first choice school gives a small scholarship for finalists, and I know it the scheme of college costs it's just a drop in the bucket, but it's so disheartening and a blow to the ego, which is stalling the whole application process.

I know this is a first world problem. I'm still disappointed

I have identical twins and one qualified as a semifinalist and the other did not based on 1 question! They would have both qualified had we lived in just about any other state!!

The non-qualifying kid is so upset and thinks everyone is talking about them at school. I told them that this is small beans - no one is going to care about this a year from now. Honestly, they won't even be caring about this over the holidays, when ED and EA decisions are released.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you know if/when kids are notified as Commended?

At the end of month

Is this worth putting on apps if your kid got a 35 ACT? Shows PSAT not as high?

I would include it as a National Award. I would note the selection index score. Commended in the DC area is a huge number of kids and having a selection index score right below the cutoff shows that it tracks with the high ACT score.

I believe your intent is good, but I disagree with the advice. AOs hate when kids try to make something of nothing.

To the poster who asked, I would not let your kid put down their SI. If they need an award to list, add Commended without their SI. Just focus on the fantastic ACT score!!!

My DS also just missed the cutoff with a 223 in VA. I was wondering about putting the PSAT score in parentheses after Commended in the honors section. There is just such a large gap between 210 and 224 and the score was in the top 1% of the state (just the selection index was not). He has a high SAT as well but I think the PSAT carries some weight in that you can only take it once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you know if/when kids are notified as Commended?

At the end of month

Is this worth putting on apps if your kid got a 35 ACT? Shows PSAT not as high?

I would include it as a National Award. I would note the selection index score. Commended in the DC area is a huge number of kids and having a selection index score right below the cutoff shows that it tracks with the high ACT score.

I believe your intent is good, but I disagree with the advice. AOs hate when kids try to make something of nothing.

To the poster who asked, I would not let your kid put down their SI. If they need an award to list, add Commended without their SI. Just focus on the fantastic ACT score!!!

My DS also just missed the cutoff with a 223 in VA. I was wondering about putting the PSAT score in parentheses after Commended in the honors section. There is just such a large gap between 210 and 224 and the score was in the top 1% of the state (just the selection index was not). He has a high SAT as well but I think the PSAT carries some weight in that you can only take it once.

You're overthinking this. Colleges are not going to accept/deny based on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you know if/when kids are notified as Commended?

At the end of month

Is this worth putting on apps if your kid got a 35 ACT? Shows PSAT not as high?

I would include it as a National Award. I would note the selection index score. Commended in the DC area is a huge number of kids and having a selection index score right below the cutoff shows that it tracks with the high ACT score.

I believe your intent is good, but I disagree with the advice. AOs hate when kids try to make something of nothing.

To the poster who asked, I would not let your kid put down their SI. If they need an award to list, add Commended without their SI. Just focus on the fantastic ACT score!!!

My DS also just missed the cutoff with a 223 in VA. I was wondering about putting the PSAT score in parentheses after Commended in the honors section. There is just such a large gap between 210 and 224 and the score was in the top 1% of the state (just the selection index was not). He has a high SAT as well but I think the PSAT carries some weight in that you can only take it once.

Personally I would do that. I agree the spread is so wide it feels reasonable to indicate if you are on the far high end.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I am amazed at the number of kids from TJ that made NMSF. My kid attends Maggie Walker in Richmond and only 18 made it there, which also seems like a large number for one high school, but nothing like TJ. Smart kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am amazed at the number of kids from TJ that made NMSF. My kid attends Maggie Walker in Richmond and only 18 made it there, which also seems like a large number for one high school, but nothing like TJ. Smart kids.

Link to the TJHSST list?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am amazed at the number of kids from TJ that made NMSF. My kid attends Maggie Walker in Richmond and only 18 made it there, which also seems like a large number for one high school, but nothing like TJ. Smart kids.

That is because TJ draws top students from all of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Falls Church—over 60 public high schools—so its pool of top students is far larger and more concentrated than a single-district school like Maggie Walker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I am amazed at the number of kids from TJ that made NMSF. My kid attends Maggie Walker in Richmond and only 18 made it there, which also seems like a large number for one high school, but nothing like TJ. Smart kids.

That is because TJ draws top students from all of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, and Falls Church—over 60 public high schools—so its pool of top students is far larger and more concentrated than a single-district school like Maggie Walker

Why do people post stuff when they have no idea what they're talking about. MLW pulls kids from 14 school districts:

https://mlwgs.com/admission/application-information/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Names of students from schools with Alexandria addresses:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists-from-alexandria-named-for-2026/ar-AA1MiwdL?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Is there an Arlington list?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Names of students from schools with Alexandria addresses:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists-from-alexandria-named-for-2026/ar-AA1MiwdL?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Is there an Arlington list?

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/22-arlington-seniors-named-2026-national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists

comeonnnnnnnn MoCo!

[Anonymous]

Vienna and Oakton
https://patch.com/virginia/vienna/national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists-vienna-oakton-named-2026

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Names of students from schools with Alexandria addresses:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists-from-alexandria-named-for-2026/ar-AA1MiwdL?ocid=BingNewsVerp

Is there an Arlington list?

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/22-arlington-seniors-named-2026-national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists

comeonnnnnnnn MoCo!

Ha! And also yes. 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son has a 225 in MD and to be honest the idea that it jumped to 226 is totally throwing me off here. It’s making me re-think if we are being too optimistic about his chances at safeties, targets, and reaches. This just feels so unexpected and outside what we imagined was possible.

It isn’t so much about NMSF, although it would have been nice, but this has shaken our confident in his chances overall even at schools that should be easy safeties. A 225 score felt totally safe for MD NMSF but wasn’t.

This is exactly where we are. My DD got a 226, so she's almost certainly a lock for NMSF.

However, her 1590 on the SAT seemed like it was insanely great last week. Now, I'm wondering if schools will be getting a ton of applicants with 1590-1600s. Decided to add in another two safety schools just to be sure.

This is entirely logical to wonder about with the new digital SAT. Does anyone know what the data says?

My child took the SAT twice and got a wildly different math score. Got a 630 on the math at the first testing session and then got a 790 the next testing session. Same amount of rest, etc no significant prep and only about two months between the tests. Have heard from other parents that the scores have huge swings. So, if you keep testing, are you are likely to get one of the tests that is easier for one section? And then able to superscore an insanely high score?

The College Board wants you to take the SAT multiple times, and has been making changes to encourage this. At maximum cynicism levels, I would wonder if they are willing to accept a bit more randomness in the mix on account of that.

[Anonymous]

McLean/Great Falls?

[Anonymous]

Arlington

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/amp/32930295/22-arlington-seniors-named-2026-national-merit-scholarship-semifinalists