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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No. The students who do extremely well on PSAT are not doing so because they prepped for it. The kids who do well enough to eventually be NMSF or Finalist find the PSAT exceedingly easy. Kinda like if you were asked to take an 8th grade English and math test when you were in college

The kids who are prepped by their parents are being prepped to help them go from a score of 1000-1100 to something slightly more admissible to a solid SLAC ( 1250 /1300 ) NOT to even try for NMSF

Right, because you can prep from 1100 to 1250 but not from 1350-1500? That makes no sense. NMSFs are not some separate species. The PSAT is a knowledge test. Of course prepping helps. One of my closest close friends was a NMSF from PA and it landed him a fat scholarship to a top 20 university. He definitely prepped for it.

There is no merit at the top schools. Only regular financial aid.

[Anonymous]

Wow, congrats Sidwell! Amazing results... am curious as to how many schools in the DMV offered PSAT last year? How did the Wilson kids take it? DCPS wasn't IRL last year (I don't think) so how as it offered to the public school students?