National Merit Semifinalists

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you Google the Walls kids, they've all been academic outliers for years. At least two of them came from private middle school to Walls.
One got a perfect score on the National Latin exam in 9th grade. I don't know where she learned Latin that well by 9th grade but it wasn't DCPS.

Do you enjoy spending your time proving how a DCPS student couldn’t possibly get national merit scholar without an asterisk next to it? How about all the private school kids whose parents spend a bunch of money on tutors and supplement their education? Did you google all of the kids on the list to see the real reason they scored so well? Can’t we just say congratulations? No one is taking credit for these kids’ accomplishments but posts like yours just come across as bitter and petty.

As a DCPS parent I was simply curious how one becomes a NMSF from what I've found to be a fairly crappy school system.
My kids don't appear to be learning much in DCPS (JKLM-->Deal-->JR despite being A students in the highest level courses they can take).
Turns out some of these Walls kids did not get the majority of their education in DCPS.
I'm not disparaging the kids AT ALL. They are super impressive. Even more impressive now that I know more about them and their accomplishments.

BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This year for DC:

SWW 6
Sidwell 5
Georgetown Day 4
Gonzaga 3
St. Albans 3
National Cathedral 2
St. Anselm’s 2
Basis 1
Maret 1
WIS 1
Whittle 1
Wilson (J-R) 1

Sidwell; from 16 to 5. Last year was really a flux

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you Google the Walls kids, they've all been academic outliers for years. At least two of them came from private middle school to Walls.
One got a perfect score on the National Latin exam in 9th grade. I don't know where she learned Latin that well by 9th grade but it wasn't DCPS.

Do you enjoy spending your time proving how a DCPS student couldn’t possibly get national merit scholar without an asterisk next to it? How about all the private school kids whose parents spend a bunch of money on tutors and supplement their education? Did you google all of the kids on the list to see the real reason they scored so well? Can’t we just say congratulations? No one is taking credit for these kids’ accomplishments but posts like yours just come across as bitter and petty.

As a DCPS parent I was simply curious how one becomes a NMSF from what I've found to be a fairly crappy school system.
My kids don't appear to be learning much in DCPS (JKLM-->Deal-->JR despite being A students in the highest level courses they can take).
Turns out some of these Walls kids did not get the majority of their education in DCPS.
I'm not disparaging the kids AT ALL. They are super impressive. Even more impressive now that I know more about them and their accomplishments.

Two of the semifinalists are Oyster Adams/DCPS graduates (including one of the SWW students). Perhaps OA and Walls just do a great job educating children. Or maybe:
1. You didn’t do enough outside of school to prepare your children academically; or
2. You picked the wrong DC public schools.
2 you picked the wrong DC public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody cares about National Merit Semifinalists.

It gets you literally nothing. Focus on something that matters, like the SAT (does that still matter?).

Signed,

former National Merit Semifinalist.

I saw this in recent topics and came here to say pretty much the same thing.

I was actually a finalist. Although I’m from Delaware, so it was probably really easy to be selected. I got 4K in scholarship money (if I remember correctly), which my parents were thrilled about (it was the mid 90s, so that meant more back then).
And…. That’s it.
No one cares. It has never come up again.
I didn’t even get into an Ivy League school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody cares about National Merit Semifinalists.

It gets you literally nothing. Focus on something that matters, like the SAT (does that still matter?).

Signed,

former National Merit Semifinalist.

I saw this in recent topics and came here to say pretty much the same thing.

I was actually a finalist. Although I’m from Delaware, so it was probably really easy to be selected. I got 4K in scholarship money (if I remember correctly), which my parents were thrilled about (it was the mid 90s, so that meant more back then).
And…. That’s it.
No one cares. It has never come up again.
I didn’t even get into an Ivy League school.

Your sad Delaware story from 30 years ago has nothing to do with these students. It sucks to be you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nobody cares about National Merit Semifinalists.

It gets you literally nothing. Focus on something that matters, like the SAT (does that still matter?).

Signed,

former National Merit Semifinalist.

I saw this in recent topics and came here to say pretty much the same thing.

I was actually a finalist. Although I’m from Delaware, so it was probably really easy to be selected. I got 4K in scholarship money (if I remember correctly), which my parents were thrilled about (it was the mid 90s, so that meant more back then).
And…. That’s it.
No one cares. It has never come up again.
I didn’t even get into an Ivy League school.

Your sad Delaware story from 30 years ago has nothing to do with these students. It sucks to be you.

NP. You seem nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year for DC:

SWW 6
Sidwell 5
Georgetown Day 4
Gonzaga 3
St. Albans 3
National Cathedral 2
St. Anselm’s 2
Basis 1
Maret 1
WIS 1
Whittle 1
Wilson (J-R) 1

Sidwell; from 16 to 5. Last year was really a flux

Most DC private schools don’t push their students to take the PSAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges care.

-Former NMSF who went to HYPS

I could listen to grown adults relive their glory days all day! Will you tell me about your HS baseball career next?

No but I can tell that there is a correlation between high test scores and college admissions. How long have you been in AA? Hope it is working out for you.

Was that an alcoholics anonymous joke? Really? That's the best you got? If you are going to try for mean and sarcastic, do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Link?

Check the DCUM private school forum. Someone posted screenshots of the DC page.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am the poster on page 1 who made the jokes about "congratulating" kids from difference schools. 3 or 4 ages of typical DCUM comments later I just wanted to come back and thank you all for being exactly what we know you are. No group snipes, devalues diminishes others quite like DCUM. It's sad and funny. And predictable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges care.

-Former NMSF who went to HYPS

I could listen to grown adults relive their glory days all day! Will you tell me about your HS baseball career next?

No but I can tell that there is a correlation between high test scores and college admissions. How long have you been in AA? Hope it is working out for you.

Was that an alcoholics anonymous joke? Really? That's the best you got? If you are going to try for mean and sarcastic, do better.

Not the PP but I thought it was hilarious

😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the poster on page 1 who made the jokes about "congratulating" kids from difference schools. 3 or 4 ages of typical DCUM comments later I just wanted to come back and thank you all for being exactly what we know you are. No group snipes, devalues diminishes others quite like DCUM. It's sad and funny. And predictable.

You must be new here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year for DC:

SWW 6
Sidwell 5
Georgetown Day 4
Gonzaga 3
St. Albans 3
National Cathedral 2
St. Anselm’s 2
Basis 1
Maret 1
WIS 1
Whittle 1
Wilson (J-R) 1

Sidwell; from 16 to 5. Last year was really a flux

Most DC private schools don’t push their students to take the PSAT.

Oh yes they do; at least the top ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year for DC:

SWW 6
Sidwell 5
Georgetown Day 4
Gonzaga 3
St. Albans 3
National Cathedral 2
St. Anselm’s 2
Basis 1
Maret 1
WIS 1
Whittle 1
Wilson (J-R) 1

Sidwell; from 16 to 5. Last year was really a flux

Most DC private schools don’t push their students to take the PSAT.

Oh yes they do; at least the top ones.

Not really

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This year for DC:

SWW 6
Sidwell 5
Georgetown Day 4
Gonzaga 3
St. Albans 3
National Cathedral 2
St. Anselm’s 2
Basis 1
Maret 1
WIS 1
Whittle 1
Wilson (J-R) 1

Sidwell; from 16 to 5. Last year was really a flux

Most DC private schools don’t push their students to take the PSAT.

Oh yes they do; at least the top ones.

Not really

Yes they do. Your children don’t attend top privates so why are you commenting on this fact?