Fall 2013 DC Private School National Merit Semifinalists (Class of 2014)

[Anonymous]

In my Midwestern public school we took the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) every year from at least 4th grade. By high school we had many students who were standardized test taking savants. It is a very useful skill to have up through admission to graduate school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But, If you already are committed to a college and have a scholarship, would you take the test? Do kids take the test during school hours and everybody just takes the test?

They take the test at the beginning of junior year in high school, and don't get semifinalist recognition until beginning of senior year, before having applied to colleges. Here is more info: http://www.nationalmerit.org/steps_nmsp.pdf

Sophomore son is prepping right now to take it in october???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does this matter at all? I've never seen ANY correlation of national merit scholar status to career success. College placement is plainly a better indicator of student success.

It matters if you want a shot at the $35M in National Merit scholarships. Also, if you are applying to any private school during early high school years, as we may be, the PSAT is the first thing that say, Groton, looks at because it is the great equalizer. Straight As at one school is not straight As at another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But, If you already are committed to a college and have a scholarship, would you take the test? Do kids take the test during school hours and everybody just takes the test?

They take the test at the beginning of junior year in high school, and don't get semifinalist recognition until beginning of senior year, before having applied to colleges. Here is more info: http://www.nationalmerit.org/steps_nmsp.pdf

Sophomore son is prepping right now to take it in october???

Some schools encourage sophomores to do it for practice and/or as a diagnostic. It's generally very optional for sophomores though -- is the school pushing this?

[Anonymous]

A bunch of kids take PSATs in 7th and 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full multi-year list is here - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnukIDABt_JKdDdZYXlQbnFUQ0VfMHRpTFp1SUIxS2c&hl=en_US#gid=0

I have DC's school's NMSF numbers and names in front of me for the past four years and they do not match this spreadsheet at all. Not sure if it just an error with this school's data or reflects more pervasive problems with these numbers. Either way, color me skeptical of the accuracy of this data.

What school? I'm sure my efforts to compile data have been imperfect, because I'm counting by hand in my spare time. But I'm surprised you're seeing a complete mismatch. Let me know where you see a mistake, so I can double-check my sources. I've got all the original lists stored online for recent years.

Sam2

Actually, I put it all together and did the math. Your numbers are pretty darn close, after all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this matter at all? I've never seen ANY correlation of national merit scholar status to career success. College placement is plainly a better indicator of student success.

It matters if you want a shot at the $35M in National Merit scholarships. Also, if you are applying to any private school during early high school years, as we may be, the PSAT is the first thing that say, Groton, looks at because it is the great equalizer. Straight As at one school is not straight As at another school.

There was a time when a $2,500 scholarship made a big dent in the tuition - now?

[Anonymous]

Class sizes at these schools have variations and raw numbers are meaningless without knowing the percentage of kids from each school were recognized.

[Anonymous]

If anyone has the numbers for VA publics and privates I would appreciate a posting. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But, If you already are committed to a college and have a scholarship, would you take the test? Do kids take the test during school hours and everybody just takes the test?

They take the test at the beginning of junior year in high school, and don't get semifinalist recognition until beginning of senior year, before having applied to colleges. Here is more info: http://www.nationalmerit.org/steps_nmsp.pdf

Sophomore son is prepping right now to take it in october???

Some schools encourage sophomores to do it for practice and/or as a diagnostic. It's generally very optional for sophomores though -- is the school pushing this?

I hope not. i would want to give my kid more time to work on his math if we had the option. I think my other son in public had the same routine: PSAT in fall of sophomore year; SAT in Junior year. ACT in spring of junior year. I may have it jumbled beause we were told to focus on the ACT because older son had learning issues. It was the right advice. So should I be concerned that younger son is taking the PSAT in Octobor of sophomore year? The school has even arranged for extra time and everything is lined up. I thought this was the normal progression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this matter at all? I've never seen ANY correlation of national merit scholar status to career success. College placement is plainly a better indicator of student success.

It matters if you want a shot at the $35M in National Merit scholarships. Also, if you are applying to any private school during early high school years, as we may be, the PSAT is the first thing that say, Groton, looks at because it is the great equalizer. Straight As at one school is not straight As at another school.

There was a time when a $2,500 scholarship made a big dent in the tuition - now?

But it is a credential that follows you for life, like Phi Beta Kappa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But, If you already are committed to a college and have a scholarship, would you take the test? Do kids take the test during school hours and everybody just takes the test?

They take the test at the beginning of junior year in high school, and don't get semifinalist recognition until beginning of senior year, before having applied to colleges. Here is more info: http://www.nationalmerit.org/steps_nmsp.pdf

Sophomore son is prepping right now to take it in october???

Some schools encourage sophomores to do it for practice and/or as a diagnostic. It's generally very optional for sophomores though -- is the school pushing this?

I took it as a sophomore at a big 3 school 30 years ago. As far as I recall the entire grade did. I assume the same is true today. My DC goes to a public school and they take it in school in 9th, 10th and 11th grade. In 9th grade it is self scored, in 10th it is officially scored but paid for by the school, in 11th you have to pay for it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks 18:39. Puts me at rest. I was wondering why we were prepping for a test when it should be taken junior year.

[Anonymous]

Thanks 18:39. Puts me at rest. I was wondering why we were prepping for a test when it should be taken junior year.

[Anonymous]

Schools give it as a practice in 10th, but scores don't get recorded anywhere but the school I don't think. The only PSAT that counts for NMSF is fall of junior year.